Datasheet

A formula can consist of nothing but a single function — preceded by an
equal sign, of course!
Looking at what goes into a function
Most functions take inputs — called arguments or parameters — that specify
the data the function is to use. Some functions take no arguments, some take
one, and others take many — it all depends on the function. The argument list
is always enclosed in parentheses following the function name. If there’s more
than one argument, they are separated by commas. Look at a few examples:
Function Comment
=NOW() Takes no arguments.
=AVERAGE(A6,A11,B7) Can take up to 255 arguments.
Here, three cell references are
included as arguments. The
arguments are separated by
commas.
=AVERAGE(A6:A10,A13:A19,A23:A29) In this example, the argu-
ments are range references
instead of cell references.
The arguments are separated
by commas.
=IPMT(B5, B6, B7, B8) Requires four arguments.
Commas separate the
arguments.
Some functions have required arguments and optional arguments. You must
provide the required ones. The optional ones are well, optional. But you may
want to include them if their presence helps the function return the value you
need.
The IPMT function is a good example. Four arguments are required and two
more are optional. You can read more about the IPMT function in Chapter 5.
You can read more about function arguments in Chapter 2.
Arguing with a function
Memorizing the arguments that every function takes would be a daunting
task. We can only think that if you could pull that off you could be on televi-
sion. But back to reality, you don’t have to memorize them because Excel
helps you select what function to use, and then tells you which arguments
are needed.
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Part I: Putting the Fun in Functions
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