Microsoft® Office 2008 for Mac® Bible

Chapter 15. Using Formulas and Functions

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding formulas

• Using the Formula Bar

• Introducing the Formula Builder

• Using functions

• Troubleshooting errors

You can use spreadsheet software for a variety of uses, from simple jobs like making lists and organizing tables, all the way up to database-like duties. With such extreme versatility, it's no wonder that a spreadsheet program, along with a word processor, has become one of the must-have programs in any office suite.

However, the heart of a spreadsheet program is the ability to make complex calculations quickly and easily using formulas and functions. Excel 2008 is definitely no slouch in this area. With more than 300 built-in functions and an extensive formula building capability, Excel 2008 should be able to satisfy the most power-hungry data cruncher.

A downside to all of this power is that creating formulas is often an arcane art, with many options and difficult-to-understand syntax. With Excel 2008, Microsoft's designers sought to improve things in this regard with a new feature called the Formula Builder. This new tool can help reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to create formulas.

In this chapter, you learn how formulas work, from the basics on up. And yes, you get a tour of the Formula Builder to see just how easy building formulas can be. In addition, you learn about Excel's built-in functions and the services they provide. You also learn how to troubleshoot any problems you might encounter with your ...