Code Particular Strings As Numbers, Then Sum Numbers

[DerekK]

Hello,

I'm trying to assign numerical values to a set of particular strings; and then add the numbers.

It would work something like this --

Category A = 0
Category B = 1
Category C = 2
Category D = 3

-- with "Category A", "Category B" &c. in a dropdown list.

Then, a cell with this formula --

=SUM(Category B,Category C)

--returns 3.

Hope you can help!

Sincerely,



Derek

 

[Special-K99]

This works based on your somewhat vague description, cos I can see you expanding your request and this no longer working, so your description isn't specific enough.
But this will work on what you've said.

Use a Named Range

1. Put the values 0 1 2 3 in separate cells A1:D1
2. Use four named ranges CategoryA CategoryB CategoryC CategoryD with the named ranges representing A1 B1 C1 D1
3. Now you should be able to enter

SUM(CategoryB, CategoryC)

and end up with 3

However, this is not a flexible solution.
It is a working solution based on what you've asked so you probably need to explain things fully, like how many categories there are likely to be etc

I suspect a better way would be to use a SUM on a VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH as you'll probably have much more than 4 catagories.

But the onus is on you to explain fully to get the results you want.

 

[DanteAmor]

Another option

<table border="1" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Calibri,Arial; font-size:11pt; background-color:#ffffff; "> <colgroup><col style="font-weight:bold; width:30px; " /><col style="width:105.5px;" /><col style="width:76.04px;" /><col style="width:28.51px;" /><col style="width:48.48px;" /><col style="width:236.67px;" /></colgroup><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; font-size:8pt; "><td > </td><td >A</td><td >B</td><td >C</td><td >D</td><td >E</td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >1</td><td >CATEGORY</td><td >VALUE</td><td > </td><td > </td><td >STRINGS IN A DROPDOWN LIST</td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >2</td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category A</td><td style="text-align:right; ">0</td><td > </td><td > </td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category B</td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >3</td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category B</td><td style="text-align:right; ">1</td><td > </td><td > </td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category C</td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >4</td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category C</td><td style="text-align:right; ">2</td><td > </td><td > </td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category E</td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >5</td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category D</td><td style="text-align:right; ">3</td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >6</td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category E</td><td style="text-align:right; ">4</td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >7</td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category F</td><td style="text-align:right; ">5</td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >8</td><td style="color:#333333; font-family:Verdana; font-size:9pt; ">Category G</td><td style="text-align:right; ">6</td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >9</td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >10</td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:19px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >11</td><td > </td><td > </td><td > </td><td >SUM</td><td style="text-align:right; ">7</td></tr></table><br /><table style="font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt; border-style: groove ;border-color:#00ff00;background-color:#fffcf9; color:#000000; "><tr><td ><b></b></td></tr><tr><td ><table border = "1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-family:Arial; font-size:9pt;"><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; font-size:10pt;"><td >Cell</td><td >Array Formula</td></tr><tr><td >E11</td><td >{=SUM(IF(ISNUMBER(MATCH(A2:A8,E2:E8,0)),B2:B8))}</td></tr></table></td></tr></table>

Array formulas
Entered with Ctrl+Shift+Enter. If entered correctly, Excel will surround with curly braces {}.
Note: Do not try and enter the {} manually yourself

 

[DerekK]

Thank you for the replies.

I wound up using =SUM(LOOKUP(A2,{"Category A";"Category B";"Category C"},{1;2;3}),LOOKUP(B2,{...et cetera with the dropdown list. It's not pretty but I was more concerned that the users would accidentally mess up or delete any table.

 

[DanteAmor]

Thank you for the replies.

I wound up using =SUM(LOOKUP(A2,{"Category A";"Category B";"Category C"},{1;2;3}),LOOKUP(B2,{...et cetera with the dropdown list. It's not pretty but I was more concerned that the users would accidentally mess up or delete any table.

Is your formula practical if you have only 3 categories, but if you have 10 or 20?
Accidents can occur on a table or on the entire sheet with formulas.