Part 2. Creating and Using Lists What is a list? A list is essentially an organized collection of information. More specifically, a list consists of.

Part 2

Creating and Using Lists

What is a list?A list is essentially an organized collection of information.More specifically, a list consists of a row of headers

(descriptive text) followed by additional rows of data, which can be values or text.

You can also think of a list as a database table that is stored in a worksheet.

People often refer to the columns in a list as fields and to the rows as records.

List Example

Designing a ListThe following are some guidelines to keep in mind when

creating lists: Insert descriptive labels (one for each column) in the first

row of the list. This is the header row. Each column should contain the same type of information.

For example, don’t mix dates and text in a single column. Don’t use any empty rows within the list. For list

operations, Excel determines the list boundaries automatically, and an empty row signals the end of the list.

Select the upper-left data cell and choose Window Freeze ➪Panes to make sure that the headings are visible when the list is scrolled.

You can preformat entire columns to ensure that the data has the same format. For example, if a column contains dates, format the entire column with the desired date format.

Entering Data into a ListEntering data into a list can be done in three ways:

✦ Manually, using all standard data entry techniques ✦ By importing it or copying it from another file ✦ By using a dialog box

There’s really nothing special about entering data into a list. You just navigate through the worksheet and enter the data into the appropriate cells.

If you prefer to use a dialog box for your data entry, Excel accommodates you. To bring up a data entry dialog box, move the cell pointer anywhere within the list and choose Data Form. Excel determines the extent of your list and ➪displays a dialog box showing each field in the list.

Entering Data into a List (Contd.)

Entering data with the Data Form dialog boxWhen the Data Form dialog box appears, the first record in

the list is displayed.To enter a new record, click the New button to clear the

fields. Then you can enter the new information into the appropriate fields. Use Tab to move among the fields.

When you click New (or Close), the data that you entered is appended to the bottom of the list. You also can press Enter, which is equivalent to clicking on the New button.

Other uses for the Data Form dialog boxYou can use the Data Form dialog box for more than just

data entry. You can edit existing data in the list, view data one record at a time, delete records, and display records that meet certain criteria.

The dialog box contains a number of additional buttons, which are described as follows: ✦ Delete: Deletes the displayed record. ✦ Restore: Restores any information that you edited. You must click this button before you click on the New button. ✦ Find Prev: Displays the previous record in the list. If you entered a criterion, this button displays the previous record that matches the criterion. ✦ Find Next: Displays the next record in the list. If you entered a criterion, this button displays the next record that matches the criterion. ✦ Criteria: Clears the fields and lets you enter a criterion upon which to search for records.

Filtering a ListFiltering a list is the process of hiding all rows in the list

except those that meet some criteria that you specify. For example, displaying students who live in Peshawar only.

Excel provides two ways to filter a list: ✦ AutoFilter for simple filtering criteria ✦ Advance Filter for more-complex filtering

Using autofilteringTo autofilter a list, start by moving the cell pointer anywhere

within the list. Then choose Data Filter AutoFilter. Excel analyzes your ➪ ➪

list and adds drop-down arrows to the field names in the header row.

When you click the arrow in one of these drop down lists, the list expands to show the unique items in that column.

Select an item, and Excel hides all rows except those that include the selected item. In other words, the list is filtered by the item that you selected.

After you filter the list, the status bar displays a message that tells you how many rows qualified. In addition, the drop-down arrow changes color to remind you that the list is filtered by a value in that column.

To move out of AutoFilter mode and remove the drop-down arrows from the field names, choose Data Filter AutoFilter ➪ ➪again. This removes the check mark from the AutoFilter menu item and restores the list to its normal state.

Autofiltering

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTablesExcel worksheets let you gather and present important

data, but the standard worksheet can’t be changed from its original configuration easily. That means you cannot easily exchange the data of rows and columns.

You can use an Excel tool to reorganize and redisplay your data dynamically. You can create a PivotTable, or dynamic worksheet, that lets you reorganize and filter your data on the fly.

To create a PivotTable, you must have your data collected in a list.

Consider the following data. To create a PivotTable, you must have your data collected in a list in which every row represents a cell in the body of the finished PivotTable. Once you have created a list, you can click any cell in that list, open the Data menu, and click PivotTable and PivotChart Report to launch the PivotTable and PivotChart Wizard.

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)

On this wizard page, you identify the data source for your PivotTable and whether you want to create a PivotTable by itself or a PivotTable and a PivotChart. Clicking Next accepts the default choices and moves you to the second wizard screen.

