How do I sum up random cells

  • Thread starter Thread starter Josh W
  • Start date Start date
J

Josh W

I want to add up the values of various discontiguous cells in a worksheet
e.g. A2+A7+C4+D7+G3. What is the quickest way to do this? The autosum
function doesn't seem to work for this. Excel 2003. Thanks.
 
If your question is as simple as it sounds, then just put an equal sign in
front of what you posted and place that in a cell...

=A2+A7+C4+D7+G3

However, you use of the word "random" in the subject line seems to indicate
you might have a more complex question... do you?

Rick
 
Rick, let me try to explain better. Say I want to add up the values of 40
different cells which are located all over the page (not in order neither
vertically nor horizontally). How do I do that? If I were to follow your
advice and type in the + sign and the cells it would take me for
ages...Thanks.
 
Select the random cells using CTrl-Click, then look in the bottom right of
the statusbar, you will see a sum. If it is count, right-click and select
SUM.

--
HTH

Bob

(there's no email, no snail mail, but somewhere should be gmail in my addy)
 
Hello,

You might want to sum from the smallest column and row index up to the
highest (SUM(A2:G7)) if no other "unwanted" numbers appear in that
area.

Or you mark all wanted cells with a special number format (currency
different from other numbers, for example) and you sum by that format
condition, for example with a UDF such as:
Function smf(r As Range)
'Sum my format: sums up all values in r which have
'the same format as calling cell (where this
'function is called from).
Dim v

With Application.Caller
For Each v In r
If v.NumberFormat = .NumberFormat Then
smf = smf + v
End If
Next v
End With

End Function

Or you mark them with a special background colour and sum by that
(http://www.ozgrid.com/VBA/sum-count-cells-by-color.htm).

If you cannot separate wanted numbers from unwanted ones
("include" (=specify) your wanted numbers or "exclude" unwanted ones)
this will be difficult :-)

Regards,
Bernd
 
Thanks Bob! Can I apply the sum in the status bar automatically or do I have
to insert the sum manually into the sheet.
 
Unfortunately I don't think you can grab that info.

You could write a simple macro

Range("A1").Value = Application.Sum(Selection)

assign that to a button and click that when the selection is made.

--
HTH

Bob

(there's no email, no snail mail, but somewhere should be gmail in my addy)
 
Hi Josh,

Another way, type =SUM( in the cell where you want the total,
Then click on your first cell and tap comma
click on the second cell and tap comma etc. etc.

You are limited to 30 numbers but any contiguous range in the
selection will only count as 1 number. i.e =SUM(A4,C7,D7:D13,F15)
would only count as 4 numbers.

Obviously it is still a bit awkward, but it is better than typing
out the formula.

HTH
Martin
 
Hi Josh,

Another way, type =SUM( in the cell where you want the total,
Then click on your first cell and tap comma
click on the second cell and tap comma etc. etc.

You are limited to 30 numbers but any contiguous range in the
selection will only count as 1 number. i.e =SUM(A4,C7,D7:D13,F15)
would only count as 4 numbers.

Obviously it is still a bit awkward, but it is better than typing
out the formula.
Click to expand...


You can combine these 2 suggestions I quoted for a bit faster usage.
Type =SUM( or just hit Autosum button, then CTRL-Click all the random
cells that you want.
 
Martin

Info only............................

To SUM more than 30 cells use double parens.

=SUM((A1,A3,A5,.........A123))

Don't know what the limit is..........too lazy to check but if you run it out
let us know if you find a limit<g>


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP
 
Josh

Another approach would be to click on all the cells you want to sum
and assign those discontiguous cells a name (insert names define) like
"sumcells". Then your formula could be simple, =sum(sumcells).

Implementation of this approach could possibly be simplified if the
cells to be summed have a common feature that would allow you to
select them all at once using goto special. For example if you are
summing all the cells that contain formulas in a range and only those,
you would highlight the range, use GoTo (F5) Special then formulas.
The cells would all be selected, you then insert your range name. The
simple formla =sum(sumcells) would work.

Good luck.

Ken
Norfolk, Va
 
Couple of good points here Ken.

Could probably get up to 40 or 50 cells in a named range if you did not allow
the worksheet name to be added.

Named ranges are restricted to 255 characters.


Thanks, Gord
 
Hi Gord,

Thanks for the tip. I did a trial on 200 numbers and it
worked like a charm. That's as far as my patience
will try for.

Actually I think the 30 Limit is more than enough.
Personally, If I found I needed more, I would be
looking at redesigning my spreadsheet so that my
data was in a more usable format.

It does raise another question, If one limitation
can be broken like this then what about the others?

I tried a few different options for nesting more
than 7 levels in an IF formula, without any success.
I don't hold out much hope for this one but I will
do a bit more fooling around.<g>

Regards
Martin
 
Martin - the brackets just mean it is a multiple selection. Use the INDEX
function to pick out a particular range e.g. =INDEX((A1,B2,C3),,,2).

Multiple ranges can be used inside most summary functions as well as a few
others. The number of areas allowed in functions appears to be 32768 before
running out of memory - although the maximum number of areas you can select
on a sheet is limited to 8192. So in practice the formula length limit will
easily come first.
 
Thanks Lori, that makes more sense now.

It seems to be a bit lower in my XL2000.
The maximum number of selected ranges is only 2048.

Regards
Martin
 
Hi Bob,
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with writing macro's. Can you refer me to a
good link for learning this?
Thanks.
 
Thanks Martin, but I didn't intend typing out the formula...that would take
me a week. Your idea is good but I can also click on the + key.
 
I will have to work a little on those functions. The background colour tip is
a great one! Thanks
 
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