Formula needed

[Kent]

If I read this right:

=SUM([expenses.xls]q1!$A$1:$A$5)

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-----Original Message-----
Need help with formula that was on test and unable to

answer. The teacher is also baffled. Here is the
question--Type a formula that will add a range of cells
A1:A5 from the worksheet "Q1" located in a seperate
workbook named "Expenses"

to cell "I15" in this worksheet(Transportation Figures).

This Question is on the Excel core certification test
(Unit 2). Any help? Thanks

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi
what do you mean with 'did not work' Did you get an error? or is the
result not what you espected?.
If you got an error the reason could be that the other workbook is not
opened.

 

[Alan Beban]

Greg,

Entered into a cell in the Transportation Figures worksheet,

=SUM([Expenses.xls]Q1!A1:A5,I15)

will work if the workbook "Expenses" is open. If it's closed, the full
pathname is required, a la something like

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5,I15)

Mark Graesser,

Not so straightforward after all, eh? <g>

Alan Beban

 

[Alan Beban]

Given the number of unsuccessful attempts in this thread alone to
interpret the question, I would suggest (again) that Lady Layla's
from-the-hip advice might have been misplaced. A number of people seem
to have been baffled by the question.

Alan Beban

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi
maybe the test program has a fault

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany

Given the number of unsuccessful attempts in this thread alone to
interpret the question, I would suggest (again) that Lady Layla's
from-the-hip advice might have been misplaced. A number of people seem
to have been baffled by the question.

Alan Beban

solve the problem. Want to try again?

 

[Alan Beban]

Maybe; but I'm still waiting for Greg's response to my post of 1:57pm today.

Alan Beban

 

[Mark Graesser]

I still say it is straight forward. It's either

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5,I15

o

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5

Whether the book is open or closed either of these will function properly

Is this test supposed to measure your skills in excel or is it some kind of pstcology research program to see how people interpret the question? :-

Regards
Mark Graesse


----- Alan Beban wrote: ----

Greg

Entered into a cell in the Transportation Figures worksheet

=SUM([Expenses.xls]Q1!A1:A5,I15

will work if the workbook "Expenses" is open. If it's closed, the full
pathname is required, a la something lik

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5,I15

Mark Graesser

Not so straightforward after all, eh? <g

Alan Beba

Greg wrote

 

[Alan Beban]

I still say it is straight forward. It's either:

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5,I15)

or

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5)

Straightforward? Those two formulas produce different results (except
for the trivial case in which I15 values to 0). So how is the question
straightforward if it's subject to at least two different interpretations?

Whether the book is open or closed either of these will function properly.

Is this test supposed to measure your skills in excel or is it some kind of pstcology research program to see how people interpret the question?

Whatever the test is supposed to measure, this thread early on posed the
issue whether the teacher's bafflement was or was not misplaced; which I
take to mean, was the question, in the Excel context, subject to only a
single, unambiguous interpretation. Obviously not.

Alan Beban

Regards,
Mark Graesser



----- Alan Beban wrote: -----

Greg,

Entered into a cell in the Transportation Figures worksheet,

=SUM([Expenses.xls]Q1!A1:A5,I15)

will work if the workbook "Expenses" is open. If it's closed, the full
pathname is required, a la something like

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5,I15)

Mark Graesser,

Not so straightforward after all, eh? <g>

Alan Beban

Yes; I got an error "answer not correct", it doesn't say if the workbook is open or closed. Is there a formula for a closed workbook that i could try? Thanks

 

[Alan Beban]

On reflection, your post points up another difficulty with interpreting
the question; there is not enough information provided if the the
Expenses workbook is not open--the full pathname for Expenses is not
provided, so the question must be assuming, without stating, that
Expenses is open.

Alan Beban

I still say it is straight forward. It's either:

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5,I15)

or

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5)

Whether the book is open or closed either of these will function properly.

Is this test supposed to measure your skills in excel or is it some kind of pstcology research program to see how people interpret the question?

Regards,
Mark Graesser



----- Alan Beban wrote: -----

Greg,

Entered into a cell in the Transportation Figures worksheet,

=SUM([Expenses.xls]Q1!A1:A5,I15)

will work if the workbook "Expenses" is open. If it's closed, the full
pathname is required, a la something like

=SUM('C:\My Documents\[Expenses.xls]Q1'!A1:A5,I15)

Mark Graesser,

Not so straightforward after all, eh? <g>

Alan Beban

Yes; I got an error "answer not correct", it doesn't say if the workbook is open or closed. Is there a formula for a closed workbook that i could try? Thanks