What is the use of {} before any formula?
 

I am reviewing an excel formula, in the front before "=" there is "{" and at
the end of tee formula there is "}" do you know what is the use of this?

This is an array formula. You need to confirm this formula with a control -
shift - enter.
http://www.emailoffice.com/excel/arrays-bobumlas.html

Mangesh



"andreas" wrote in message
...
I am reviewing an excel formula, in the front before "=" there is "{" and
at
the end of tee formula there is "}" do you know what is the use of this?

The {} brackets indicate that it's an array formula, committed by pressing
Ctrl-Shift-Enter, rahter than just Enter. An array formula is so named
because it's the way, or one way, that Excel works on arrays of cells.

A simple example is weighting. Assume you have numeric 4 grades for a
class, each of them worth a different % of the total, and you need to figure
the final grade. The following data appears in cells A1:B5, with the grades
starting in row 2.

Grades Weight
75 10%
85 25%
60 25%
88 40%

One way to do this would be to use column C and in each row multiply col A *
col B, then add them up. Another way is to use

=SUM(a2:a5*b2:b5)

entered with Ctrl-Shift-Enter. As an arrya formula, it told Excel to
multiply the first cell in the first range (A2) times the first cell in the
second range (B2), plus A3*B3, plus..well, you get the picture. This was the
only way to do this with a single formula before Microsoft added the
SUMPRODUCT() function a few versions back; now most people use

=SUMPRODUCT(a2:a5,b2:b5)

entered normally.

By searching this NG for threads about array formulas, you can find an
amazing 'array' of powerful uses for array formulas (pun definitely intended).




"andreas" wrote:

I am reviewing an excel formula, in the front before "=" there is "{" and at
the end of tee formula there is "}" do you know what is the use of this?

On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 04:48:04 -0700, "andreas"
wrote:

I am reviewing an excel formula, in the front before "=" there is "{" and at
the end of tee formula there is "}" do you know what is the use of this?

It means it's an array formula. (There's a help topic by that name.)

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