I use Excel often. I use the sum function often. I often accidentally extend it one too far, thus containing the cell that displays the result.
Oh it displays the result, and the result is "you can't do that, and here's why..."
I know why. It's the same reason every time.
Just make it test to see if it could fix the problem by excluding the last element of the row/column being summed up. At least make it a quick-click option. That is all.-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jul 29 2004 I hate it when I make an error in Excel and it tries to offer a solution that I may have meant to type. Usually this happens to me with a missing end-parentheses (didn’t we just have an idea about needing more end-parentheses? And usually when this happens, my equation is so complex, that I go cross-eyed trying to see if their suggestion is what I actually want. So I prefer to deny their suggestion and do it over myself, to be sure that it is correct. I would probably do the same with your idea. It’s a real bugger to do a bunch of spreadsheet work and find out there is an error somewhere, but you’re not sure where. It would drive me mad if I eventually found out it was Excel’s fault for suggesting a bogus solution.
I suppose in simple cases, I would use it, but then again, it would be pretty easy to just fix it myself if it were simple… no vote-- luecke, Jul 29 2004 It's a summation, luecke. All cases involving just one row/column are simple cases. You're definitely right about more complex formulas, but this is so easy to spot.-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jul 29 2004 Also, why is there no weighted average function?-- phundug, Jul 29 2004 Hmm. I like the idea of modifying Excel. But I would prefer to modify it by collecting all the cd's of it in existence and forcing Gates to eat every last piece of his infuriating, un-intuitive monstrosity.-- spacemoggy, Jul 29 2004 There's an easier shortcut in Excel, if the goal is just to have =SUM(...some range here...) in the cell. Simply highlight the cell you want the SUM in, then click the toolbar button that has a SIGMA on it. It auto-selects what it thinks is the most likely range (usually the cells right above the SUM).
Oh, and by the way...that behavior is patented by Microsoft.-- krelnik, Jul 29 2004 If you don't like the behaviour of the sum command in Excel, you can always write your own version. If I feel like it, (and if anyone cares) I could knock something up and make this baked...-- zen_tom, Jul 30 2004 Please don't tell anyone that I hung around on a website where people actually engaged in recreational banter about a spreadsheet program.-- Ander, Jul 31 2004 I thought this was a circular thing you carried around to check all the circles around you to see if they all passed the circularity test.
XL? Extra Large?-- neelandan, Jul 31 2004 <I'm so dumb> Right. I thought this was a bit-off formatting for expressions such as "I'll be damned" or "we are majorly screwed".-- dpsyplc, Jul 31 2004 Damn you: [dâm' yú] A condemnation. See also 'Damn you.'-- RayfordSteele, Jul 31 2004 All you circular reference are belong to us-- gnomethang, Jul 31 2004 Right with you [luecke]. While we're at it, could we stop Word underlining the grammar mistakes (yes I know you can turn it off, but only on your own PC, not everyone else's), correcting spelling mistakes and that STUPID BL**DY OFFICE ASSISTANT saying "It looks like you're writing a letter". Rant over.-- wagster, Jul 31 2004 I don't know about you, but I find the even-numbered cells particularly entertaining.-- Ander, Jul 31 2004 Recreational banter over.
Thank you krelnik. That's all I really needed. [-]-- yabba do yabba dabba, Aug 01 2004 Circulus in demonstrando-- thumbwax, Aug 01 2004 random, halfbakery