You can employ a UDF.

Function EvalCell(RefCell As String)
Application.Volatile
EvalCell = Evaluate(RefCell)
End Function

With the text average(A:A) in B1 enter

=EvalCell(B1) in C1

Would seem to me however that typing an = sign would be easier than
entering/copying a bunch of formulas.

Unless you have the text pre-entered and are looking to change to a formula.


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 16:52:04 -0700, "phshirk"
wrote:

Would prefer not having to enter = manually in each cell.