Functions Within Functions

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 29, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

One important feature of Excel is the fact that you can use functions as arguments to other functions. For instance, consider the following formula, which calculates the confidence interval for a population mean:

=CONFIDENCE(0.05,STDEVP(B9:B18),10)

In this instance, there are two functions used—CONFIDENCE and STDEVP—and they are said to be nested. This means only that the latter function is used as an argument for the former. When this formula is calculated, Excel calculates the result of the STDEVP function, and then uses the result in the calculation of the CONFIDENCE function.

How you use functions within your formulas, and how they are nested, is entirely up to you.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (1954) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Creating a Bibliography from Footnotes

Most scholarly papers need to have both footnotes and a bibliography. The two are closely related, as they provide ...

Discover More

A Shortcut for Switching Focus

While not technically an Excel-only tip, the shortcuts described in this tip will help you switch focus from your ...

Discover More

Changing Section Headers

Add subtotals to a worksheet and you can instruct Excel to start each new subtotal section on a new printed page. You may ...

Discover More

Save Time and Supercharge Excel! Automate virtually any routine task and save yourself hours, days, maybe even weeks. Then, learn how to make Excel do things you thought were simply impossible! Mastering advanced Excel macros has never been easier. Check out Excel 2010 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Selecting Random Names

Got a tone of names from which you need to select a few random names? There are several ways you can extract what you ...

Discover More

Working with Roman Numerals

Understanding and using a function to replace an Arabic number with Roman numerals. And, as a bonus, how to change them back.

Discover More

Numbers in Base 12

Different professions use numbers in entirely unique ways. You may need to come up with a number that represents the ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven more than 5?

2021-06-01 07:45:51

alex martinez

By the same talking you can use the mid and vlookup function to enter several names or numbers in only one cell and then press the enter key just once and have all those names or numbers in one column


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.