Q. Is it possible to sort a column in Excel using formulas rather than the Data tab’s Sort tool, so the sort process is performed automatically as I update my data? A. Excel has announced a new ...

Have you ever found yourself buried under a mountain of Excel spreadsheets, painstakingly updating formulas every time new data comes in? It’s a common struggle, one that can turn even the most ...

Have you ever struggled with Excel formulas, trying to calculate running totals only to be left with errors and frustration? Many of us have faced the challenge of managing datasets where each row’s ...

Most Excel users I know learned formulas the same way I did — one function at a time, stacked on top of whatever they already knew. Dynamic array functions don't replace those skills; they just make a ...

Dynamic arrays change the rules for formula output in Excel. When I write a formula that returns a list by default, I need to decide whether I want the result to spill across a range of cells or ...

Excel’s BYCOL() and BYROW() functions evaluate data across columns and rows, returning an array result set allowing you to bypass a lot of work. Most Microsoft Excel functions are autonomous—one ...

In addition to the new SORT function, you may also find the new FILTER and UNIQUE array functions useful. For example, the worksheet on the next page contains a detailed listing of invoices in columns ...

Excel doesn’t have a built-in AVERAGEIF() function, but you can still average values, conditionally. Excel has SumIf and CountIf, but no AverageIf. However, with a little array magic, you can get ...

is a senior correspondent and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft Excel used to only allow two types of data: text and numbers.