Summing Based on Formatting in Adjacent Cells

Srinivas has data in both columns A and B. He needs to sum the values in column B for which the cell format of the corresponding cells in column A are yellow. For instance, if the format in cell A17 is yellow, then the value in cell B17 should be included in the sum.

There are numerous macros available on the Internet (including at ExcelTips) that allow you to do conditional summing based on the color or other format of a cell. This need is different, however, in that it is not the color of the cell at issue, but the color of the cell one column to the left. This can still be done using a macro, as shown here:

Function SumNextYellow(ByVal r As Range)
    Dim c As Range
    Dim a As Double

    For Each c In r
        If c.Offset(0, -1).Interior.ColorIndex = 6 Then 'Yellow
            a = a + c.Value
        End If
    Next c
    SumNextYellow = a
End Function

The function can be used in a worksheet formula, and accepts a range reference as an argument. It then steps through each cell in the range, and if the cell just to the left is yellow, then the value is included in the sum. (You should note that the ColorIndex used in the macro should be tested with your version of Excel to make sure that it is applicable; it may be different in different versions.)

A much more robust example is shown in the following listing. This function accepts one or more ranges of cells, along with an argument that represents a sample of the formatting you want to use.

Function ColorConditionSum(cSample As Excel.Range, rng As Excel.Range)
' This Function returns sum of values in rng.Columns(2) if
' corresponding cell in rng.Columns(1) is colored with sample
' color (cSample cell)

' Arguments: cSample = cell colored by sample color
'            rng = cell range to be processed (2 columns)

    Dim rngCol2 As Excel.Range
    Dim rngConstants As Excel.Range
    Dim rngFormulas As Excel.Range
    Dim lColorIndex As Long
    Dim MySum As Double
    Dim area As Excel.Range
    Dim c As Excel.Range

    ColorConditionSum = False
    If Not TypeOf cSample Is Excel.Range Then Exit Function '>>>
    lColorIndex = cSample.Interior.ColorIndex

    MySum = 0
    Set rngCol2 = Nothing
    If TypeOf rng Is Excel.Range Then
        If rng.Columns.Count < 2 Then Exit Function '>>>
        On Error Resume Next
        For Each area In rng.Areas
            If rngCol2 Is Nothing Then
                Set rngCol2 = area.Columns(2).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants, 1)
                If rngCol2 Is Nothing Then
                    Set rngCol2 = area.Columns(2).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeFormulas, 1)
                Else
                    Set rngCol2 = Application.Union( _
                        rngCol2, area.Columns(2).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeFormulas, 1))
                End If
            Else
                Set rngCol2 = Application.Union( _
                    rngCol2, area.Columns(2).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants, 1))
                Set rngCol2 = Application.Union( _
                    rngCol2, area.Columns(2).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeFormulas, 1))
            End If
        Next area

        For Each area In rngCol2.Areas
            For Each c In area.Cells
                With c.Offset(0, -1)
                    If .Interior.ColorIndex = lColorIndex Then
                        MySum = MySum + c.Value
                    End If
                End With
            Next c
        Next area
    End If

    ColorConditionSum = MySum
End Function

You use this function in the following manner in a worksheet:

=ColorConditionSum(A10, A12:B22)

In this case, is a cell that has the interior color you want to match and A12:B22 is the range of cells to be evaluated. The values are pulled from the second column in the range and the formatting is checked on the cells in the first column.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3298) 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: Summing Based on Formatting in Adjacent Cells.