I recommend intensive use of built in D-functions 3

In excel there is a group of database functions which I think those of us who write spreadsheets aimed at playing with lists can take advantage of.

These functions usually end with a start with a "D", to mention a few

DSUM
DCOUNT etc.

Being database functions you usually can constrain it to some criteria, eg DSUM the list given that some number in the list does not exceed 5 for example

To get a feel for this, I suggest you click on fx in Excel and use the DSUM function following the user friendly instructions.

Respects

IJR

IJR,

I have used these functions as well to good effect. The problem I have is that they don't allow you to obtain results from a table on another worksheet in the same workbook. I need this because I like to keep a neat calculation sheet at the front and then keep my steel sections table say on another sheet. My only work around is to transfer the sections table onto the front sheet but it's not ideal. Carl Bauer

Carl,

Try using the DGET function in excel97. It will allow you to retrive data from a table on another wooksheet.

Text below is pasted from excel help.

Extracts a single value from a column in a list or database that matches conditions you specify.
For more information and examples, click .

Syntax

DGET(database,field,criteria)

Database is the range of cells that make up the list or database. A database is a list of related data in which rows of related information are records and columns of data are fields. The first row of the list contains labels for each column.
Field indicates which column is used in the function. Field can be given as text with the column label enclosed between double quotation marks, such as "Age" or "Yield," or as a number that represents the position of the column within the list: 1 for the first column, 2 for the second column, and so on.

Criteria is the range of cells that contains the conditions you specify. You can use any range for the criteria argument, as long as it includes at least one column label and at least one cell below the column label for specifying a condition for the column.

Remarks

· If no record matches the criteria, DGET returns the #VALUE! error value.
· If more than one record matches the criteria, DGET returns the #NUM! error value.