Microsoft Word is known as a popular program for editing documents, but did you know that you can also perform calculations in Word?
One of the biggest challenges faced during the manual data entry process is the possibility of errors in performing numerical calculations. This is why programs like Microsoft Excel have become so popular in calculating and processing accurate data.
While Microsoft Excel is great at doing calculations, you can more easily create descriptive, expressive, and easy-to-read business reports by using Microsoft Word. You can perform some spreadsheet tasks with Word using standard tables.
Word tables are useful for organizing text into rows and columns and for providing attractive layout options for lists and other data. However, tables become very powerful and dynamic when you apply formulas to numeric data contained in table rows or columns.
For example, if you have sales tables for different departments, you can display sales totals in cells at the bottom of the table. You can sum columns of numbers in a Word table using the SUM function, just as in an Excel spreadsheet.
The formula for Summing Columns and Rows of Microsoft Word Table
- Click on the table cell where you want to display the results.
- Then select the “Layout” tab menu.
- Click the “Formula” button.
- Then in the dialog box, type the formula for summation and click the OK button to apply.
- “=SUM(ABOVE)” to sum the numbers in the column above the cell you’re in.
- “=SUM(LEFT)” to sum the numbers in the row to the left of the cell you’re in.
- “=SUM(BELOW)” to sum the numbers in the column below the cell you’re in.
- “=SUM(RIGHT)” to sum the numbers in the row to the right of the cell you’re in.
If you changed one of the numbers you added, select the cell (amount). Then right-click and select “Update Field”.
If you want to update all summation results, press the keyboard key (CTRL+A). Then press the key again (CTRL+F2) or (CTRL+P), and you will switch to Print Preview. Next, press the ESC button to return to the previous view.
In addition to using this method, you can also use the following method to sum the columns and rows of a Microsoft Word table:
- Click inside the cell you want.
- Press the keyboard keys (CTRL+F9).
- Type the formula, “=SUM(ABOVE)”.
- Then right-click and select “Update Field”.
The example above uses the “SUM” function, but Word offers several other functions that you can take advantage of as in the following table.
| Formula | Information |
| ABS(x) | Absolute value x. |
| AND(x,y) | 1 if x and y are true; 0 otherwise. |
| AVERAGE(x,y,z,…) | The average of the list of values given by x,y,z,… |
| COUNT(x,y,z,…) | The number of items in the list of values given by x,y,z,… |
| DEFINED(x) | 1 if the expression x can be counted; 0 otherwise. |
| FALSE | 0 |
| INT(x) | The integer part of x. |
| MIN(x,y,z,…) | The smallest value in the list of values given by x,y,z,… |
| MAX(x,y,z,…) | The largest value in the list of values given by x,y,z,… |
| MOD(x,y) | The rest is after dividing x by y. |
| NOT(x) | 1 if x is false; 0 if x is true. |
| OR(x,y) | 1 if one or both x and y are true; 0 if x and y are false. |
| PRODUCT(x,y,z,…) | The result multiplies the items in the list of values given by x, y, z,… |
| ROUND(x,y) | The value of x is rounded to the number of decimal places specified by y. |
| SIGN(x) | 1 if x is positive; –1 if x is negative. |
| SUM(x,y,z,…) | The number of items in the list of values given by x,y,z,… |
| TRUE | 1 |
Between the parentheses, type which table cells you want to include in the formula, and then click OK:
Type “ABOVE” to include the numbers in the column above the cell you’re in.
Type “LEFT” to include the numbers in the row to the left of the cell you’re in.
Type “BELOW” to enter numbers in the column below the cell you’re in.
Type “RIGHT” to include the numbers in the row to the right of the cell you’re in.
For example, to calculate the average of the numbers in the row to the left of a cell, click AVERAGE and type LEFT:
“=AVERAGE(LEFT)”
To multiply two numbers, click PRODUCTS and type the location of the table cell:
“=PRODUCT(ABOVE)”