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)

On this screen, you verify that the wizard has correctly identified the cells with the data for your PivotTable. If not, you can click the Collapse Dialog button in the Range box, select the cells that contain your data, and then expand the dialog box to continue. Once the proper cell range is listed in the Range box, click Next to move to the final wizard screen.

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)This wizard screen asks whether you want to create your

PivotTable in a new or an existing worksheet. Because the data lists used to create PivotTables are usually quite long, it is often best to create the PivotTable in a new worksheet. Clicking Finish closes the wizard; creates a new worksheet in your workbook; and adds a PivotTable, the PivotTable toolbar, and the Pivot Table Field List dialog box to that worksheet.

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)

To assign a field, or column in a data list, to an area of the PivotTable, you drag the field head to the desired area on the PivotTable outline. For example, you can drag the Sales Rep field head to the Drop Row Fields Here box, drag the Region field head to the Drop Column Fields Here box, and then drag the Sales field head to the Drop Data Items Here box to populate the body of the PivotTable with data. After you drop a field head in the Drop Data Items Here box, the PivotTable fills with data.

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)

Creating Dynamic Lists with PivotTables (Contd.)

Select the cells in the PivotTable data area.On the Format menu, click Cells.Use the controls in the Format Cells dialog box to format

the cells in the PivotTable, and click OK.

To apply a predefined format to a PivotTable If the PivotTable toolbar is hidden, right-click any toolbar

and then, from the shortcut menu that appears, click PivotTable.

Click any cell in the PivotTable.On the PivotTable toolbar, click the Format Report button.Click the desired AutoFormat.

To format PivotTable data

To apply a predefined format to a PivotTable

Editing PivotTablesAfter you have created a PivotTable, you can edit it to control how

your data is displayed.To open a PivotTable for editing, you click any cell in the PivotTable

and then, if necessary, display the fields available for the PivotTable by clicking the Show Field List button on the PivotTable toolbar.

While the PivotTable Field List dialog box is open, you can drag any field name from the dialog box to the active PivotTable. Dragging a field name to the Drop Page Fields Here box doesn’t change how the data in your PivotTable is arranged, but it does let you filter your PivotTable based on the contents of the field.

Clicking a field head’s down arrow displays a list of values in the field. Clicking any of these values and then clicking OK limits the data shown in the PivotTable to data gathered on the selected weekday.

To remove a filter from a PivotTable, click the down arrow of the field head used to filter the PivotTable, click (All), and then click OK.

Functions and Formulas

PurposeOne important task you can perform in Excel is

to calculate totals for the values in a series of related cells. You can also use Excel to find out other information about the data you select, such as the maximum or minimum value in a group of cells.

Regardless of your bookkeeping needs, Excel gives you the ability to find the information you want. And if you should make an error, you can find the cause and correct it quickly.

Excel makes it easy to reference a number of cells at once, letting you define your calculations quickly.

Creating Formulas to Calculate Values Once you’ve added your data to a worksheet and

defined ranges to simplify data references, you can create a formula, or an expression that performs calculations on your data.

To write an Excel formula, you begin the cell’s contents with an equal sign—when Excel sees it, it knows that the expression following it should be interpreted as a calculation and not text. After the equal sign, you type the formula.

For instance, you can find the sum of the numbers in cells C2 and C3 using the formula =C2+C3.

After you have entered a formula into a cell, you can revise it by clicking the cell and then editing the formula in the formula bar.

Formulas Contd.To create a new calculation, you click Function on the

Insert menu. The Insert Function dialog box appears, with a list of functions, or predefined formulas, from which you can choose.

Finding and Correcting Errors in CalculationsExcel makes it easy to find the source of errors in

your formulas by identifying the cells used in a given calculation and describing any errors that have occurred. The process of examining a worksheet for errors in formulas is referred to as auditing.

Excel identifies errors in several ways. The first way is to fill the cell holding the formula generating the error with an error code.

When a cell with an erroneous formula is the active cell, an Error button appears next to it. You can click the button’s down arrow to display a menu with options that provide information about the error and offer to help you fix it.

Error CodesError Code

Description

##### The column isn’t wide enough to display the value.

#VALUE! The formula has the wrong type of argument (such as text where a TRUE or FALSE value is required).

#NAME? The formula contains text that Excel doesn’t recognize (such as an unknown named range).

#REF! The formula refers to a cell that doesn’t exist (which can happen whenever cells are deleted).

#DIV/0! The formula attempts to divide by zero.

