title: "Building formulas" sidebar_position: 3
Building formulas
- After an operator or
(, arrow keys (or a click) pick a cell and insert its reference; Shift+arrows (or a drag) pick a range. Keep typing to go on. - While you type a name, suggestions drop down: named ranges first, then
tables, the other sheets, then functions with
their arguments. Tab or Enter
inserts
NAME(, or a sheet with its!, quoted when it needs to be (=SuoffersSummary!;=Q3or='Q3offers'Q3 plan'!). An arrow after it points into that sheet, as clicking its tab does. Hidden sheets aren't offered, though formulas still read them. - Inside a function's parentheses the context line shows its signature with
the current argument marked, e.g.
SUMIF(range, criterion, [sum_range]). - Inside a table's brackets,
=SUM(Sales[a, suggestions offer its columns (after#, the items#All,#Data,#Headers,#This Row; after@, the columns again), and Tab or Enter inserts one with its]. The context line lists the table's columns, the one being typed marked:Sales[Region, Units, Amount](Tables by column name). - Alt+; marks what the active cell's formula reads and the formulas that read it, as the pointer moves; Alt+= steps through a formula one part at a time. See Tracing formulas.
- A formula left Automatic shows the format of what it reads:
=B5*2of a currency cell shows currency, and so does=SUM(B2:B9). A blank cell counts with its column's, row's or sheet's format, and changing those formats changes what the formulas show at once.