I've only used excel a few times, and what I've read so far doesn't
tell me if this is possible, tho' I have to assume it is. Is it
possible to
assign a formula to a column, say, and have the entire column be
set to a formula with the values of other columns on a row-by-row
basis? That is, something like Cx=Ax+Bx. And since I want it to
be able to handle odd situations, like the absence of some entries,
to set tests -- like set a variable to some value if the cell has no
entry, or has, say, a letter instead of a number? The sort of thing
I could do in APL? Would this require some sort of additional package
to install in Excel? Or does excel do this by itself?

Thanks!

Mark

You can construct quite complex formulae using standard Excel Functions, if
all else fails you can write your own function in a VBA module to use on the
sheet. But beware user written functions are slower than the built in
functions and tests. Try to stay with the built in functionality unless you
are only going to put your function in a small number of cells

--
Tony Green


" wrote:

I've only used excel a few times, and what I've read so far doesn't
tell me if this is possible, tho' I have to assume it is. Is it
possible to
assign a formula to a column, say, and have the entire column be
set to a formula with the values of other columns on a row-by-row
basis? That is, something like Cx=Ax+Bx. And since I want it to
be able to handle odd situations, like the absence of some entries,
to set tests -- like set a variable to some value if the cell has no
entry, or has, say, a letter instead of a number? The sort of thing
I could do in APL? Would this require some sort of additional package
to install in Excel? Or does excel do this by itself?

Thanks!

Mark

What you are asking is standard stuff in Excel.

As you think, a cell, say C2 can be set to

=A2+B2

and that can be copied down as far as you want.

Tests can be added,

=IF(A"<"",A2+B2,"No data in column A")

or even more complex

=IF(AND(A2<"",B2<""),A2+B2,"Invalid data")

It can get much, much more complex than that. Most requirements can be met
with functions, but if not, there is always VBA to extend it even further.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(replace somewhere in email address with googlemail if mailing direct)

wrote in message
oups.com...
I've only used excel a few times, and what I've read so far doesn't
tell me if this is possible, tho' I have to assume it is. Is it
possible to
assign a formula to a column, say, and have the entire column be
set to a formula with the values of other columns on a row-by-row
basis? That is, something like Cx=Ax+Bx. And since I want it to
be able to handle odd situations, like the absence of some entries,
to set tests -- like set a variable to some value if the cell has no
entry, or has, say, a letter instead of a number? The sort of thing
I could do in APL? Would this require some sort of additional package
to install in Excel? Or does excel do this by itself?

Thanks!

Mark

Hi

In C1 enter something like
=IF(COUNTA(A1:B1)=0,"",IF(AND(ISNUMBER(A1),ISNUMBE R(B1)),A1+B1,"something
else")

Clearly the "something else" can be further tests, or a value you want
to be inserted.
Copy C1 down column C as far as you wish.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


wrote in message
oups.com...
I've only used excel a few times, and what I've read so far doesn't
tell me if this is possible, tho' I have to assume it is. Is it
possible to
assign a formula to a column, say, and have the entire column be
set to a formula with the values of other columns on a row-by-row
basis? That is, something like Cx=Ax+Bx. And since I want it to
be able to handle odd situations, like the absence of some entries,
to set tests -- like set a variable to some value if the cell has no
entry, or has, say, a letter instead of a number? The sort of thing
I could do in APL? Would this require some sort of additional package
to install in Excel? Or does excel do this by itself?

Thanks!

Mark