Entering and Editing FormulasEntering a new formula into a worksheet appears to

be a straightforward process:1.Select the cell in which you want to enter the formula.2.Type an equals sign (=) to tell Excel that you’re

entering a formula.3.Type the formula’s operands and operators.4.Press Enter to confirm the formula.Excel divides formulas into four groups: arithmetic,

comparison, text, and reference.

Using Arithmetic FormulasArithmetic formulas are by far the most common type

of formula. They combine numbers, cell addresses, and function results with mathematical operators to perform calculations.

It consists of operators like addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), percentage (%), exponentiation (^).

Using Comparison FormulasA comparison formula is a statement that compares two or

more numbers, text strings, cell contents, or function results.

If the statement is true, the result of the formula is given the logical value TRUE (which is equivalent to any nonzero value). If the statement is false, the formula returns the logical value FALSE (which is equivalent to 0)

Using Text FormulasA text formula is a formula that returns text. Text formulas use the ampersand (&) operator to work

with text cells, text strings enclosed in quotation marks, and text function results.

One way to use text formulas is to concatenate text strings. For example, if you enter the formula =“soft"&"ware" into a cell, Excel displays software.

You also can use & to combine cells that contain text. For example, if A1 contains the text Ben and A2 contains Jerry, entering the formula =A1&" and " &A2 returns Ben and Jerry.

Using Reference FormulasThe reference operators combine two cell references

or ranges to create a single joint reference.

Operator Precedence

3 ^ (15/5) * 2 – 53 ^ ((15/5) * 2 – 5)3 ^ (15 / (5 * 2 – 5 ))

Understanding Relative Reference FormatWhen you use a cell reference in a formula, Excel looks

at the cell address relative to the location of the formula.

For example, suppose that you have the formula =A1*2 in cell A3. To Excel, this formula says, “Multiply the contents of the cell two rows above this one by 2.” This is called the relative reference format, and it’s the default format for Excel.

This means that if you copy this formula to cell A4, the relative reference is still “Multiply the contents of the cell two rows above this one by 2,” but the formula changes to =A2*2 because A2 is two rows above A4.

This way of handling copy operations will save you incredible amounts of time when you’re building your worksheet models.

Understanding Absolute Reference FormatWhen you refer to a cell in a formula using the

absolute reference format, Excel uses the physical address of the cell.

You tell the program that you want to use an absolute reference by placing dollar signs ($) before the row and column of the cell address.

Talking about the old example, Excel interprets the formula =$A$1*2 as “Multiply the contents of cell A1 by 2.”

No matter where you copy or move this formula, the cell reference doesn’t change. The cell address is said to be anchored.

Naming FormulasFollow these steps to name a formula:Choose Insert, Name, Define Name to display the New

Name dialog box.Enter the name you want to use for the formula in the

Name text box.In the Refers To box, enter the formula exactly as you

would if you were entering it in a worksheet.Click OK.

FunctionsExcel has various function categories, including the

following: Text Logical Information Lookup and reference Date and time Math and trigonometry Statistical Financial Database and table

Typing a Function into a FormulaWhether you use a function on its own or as part of a

larger formula, here are a few rules and guidelines to follow:

You can enter the function name in either uppercase or lowercase letters. Excel always converts function names to uppercase.

Always enclose function arguments in parentheses. Always separate multiple arguments with commas. (You

might want to add a space after each comma to make the function more readable. Excel ignores the extra spaces.)

You can use a function as an argument for another function. This is called nesting functions. For example, the function AVERAGE(SUM(A1:A10), SUM(B1:B15)) sums two columns of numbers and returns the average of the two sums

Using the IF() Function (The Simplest Case)

Let’s start with the simplest version of the IF() function: IF(logical_test, value_if_true) logical_test: A logical expression—that is, an expression that

returns TRUE or FALSE (or their equivalent numeric values: 0 for FALSE and any other number for TRUE).

value_if_true: The value returned by the function if logical_test evaluates to TRUE.

For example, consider the following formula: =IF(A1 >= 1000, “It’s big!”)

IF() Function (Handling a FALSE Result)IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)logical_test: A logical expression.value_if_true: The value returned by the function if

logical_test evaluates to TRUE.value_if_false: The value returned by the function if

logical_test evaluates to FALSE.For example, consider the following formula:

=IF(A1 >= 1000, “It’s big!”, “It’s not big!”)

