Special Edition Using Microsoft® Office XP

Manipulating Data with Worksheet Functions

Worksheet functions handle a broad array of tasks, from simple arithmetic to complex financial calculations and intricate statistical tests. Regardless of its complexity, every function consists of two parts: the function name and its arguments—the specific values the function uses to calculate a result. The syntax of a function defines what type of arguments it uses: text, numbers, dates, and logical values, for example. In most cases, you can substitute a cell or range address or another formula or function as an argument, as long as the data evaluates to the required data type. Some arguments are required, and others are optional. Arguments always appear to the right of the function name, inside parentheses; ...