How to SUM a cell range, using text from cells

[etoforlife]

I need to build a calculator that sums cells.
I want to be able to manually plug in the start cell and end cell into different cells then have the calculator return me a number.
[TABLE="width: 500"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]Start Cell[/TD]
[TD]D1[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]End Cell[/TD]
[TD]D3[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Calculated Value[/TD]
[TD]=sum(D1:D3)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

Now if I change the text in B2 from "D3" to "D5", the calculated value should change as well.
Is there even a way to do this in excel?

 

[Bobbish]

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/excel-help/indirect-HP005209139.aspxINDIRECT - Excel

I need to build a calculator that sums cells.
I want to be able to manually plug in the start cell and end cell into different cells then have the calculator return me a number.
[TABLE="width: 500"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]Start Cell[/TD]
[TD]D1[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]End Cell[/TD]
[TD]D3[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Calculated Value[/TD]
[TD]=sum(D1:D3)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

Now if I change the text in B2 from "D3" to "D5", the calculated value should change as well.
Is there even a way to do this in excel?

Try

=SUM(INDIRECT(B1):INDIRECT(B2))

where B1 and B2 are the cells which define the range.

 

[jim may]

Try...

=SUM(INDIRECT(B1):INDIRECT(B2))