Comments on: Adding Every Other Cell http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/ Daily posts of Excel tips…and other stuff Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:58:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Three UDFs « Newton Excel Bach, not (just) an Excel Blog http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41466 Three UDFs « Newton Excel Bach, not (just) an Excel Blog Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:37:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41466 <p>[...] Adding Every Other Cell¬ (also at the Microsoft Office Blog: Adding Every Other Cell in a Column ) and Summing the Digits of a Number [...]</p> [...] Adding Every Other Cell¬ (also at the Microsoft Office Blog: Adding Every Other Cell in a Column ) and Summing the Digits of a Number [...]

]]> By: Kanwaljit http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41441 Kanwaljit Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:01:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41441 <p>Hi David,</p> <p>See you more here in the future...... May God bless you with 1000 healthy years !</p> <p>and here is Bob........<br> Father of "SUMPRODUCT"<br> Thanks a Ton Bob. Everything I knew about SUMPRODUCT is just because of yours contribution. Thanks.. </p> <p>Kanwaljit</p> Hi David,

See you more here in the future…… May God bless you with 1000 healthy years !

and here is Bob……..
Father of “SUMPRODUCT”
Thanks a Ton Bob. Everything I knew about SUMPRODUCT is just because of yours contribution. Thanks..

Kanwaljit

]]> By: Bob Phillips http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41424 Bob Phillips Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:19:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41424 <p>"‚Ķ SUMPRODUCT just takes the work of doing the array formula away from you."</p> <p>More accurately, SP removes the need to array-enter the formula, that is about it, but it is enough to make explaining a solution a lot easier with SP. And it was with SP that most of these innovations have happened.</p> <p>There are some things that you cannot do with SP because an array resolves to an error, then you have to use an arfray SUM(IF to outsort the offenders.</p> “‚Ķ SUMPRODUCT just takes the work of doing the array formula away from you.”

More accurately, SP removes the need to array-enter the formula, that is about it, but it is enough to make explaining a solution a lot easier with SP. And it was with SP that most of these innovations have happened.

There are some things that you cannot do with SP because an array resolves to an error, then you have to use an arfray SUM(IF to outsort the offenders.

]]> By: Joe http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41409 Joe Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:06:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41409 <p>@Brett<br> I'd guess it's because people generally don't understand array formulas in concept. The way the SUM array formula works, as compared to how the SUMPRODUCT formula works, are basically the same; the difference is that SUMPRODUCT takes an array as an argument, while SUM does not, so you need to use the ctrl+enter combination to execute it. Other than that they basically do the same thing... SUMPRODUCT just takes the work of doing the array formula away from you.</p> <p>If they can actually understand what the SUMPRODUCT version does, I'd suggest that it's a good way to explain array formulas, really - since they really do both do basically the same exact thing. [Unless the nested IF is causing the trouble, in which case that's a different issue entirely.]</p> @Brett
I’d guess it’s because people generally don’t understand array formulas in concept. The way the SUM array formula works, as compared to how the SUMPRODUCT formula works, are basically the same; the difference is that SUMPRODUCT takes an array as an argument, while SUM does not, so you need to use the ctrl+enter combination to execute it. Other than that they basically do the same thing… SUMPRODUCT just takes the work of doing the array formula away from you.

If they can actually understand what the SUMPRODUCT version does, I’d suggest that it’s a good way to explain array formulas, really – since they really do both do basically the same exact thing. [Unless the nested IF is causing the trouble, in which case that's a different issue entirely.]

]]> By: Brett Hamilton http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41404 Brett Hamilton Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:35:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41404 <p>@David,</p> <p> I loved the Excel work I do as an actuary so much I left the corporation and want to help people reap the savior from mind-numbing manual processes.</p> <p> That corp is moving the tracking of maintenance testing in their heath product rating system (there was something enhanced every quarter) from a Lotus email database to a Sharepoint server and informal conversations indicate they will move to Office 2007 eventually. Do you think there will be a burgeoning of training for even everyday office use of Excel 2007? I dove into it at home and was pleasantly surprised that all of the previous keyboard hotkeys were still supported. There is a happy dialog that displays the office 2003 access sequence I'm following. I'm getting used to it, but I can't yet programmatically change the ribbon. Lucky people are mostly on 2003 or prior. Best of fortunes on the business.</p> @David,

I loved the Excel work I do as an actuary so much I left the corporation and want to help people reap the savior from mind-numbing manual processes.

