Efficient AutoSum
Most people we have watched use the AutoSum feature from the toolbar see to use the following two steps:
- Select the cell where the sum should be displayed first.
- Click on the AutoSum button in the Toolbar.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with these steps - they work. However, the AutoSum button can sometimes suggest a range of cells which are not the exact ones you mean to sum. If you are too quick in accepting the suggestion, you may enter an incorrect function which could prove hard to detect the error.
There is another two-step process which may be even less likely to produce an error. Consider the following:
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Step 1: Select the range of cells you want to use FIRST. Step 2: Click on the AutoSum Button. |
Since you selected a column, Excel will display the sum in the cell immediately below the selected cells. This is a fairly common location for the sum to be located.) |
The exact location you wish the sum can vary from project to project. The advantage may be in the speed of getting the correct range. For instance, suppose you wanted all of the numbers included in the sum except the 23. Typing the exact start and end cell addresses of this range could be slower than selecting the correct range with a mouse.