One of the handy worksheet functions provided by Excel allows you to determine the number of columns in a range. This is accomplished through the use of the COLUMNS function. For instance, consider the following formula:
=COLUMNS(B2:D15)
The value returned is 3, since the range includes columns B, C, and D. You are not limited to address ranges (such as B2:D15), but can also used named ranges with the COLUMNS function.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2432) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Determining Columns in a Range.
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2015-08-01 10:29:47
Dave Onorato
The function also works without a row reference. In the example above, the formula could be =COLUMNS(B:D) and would produce the same result, 3.
Also, this function works in many versions of Excel (of course).
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