Microsoft Office for Mac

There are two exponential function options in Excel. Like many things in Excel, what looks simple has some traps for the unwary.  We’ll explain why the Power() and ^ don’t always give the same or even correct result. Exponentiation is an operation in mathematics, written as an, involving the base a and an exponent n. […]

XMatch() function in Excel locates an item in an array or range of cells, then returns its position relative to the item. It’s similar to XLookup() which returns the cell value while XMatch returns a relative position in the array. Syntax =XMATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_mode], [search_mode])   Arguments Lookup_value – the value to find. Lookup_array – the range/table to search […]

Excel can use past data to project possible future results with the Forecast feature.  It’s a very simple version of statistical ‘modelling’.  The Forecast function will let you predict future values and data trends, such as consumer trends, future sales and or inventory needs, based on seasonality.  Here’s a simple guide on how to use the Forecast feature. Although the data below looks fairly complicated, […]

Previously we talked about How to add a Drop-down List in Word, but you can also work more efficiently in Excel worksheets by making use of drop-down or pull-down lists. We will show you how to use Microsoft Excel’s data validation function to create useful lists within your spreadsheets.  How to avoid the trap that lies waiting for the unwary who follow Microsoft’s ‘simple’ instructions.  […]