How to Populate an Excel Function With a Search Keyword
Populate your Microsoft Excel functions with search keywords from your spreadsheet. Instead of manually searching for records to use in your function search for them with keywords and the Find and Replace tool. Combining the function tool and Find and Replace tool allows you to maximize Excel's data retrieval capabilities. Not only will you be able to calculate, count and modify your cells with the function you can quickly jump to the important records with the Find and Search tool. You can use the Find and Replace tool with any function expression.
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Instructions
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Open your existing Excel spreadsheet by clicking the "File" tab of the Ribbon, clicking the "Open" button and selecting the appropriate file. To minimize errors while you create your function and search for keywords place your function in the same workbook as the search data. Separate the pages by using the sheets at the bottom of the screen.
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Label a new column with a description of the function expression. Labels remind you of the cell's purpose when you reopen or share the spreadsheet. Type the function with the first parentheses into the blank cell below the label for example "=CLEAN(" without the quotation marks.
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Click and hold "Ctrl" and "F" on your keyboard to open the Find and Replace tool. Type your keywords into the search box, choose additional options by clicking the "Options" button and click the "Find Next" button. When you select "Find Next" the cell reference of the search keyword is placed within the function expression.
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Add multiple cell references by typing a comma into the function expression directly after the cell reference. For example, "=COUNT(A2,B2)" will count the records within the A2 and B2 cells. Type the closing parentheses when you have selected all desired cells to complete the function.
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References
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