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A function is a predefined formula that helps perform common mathematical functions. Functions save you the time of writing lengthy formulas. You could use an Excel function called Average, for example, to quickly find the average of range of numbers. Or you could use the Sum function to find the sum of a cell range. Excel XP contains many different functions.
Each function has a specific order, called syntax, which must be strictly followed for the function to work correctly.
Here is the syntax order:
Here's an example of a function with one argument that adds a range of cells (B3 through B10):
Here's an example of a function with more than one argument that calculates the average of numbers in a range of cells (B3 through B10 and C3 through C10):
Excel has hundreds of functions to help with your calculations. Building formulas can be difficult and time consuming. Excel's functions can save you a lot of time and headaches.
There are many different functions in Excel XP. Some of the more common functions include:
You don't have to memorize the functions but should have an idea of what each can do for you.
The AutoSum function allows you to create a formula that includes a cell range—many cells in a column, for example, or many cells in a row.
Excel will not always tell you if your function contains an error, so it's up to you to check all of your functions. To learn how to do this, read the Double-Check Your Formulas lesson from our Excel Formulas tutorial.
The Average function calculates the average of a range of numbers. The Average function can be selected from the AutoSum drop-down menu.
You can type a question in the Search for a function box and click GO, scroll through the alphabetical list of functions in the Select a function field, or select a function category in the Select a category drop-down list and review the corresponding function names in the Select a function field.
If you're comfortable with basic functions, you may want to try a more advanced one like VLOOKUP. You can check out our article on How to Use Excel's VLOOKUP Function for more information. If you want to learn even more about functions, check out our Excel Formulas tutorial.
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