Excel's database formulas are primitive. They work like 1-2-3's database
functions did in its Release 3. Instead of making the user create a separate
criteria range, the database functions should allow criteria to be written
into the formula, as 1-2-3's database functions do. After using 1-2-3 for 15
years, in which time I became very proficient in the software, my agency has
joined the horde that use Excel. I rely heavily on database functions and
switching to Excel's presents big problems for me. I realize that I can
approximate a database function with criteria with arrays. However, this
requires creating a large number of ranges while creating a database that you
can use database functions with requires namng only one range.

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...et.f unctions