WOW thanks for all the very detailed explanations, I was wondering what in
the formula called data from another worksheet. Is it the word "Storelist" ?
the tab on the worksheet is named "Stores"

What I am trying to do is create a credit card analyzer that will allow me
to paste my downloaded CSV data from my credit card and paste it into a
worksheet. Then have some kind of formula that will tell me the totals for
each merchant. I would like to have the list of merchants on one worksheet
and have the data that I paste on another. Now you can see why I was trying
to understand what exactly the formula was saying.

In the one I want to create I have 3 columns "A" has the date, "B" has the
dollar amount, "C" has the merchant I would like my formula to give me the
merchant in "D" and the total amount that was spent at that merchant in "E"


If anyone knows of a workbook that already does this I would appreciate if
you could tell me where I could get it. Also if anyone has any ideas on how
I can create this workbook I am all ears.

Thanks again



"T. Valko" wrote in message
...
The formula is testing the value of cell B2 to see if it is present in the
named range StoreList. This sounds like a list of store names. If the
value in cell B2 is present in StoreList then the formula returns the
value of cell B2. If the value in cell B2 is not present in StoreList the
formula returns the word "other".

The logic of the formula is that the COUNTIF function will return the
total count of cell B2 within the named range StoreList. If the count is
0, meaning the value of cell B2 is not present in StoreList, this
evaluates to FALSE and the IF function retunrs the value_if_false argument
which is "other". If the count of cell B2 within the named range StoreList
is *any* number other than 0, meaning the value of cell B2 is present in
StoreList, then the IF function evaluates this to be TRUE and the IF
function returns the value_if_true argument which the value of cell B2.

--
Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP


"Just Me" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to create my own credit card analyzer and I saw one close to
what I want and it had a worksheet that had all the merchants listed in
column "A" this workbook had 3 worksheets in it, the main one was where
the credit card data is entered. in the formula column it had this
=IF(COUNTIF(StoreList,B2),B2,"Other") I want to understand how this
formula tells the main worksheet to use data from the merchant worksheet.

Thanks