IF() Function (Avoiding Division by Zero)Excel displays the #DIV/0! error if a formula tries to

divide a quantity by zero. To avoid this error, you can use IF() to test the divisor and ensure that it’s nonzero before performing your division.

For example, the basic equation for calculating gross margin is (Sales – Expenses)/Sales. To make sure that Sales isn’t zero, use the following formula:

=IF(Sales <> 0, (Sales - Expenses)/Sales, “Sales are zero!”)

Performing Multiple Logical TestsExcel offers several techniques for performing two or

more logical tests: nesting IF() functions, the AND() function, and the OR() function.

Nesting IF() FunctionsWhen building models using IF(), it’s common to come upon a

second fork in the road when evaluating either the value_if_true or value_if_false arguments.

For example, consider the variation of our formula that outputs a description based on the value in cell A1:=IF(A1 >= 1000, “Big!”, “Not big”)

What if you want to return a different string for values greater than, say, 10,000? In other words, if the condition A1 > 1000 proves to be true, you want to run another test that checks to see if A1 > 10000.

You can handle this scenario by nesting a second IF() function inside the first as the value_if_true argument:=IF(A1 >= 1000, IF(A1 >= 10000, “Really big!!”, “Big!”), “Not big”)

For example, if you want to return the description Small for a cell value less than 100, you would use this version of the formula:

=IF(A1 >= 1000, “Big!”, IF(A1 < 100, “Small”, “Not big”))

The AND() Function It’s often necessary to perform an action if and only if two

conditions are true. The AND() result is calculated as follows: If all the arguments return TRUE (or any nonzero number),

AND() returns TRUE. If one or more of the arguments return FALSE (or 0), AND()

returns FALSE.You can use the AND() function anywhere you would use a

logical formula, but it’s most often pressed into service as the logical condition in an IF() function.

In other words, if all the logical conditions in the AND() function are TRUE, IF() returns its value_if_true result; if one or more of the logical conditions in the AND() function are FALSE, IF() returns its value_if_false result. Here’s an example:

=IF(AND(B2 > 0, C2 > 0), “1000”, “No bonus”)

The OR() FunctionThe OR() result is calculated as follows: If one or more of the arguments return TRUE (or any

nonzero number), OR() returns TRUE. If all of the arguments return FALSE (or 0), OR() returns

FALSE.As with AND(), you use OR() wherever a logical

expression is called for, most often within an IF() function.

This means that if one or more of the logical conditions in the OR() function are TRUE, IF() returns its value_if_true result; if all of the logical conditions in the OR() function are FALSE, IF() returns its value_if_false result.

Here’s an example:=IF(OR(B2 > 0, C2 > 0), “1000”, “No bonus”)

Working with Lookup FunctionsIn many worksheet formulas, the value of one

argument often depends on the value of another. Here are some examples:

In a formula that calculates an invoice total, the customer’s discount might depend on the number of units purchased.

In a formula that charges interest on overdue accounts, the interest percentage might depend on the number of days each invoice is overdue.

The usual way to handle these kinds of problems is to look up the appropriate value.

Understanding Lookup TablesThe table—more properly referred to as a lookup table

—is the key to performing lookup operations in Excel. The most straightforward lookup table structure is one

that consists of two columns (or two rows): Lookup column—This column contains the values that

you look up. For example, if you were constructing a lookup table for a dictionary, this column would contain the words.

Data column—This column contains the data associated with each lookup value. In the dictionary example, this column would contain the definitions.

In most lookup operations, you supply a value that the function locates in the designated lookup column. It then retrieves the corresponding value in the data column.

The CHOOSE() FunctionThe simplest of the lookup functions is CHOOSE(), which

enables you to select a value from a list. Specifically, given an integer n, CHOOSE() returns the nth item from the list. Here’s the function’s syntax:

CHOOSE(num, value1[, value2,...])Num: Determines which of the values in the list is returned. If

num is 1, value1 is returned; if num is 2, value2 is returned (and so on). num must be an integer (or a formula or function that returns an integer) between 1 and 29.

value1, value2...: The list of up to 29 values from which CHOOSE selects the return value. The values can be numbers, strings, references, names, formulas, or functions.

For example, consider the following formula:=CHOOSE(2,”Surface Mail”, “Air Mail”, “Courier”)

The num argument is 2, so CHOOSE() returns the second value in the list, which is the string value Air Mail.

Looking Up Values in TablesCHOOSE() does have its drawbacks: The lookup values must be positive integers. The maximum number of data values is 29. Only one set of data values is allowed per function.Excel can use a wider variety of lookup values

(negative or real numbers, strings, and so on), and it can also accommodate multiple data sets that each can have any number of values (subject, of course, to the worksheet’s inherent size limitations).