That corp is moving the tracking of maintenance testing in their heath product rating system (there was something enhanced every quarter) from a Lotus email database to a Sharepoint server and informal conversations indicate they will move to Office 2007 eventually. Do you think there will be a burgeoning of training for even everyday office use of Excel 2007? I dove into it at home and was pleasantly surprised that all of the previous keyboard hotkeys were still supported. There is a happy dialog that displays the office 2003 access sequence I’m following. I’m getting used to it, but I can’t yet programmatically change the ribbon. Lucky people are mostly on 2003 or prior. Best of fortunes on the business.

]]> By: lhm http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41403 lhm Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:33:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41403 <p>Dick, thanks for picking this up. It's based on a simple math identity: (-1)^n is 1 for even n and -1 for odd n, whereas 1^n is always 1, so adding a series to its alternating series counterpart gives twice the sum of the even terms.</p> <p>For some there may be tradeoffs with readability but for the average user many formulas are black boxes anyway and this is far quicker to recalculate and also shorter so easier to maintain than many other alternatives. Why not take advantage of such shortcuts where possible?</p> Dick, thanks for picking this up. It’s based on a simple math identity: (-1)^n is 1 for even n and -1 for odd n, whereas 1^n is always 1, so adding a series to its alternating series counterpart gives twice the sum of the even terms.

For some there may be tradeoffs with readability but for the average user many formulas are black boxes anyway and this is far quicker to recalculate and also shorter so easier to maintain than many other alternatives. Why not take advantage of such shortcuts where possible?

]]> By: David Hager http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41400 David Hager Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:05:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41400 <p>After being "retired" from high-level Excel stuff for a while (never had a job connected with it, though), I am now working on starting a consulting/training business. I have been doing an exhaustive search for code and new ideas, but there are not as many as you might expect. That makes the reappearance of EEE unlikely. I am also not yet into the new learning curve with VSTO, which is the only new thing out there. I do have to give Dick congrats on creating and running a web site that generates new ideas. This site is the closest thing to the EEE concept. That said, I will be contributing more to this site in the future.</p> After being “retired” from high-level Excel stuff for a while (never had a job connected with it, though), I am now working on starting a consulting/training business. I have been doing an exhaustive search for code and new ideas, but there are not as many as you might expect. That makes the reappearance of EEE unlikely. I am also not yet into the new learning curve with VSTO, which is the only new thing out there. I do have to give Dick congrats on creating and running a web site that generates new ideas. This site is the closest thing to the EEE concept. That said, I will be contributing more to this site in the future.

]]> By: Brett Hamilton http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41399 Brett Hamilton Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:47:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41399 <p>@Elias,</p> <p> Very nice. I'll thoroughly research an Excel formula before writing a UDF. Thanks.</p> <p>@David,</p> <p> Also fun! That's an array formula, but the isodd (or iseven) is good self-documentation.</p> <p>@Joe,</p> <p> I have only gone in depth with formula explanations with two work associates. Each time the Sumproduct was easier to understand than the array. I'm not sure why.</p> <p>Thoughts?</p> <p>Brett</p> @Elias,

Very nice. I’ll thoroughly research an Excel formula before writing a UDF. Thanks.

@David,

Also fun! That’s an array formula, but the isodd (or iseven) is good self-documentation.

@Joe,

I have only gone in depth with formula explanations with two work associates. Each time the Sumproduct was easier to understand than the array. I’m not sure why.

Thoughts?

Brett

]]> By: Kanwaljit` http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41393 Kanwaljit` Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:25:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41393 <p>Hi David,</p> <p>Do you still maintain a site.... Still searching something like EEE letter.</p> <p>Warm Regards<br> Kanwaljit</p> Hi David,

Do you still maintain a site…. Still searching something like EEE letter.

Warm Regards
Kanwaljit

]]> By: Elias http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/09/30/adding-every-other-cell/#comment-41389 Elias Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:54:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=3029#comment-41389 <p>@Brett</p> <p>How about this.</p> <p>=SUMPRODUCT((MOD(ROW(A1:A250)-ROW(A1)+1,2)=0)*A1:A250)</p> <p>Regards</p> @Brett

How about this.

=SUMPRODUCT((MOD(ROW(A1:A250)-ROW(A1)+1,2)=0)*A1:A250)

Regards

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