Help with using range names in sum function

[soteman2005]

Hi,

I am creating a model in excel using range names for every row which works really well. The model is run across several years which are allocated a column each. I need to sum some cells which are all in 1 year e.g. =sum(b1:b5) but when i use the range names for row 1:row 5, excel sums the entire named range from A1:IX1 to A5:IX5, instead of just the cells in the active column.

Does anyone know a way to do this? I'm thinking that there might be an intersect function or something which will allow me to sum the intersecting cells of the named column range and named row ranges?

Similarly, I would also like to be able to reference a cell from the previous year to do an average, so is there a way to do that using the range name i.e I am calculating a 2006 average but I need the 2005 value for susbcribers, but the name range gives me the 2006 value.

I am working across years 2003 to 2013. There are quite a few instances in which I want to sum data, but here is one example;

2003 2004 2005 etc.
Cost A £12 £13 £15
Cost B £10 £11 £5
etc.
Total £22 £24 £20

but obviously I have more rows to sum and more years. I have range named each row as I have about 450 rows in each worksheet and I often need to add extra rows.

so for total I would use a formula like =sum(costA:costB) using range names, but that sums CostA for 2003, 2004, 2005 and Cost B for 2003, 2004, 2005 which I obviously don't want.

The issue with referencing previous years might for example be doing an average cost for 2003-2004 so I would want to be able to reference CostA 2003 whilst in the 2004 column and I have no idea how to do this with range names.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

[DOR]

You should look up the OFFSET function in Help. This enables you to
define a dynamic (i.e. varying) range relative to a base range, using
variable values. It is reasonably easy to use OFFSET to refer to a
subset of a given named range. If you would like to see how it is
done, send me your spreadsheet, via Google groups, or upload it in
excelforum and I will show you.

Example: =SUM(OFFSET(YR2005,0,2,1,3)) will calculate the sum of cells
3 through 5 of the first row of a range called YR2005 (referring to the
first cell as "cell 1"). We are defining a new range "offset" from the
top left hand corner of YR2005 (the first parameter) by 0 rows (the
second parameter) and 2 columns (the third parameter) with a depth of 1
row and a width of 3 rows (third and fourth parameters).

[Niek Otten]

The intersect operator is the space character. So "A:A 1:1" means "A1".
You may have to experiment with it a lttle before you get it to do what you
require.

--
Kind regards,

Niek Otten

"soteman2005" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Hi,
>
> I am creating a model in excel using range names for every row which
> works really well. The model is run across several years which are
> allocated a column each. I need to sum some cells which are all in 1
> year e.g. =sum(b1:b5) but when i use the range names for row 1:row 5,
> excel sums the entire named range from A1:IX1 to A5:IX5, instead of
> just the cells in the active column.
>
> Does anyone know a way to do this? I'm thinking that there might be an
> intersect function or something which will allow me to sum the
> intersecting cells of the named column range and named row ranges?
>
> Similarly, I would also like to be able to reference a cell from the
> previous year to do an average, so is there a way to do that using the
> range name i.e I am calculating a 2006 average but I need the 2005
> value for susbcribers, but the name range gives me the 2006 value.
>
> I am working across years 2003 to 2013. There are quite a few instances
> in which I want to sum data, but here is one example;
>
> 2003 2004 2005 etc.
> Cost A £12 £13 £15
> Cost B £10 £11 £5
> etc.
> Total £22 £24 £20
>
> but obviously I have more rows to sum and more years. I have range
> named each row as I have about 450 rows in each worksheet and I often
> need to add extra rows.
>
> so for total I would use a formula like =sum(costA:costB) using range
> names, but that sums CostA for 2003, 2004, 2005 and Cost B for 2003,
> 2004, 2005 which I obviously don't want.
>
> The issue with referencing previous years might for example be doing an
> average cost for 2003-2004 so I would want to be able to reference CostA
> 2003 whilst in the 2004 column and I have no idea how to do this with
> range names.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Many thanks
>
>
> --
> soteman2005
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