Excel has two functions that meet these criteria: VLOOKUP() and HLOOKUP().

The VLOOKUP() Function The VLOOKUP() function works by looking in the first column of a

table for the value you specify. (The V in VLOOKUP() stands for vertical.)

It then looks across the appropriate number of columns (which you specify) and returns whatever value it finds there.

Here’s the full syntax for VLOOKUP(): VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num) lookup_value: This is the value you want to find in the first column

of table_array. You can enter a number, string, or reference. table_array: This is the table to use for the lookup. You can use a

range reference or a name. col_index_num: If VLOOKUP() finds a match, col_index_num is the

column number in the table that contains the data you want returned (the first column—that is, the lookup column—is 1, the second column is 2, and so on).

The VLOOKUP() Function (Contd.) If VLOOKUP() doesn’t find a match in the lookup column, it

returns #N/A. If col_index_num is less than 1, VLOOKUP() returns

#VALUE!; if col_index_num is greater than the number of columns in table, VLOOKUP() returns #REF!.

VLOOKUP Example

The HLOOKUP() FunctionThe HLOOKUP() function is similar to VLOOKUP(), except

that it searches for the lookup value in the first row of a table. (The H in HLOOKUP() stands for horizontal.)

If successful, this function then looks down the specified number of rows and returns the value it finds there.

Here’s the syntax for HLOOKUP():HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num) lookup_value: This is the value you want to find in the first

row of table_array. You can enter a number, string, or reference.

table_array: This is the table to use for the lookup. You can use a range reference or a name.

row_index_num: If HLOOKUP() finds a match, row_index_num is the row number in the table that contains the data you want returned (the first row—that is, the lookup row—is 1, the second row is 2, and so on).

HLOOKUP Example

Math & Statistical Functions

The ROUND() FunctionThe rounding function you’ll use most often is ROUND():ROUND(number, num_digits)number: The number you want to roundnum_digits: An integer that specifies the number of

digits you want number rounded to, as explained here:

=round(236.1234, 2) gives 236.12.=round(236.1234, 0) gives 236.=round(236.1234, -2) gives 200.

num_digits

Description

> 0 Rounds number to num_digits decimal places

0 Rounds number to the nearest integer

< 0 Rounds number to num_digits to the left of thedecimal point

The EVEN() and ODD() FunctionsThe EVEN() and ODD() functions round a single

numeric argument:EVEN(number) ODD(number)number: The number you want to roundBoth functions round the value given by number away

from 0, as follows:EVEN() rounds to the next even number. For example,

EVEN(14.2) returns 16, and EVEN(–23) returns –24.ODD() rounds to the next odd number. For example,

ODD(58.1) returns 59 and ODD(–6) returns –7.

The INT() and TRUNC() Functions The INT() and TRUNC() functions are similar in that you can use both to

convert a value to its integer portion: INT(number) TRUNC(number[, num_digits]) number: The number you want to round num_digits: An integer that specifies the number of digits you want number

rounded to, as explained here:

For example, INT(6.75) returns 6, and TRUNC(3.6) returns 3. However, these functions have two major differences that you should keep in mind:

For negative values, INT() returns the next number away from 0. For example, INT(–3.42) returns –4. If you just want to lop off the decimal part, you need to use TRUNC() instead.

You can use the TRUNC() function’s second argument—num_digits—to specify the number of decimal places to leave on. For example, TRUNC(123.456, 2) returns 123.45, and TRUNC(123.456, –2) returns 100.

num_digits Description

> 0 Truncates all but num_digits decimal places

0 Truncates all decimal places (this is the default)

< 0 Converts num_digits to the left of the decimal

point into zeroes

The SUM() FunctionHere’s the syntax of the SUM() function:SUM(number1[, number2, ...])number1, number2,... The values you want to addFor example, the following formula returns the sum of the

values in three separate ranges:=SUM(A2:A13, C2:C13, E2:E13)

The MOD() FunctionThe MOD() function calculates the remainder (or modulus)

that results after dividing one number into another. Here’s the syntax for this more-useful-than-you-think function:

MOD(number, divisor)number: The dividend (that is, the number to be divided)divisor: The number by which you want to divide numberFor example, MOD(24, 10) equals 4 (that is, 24 •10 = 2,

with remainder 4)

Counting Items with the COUNT() FunctionThe simplest of thedescriptive statistics is the total

number of values, which is given by the COUNT() function:

COUNT(value1[,value2,...])value1, value2,... One or more ranges, function

results, expressions, or literal values of which you want the count

The AVERAGE() Function The mean is what you probably think of when someone uses the

term average. That is, it’s the arithmetic mean of a set of numbers.

