Repeating a formula in a column in Google Docs - excel

I have struggled for a long time with this. I need to enter the same formula in every cell of a column. However it changes the formula as it is dragged or copied. e.g. =J2 becomes =J3 =J4 etc. I need just =J2 in every cell.

Try =$J$2 instead of =J2
The $ symbol keeps the reference as-is, that is does not change it when it is dragged.
HTH.

Related

How to reference every cell of another tab using indirect

I want to create a tab that will display all the cell values of another tab based on the tab name provided on a cell.
I have played around with the indirect function, but I cannot write a formula so that by dragging down and right it will access the cells.
=INDIRECT("'"&$A$1&"'!A1")
This part &$A$1& is getting the name of the tab.
If I drag down this formula, the last A1 does not change though.
You can use the formula ="Sheet2!A1" in Sheet1 Cell A1 and drag down, then across. I tried to find a faster way to paste it into every cell, but I had to force quit the application because it used all of my available memory. You might think about whether you actually need every cell to be duplicated into the second sheet. Good luck!
Edit: Just realized you were dead set on using Indirect. This should work.
=INDIRECT("'Sheet2'!"&CELL("address",A1))
Simply use following formula
=INDIRECT($A$1&"!A" & ROW(1:1))
Try building the string like this. The final A1 will work as you want it to.
=INDIRECT(CONCATENATE("'",$A$1,"'!", CELL("address",A1)))

Increment numbers starting from Zero in any cell without specific reference in Excel

I want to increment numbers starting from Zero in any cell without specific reference in Excel without VBA. I know to use col()-col($A$1), or a helper column, a1+1, auto-fill options. They all require a reference cell which much be changed if the starting cell is changed. but I have many offset formulae which reference the same ranges but from different cells.
Essentially what I've been unsuccessfully trying to do is have the one formula to paste into any cell, named range or other formula to increment by 1 starting from zero in any cell.
I don't think it should be hard to to, but so far my search has not yielded desired results as per my requirements.(As a last resort - after looking through all the aisles 4 times in every supermarket, twice) I'm asking the question.
What I want is:
0
1
2
3
4...etc. with rows or columns. in any cell without having to reference a absolute cell because I'll have to keep changing that reference with every formula in a different cell.
OFFSET(payments!$E$14,,GCD((COLUMN()-COLUMN('error test'!$B$1))*5),COUNTA(OFFSET(payments!$E$14:$E$522,,GCD((COLUMN()-COLUMN('error test'!$B$1))*5))),1)
(COLUMN()-COLUMN('error test'!$B$1) - this part is just to start at 0 but I have to keep changing the reference $B$1 whenever i put the formula into a different cell or table or pull data from another range. I have many like this, each one has to be carefully examine and changed accordingly to make sure the reference is correct.
Once I added an extra column to my data table, I had to go through every cell and every formula, name ranges, conditional formatting, and change the reference.
Surely there must be a way without using VBA to start counting from zero without needing to manually change a reference every time it moves.
I've tried variations of sum(row()-1+row()), mod, gcd. could there be a way to have an absolute reference move with a cell?
I've just figured it out! i can't believe the answer eluded me for so long!
columns($A$1:a1)-1
This will give me a result of zero, and increments when filled across.
0 1 2 3 ...
rows($A$1:a1)-1 will do the same for rows.
I know it references a cell, but this way it doesn't matter which cell this formula is placed into, the result will always be the same. However if you insert of delete cells, just refill the formula through the desired cells.
I think this will be much easier than column()-column($A$1).
Thanks guys for your help.

trying to expand vlookup to other cells without automatically changing values

I am setting up a vlookup to pull product prices from another sheet within the workbook. The code works for the cell but when i try to expand or copy and past the code into the next row it automatically changes the data table_array value.
=VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!1:65536,3)
Within the code i want the first value, B5 to scale with the row it is in, however the second value needs to remain the same. How do i go about doing this? Also is there a way that i can get the cell to remain blank instead of displaying N/A if there isnt a valid part number?
Thanks for your help!
=VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!$1:$65536,3)
The $ lock the range.
For example.
$A1 will lock the column to A when the formulas is copied other
locations.
A$1 will lock the row
$A$1 will lock both the column and the row.
I can't comment because I do not have enough rep but this will fix user3716271 's formula:
=IF(ISERROR(VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!$1:$65536,3)),"", VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!$1:$65536,3))
The following formula should solve both problems as well, a little more compact and would use one less VLOOKUP():
=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!$1:$65536,3), "")
As guitarthrower had said, the $ before the number is used to lock the range.
For the second part, an IF formula will work fine:
=IF(ISERROR(VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!1:65536,3)),"",VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!1:65536,3)),"")
And if I understand correctly the first part have you tried set an absolute value? Something like:
=IF(ISERROR(VLOOKUP(B$5,Prices!1:65536,3)),"",VLOOKUP(B5,Prices!1:65536,3)),"")

Filling column with formula with no variable

I'm struggling with a problem here. I'm sure it's so simples, that's why I can't find the answer.
I need to apply this to Sheet1!C4:C22:
=(RANDBETWEEN(1.45*100,1.95*100)/100)+Sheet2!C12
Problem is: I've tried Fill tool && select the range Sheet1!C4:C22, paste the formula in the bar and hit ctrl+enter but here lies the problem: excel keeps changing the cell on the formula, as it goes down the column. I don't want that! How can I stop it doing that without copy paste by hand? I know it's not a lot of columns, but it's handy.
P.S: Sheet2!C12 contains a fixed value of 0.056.
If you want to use a constant range when dragging a formula down then add $ dollar signs before the letter and number
example
Sheet1!$C$12

How to avoid manually entering this formula in Excel

I'm trying to calculate a value called, "additional throughput". It is calculated by subtracting the base case module's throughput from a new module's throughput.
In the sheet below you can see that for the third row down (has a blue box in it), that the additional throughput is calculated by the formula "=T6-T4".
The problem is that when I click on this box and drag it down to apply the same formula to the other rows, I want the formula to become "=T7-T4" for the next row. Instead it becomes "=T7-T5". I tried to select multiple cells (where the formula was manually entered) before dragging down so it could recognize that the T4 doesn't change, only the first part. However, that didn't work.
In Excel you can use $ signs before the column or row references to make those references "absolute" (rather than "relative"). For example if you use =A$1 then the 1 doesn't change when you copy down. If you use =$A1 then the A doesn't change when you copy across. If you use =$A$1 then neither changes whichever way you go.
So for your case you need to use
=T6-T$4
when you copy that down T$4 doesn't change
You have to make the cell address of T4absolute by pressing F4, so it becomes $T$4. When you then copy the formular to other places T4 will keep its absolute address.
I figured it out.
You put a $ symbol in front of the row and column you want to not change. This is referred to as an absolute reference.
Found out how to do it here:
How do I change an Excel relative cell to an absolute cell?

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