In Excel, you calculate the mean using the AVERAGE() function: AVERAGE(number1[,number2,...]) number1, number2,... A range, or list of values of which you want

the meanThe MEDIAN() Function The median is the value in a data set that falls in the middle

when all the values are sorted in numeric order. That is, 50% of the values fall below the median, and 50% fall above it.

You calculate the median using the MEDIAN() function: MEDIAN(number1[,number2,...]) number1, number2,... A range, or list of values of which you

want the median

The MODE() FunctionThe mode is the value in a data set that occurs most

frequently. The mode is most useful when you’re dealing with data

that doesn’t lend itself to being either added (necessary for calculating the mean) or sorted (necessary for calculating the median).

For example, you might be tabulating the result of a poll that included a question about the respondent’s favorite color. The mean and median don’t make sense with such a question, but the mode will tell you which color was chosen the most.

You calculate the mode using the MODE() function:MODE(number1[,number2,...])number1, number2,... A range, or list of values of which

you want the mode

The MAX() and MIN() Functions If you want to know the largest value in a data set, use the

MAX() function:MAX(number1[,number2,...])number1, number2,... A range, or list of values of which

you want the maximumTo get the smallest value in a data set, use the MIN()

function:MIN(number1[,number2,...])number1, number2,... A range, or list of values of which

you want the minimum

Calculating the RangeThe simplest measure of variability is the range (also

sometimes called the spread), which is defined as the difference between a data set’s maximum and minimum values.

Excel doesn’t have a function that calculates the range directly. Instead, you first apply the MAX() and MIN() functions to the data set. Then, when you have these extreme values, you calculate the range by subtracting the minimum from the maximum.

For example, here’s a formula that calculates the range for the defects database:

=MAX(D3:D22) - MIN(D3:D22)Speaking generally, the range is a useful measure of

variation only for small sample sizes.

Calculating the Variance with the VAR() FunctionExcel calculates the variance using the VARP() and

VAR() functions:VARP(number1[,number2,...])VAR(number1[,number2,...])number1, number2,... A range, or list of values of

which you want the varianceYou use the VARP() function if your data set

represents the entire population; You use the VAR() function if your data set represents only a sample from the entire population.

Calculating the Standard Deviation with the STDEVP() and STDEV() FunctionsYou could calculate the standard deviation by taking

the square root of the VAR() result, but Excel offers a more direct route:

STDEVP(number1[,number2,...])STDEV(number1[,number2,...])number1, number2,... A range, or list of values of

which you want the standard deviationYou use the STDEVP() function if your data set

represents the entire population; you use the STDEV() function if your data set represents only a sample from the entire population.

Some More Functions

The PMT FunctionThe PMT function returns the loan payment (principal plus

interest) per period, assuming constant payment amounts and a fixed interest rate.

To return the periodic payment for a loan, use the PMT() function:

PMT(rate, nper, pv[, fv][, type])rate: The fixed rate of interest over the term of the loan.nper: The number of payments over the term of the loan.pv: The loan principal. fv: The future value of the loan. type: The type of payment. Use 0 (the default) for end-of-

period payments; use 1 for beginning-of-period payments.For example, the following formula returns the monthly

payment of a $10,000 loan with an annual interest rate of 6% (0.5% per month) over 5 years (60 months):

=PMT(0.005, 60, 10000)

Calculating the Principal and Interest Any loan payment has two components: principal repayment and

interest charged. Interest charges are almost always front-loaded, which means that

the interest component is highest at the beginning of the loan and gradually decreases with each payment. This means, conversely, that the principal component increases gradually with each payment.

To calculate the principal and interest components of a loan payment, use the PPMT() and IPMT() functions, respectively:

PPMT(rate, per, nper, pv[, fv][, type]) IPMT(rate, per, nper, pv[, fv][, type]) rate: The fixed rate of interest over the term of the loan. per: The number of the payment period (where the first payment is

1 and the last payment is the same as nper). nper: The number of payments over the term of the loan. pv: The loan principal. fv: The future value of the loan (the default is 0). type: The type of payment. Use 0 (the default) for end-of-period

payments; use 1 for beginning-of-period payments.

The End