F1 help with functions

  • Thread starter Thread starter FUBARinSFO
  • Start date Start date
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FUBARinSFO

Hi:

In composing a formula, I often want some clarification of a
particular function. For some reason I thought when you placed the
cursor within the text of the function in the formula bar, and then
pressed F1 (or maybe F1 + some control key combination) you got the
function-specific help. But here in Excel 2003 all I get is the
generic help pane.

It seems every time I go away from Excel and come back much later
there is always something that doesn't work as I thought it use to.
Was this in some other program, or am I missing something here?

Thanks in advance for your help.

-- Roy Zider
 
Do you have the function tool tips display when you enter a formula?

Let's say you want to enter this formula in cell A1: =SUM(B:B)

Type this much: =SUM(

Then the tool tip will display. Click on SUM in the tool tip and it will
open context sensitive help for the SUM function.
 
Bill:

That was one of the things I tried -- i do get the tool tip, cursor
changes to finger pointer indicating a link, but when I click it I get
the error "The address is not valid" in a Microsoft Excel window
WTF? So that's another problem. Probably has to do with some
security update (Windows XP SP3 is the installed version of Windows,
SP3 as well for Excel 2003)

Am I mistaken about the F1 key pulling up the function help when the
mouse cursor is hovering over the forumula text?

-- Roy
 
Am I mistaken about the F1 key pulling up the function help when the
mouse cursor is hovering over the forumula text?
Click to expand...

As far as I know F1 opens only the general help window.

Another roundabout way to get help on specific functions is to start typing
the formula or click on a function then click the Insert Function icon. For
example:

Start typing: =SUM(

Then click the Insert Function icon. The Insert Function user form opens for
the SUM function which includes a link to the specific help file on the
particular function.

This also works for nested functions:

Start typing: =SUM(IF(

Clicking the Insert Function icon will open the user form for the IF
function.
 
Biff:

Thanks again, but this is terribly awkward. Maybe it was Quattro Pro
that had this simple function help system, or an earlier version of
Excel.

Got your suggestion -- Alt-I F (Insert Function) brings up function
args helper. Not great, but at least you're still at the keyboard and
don't have to use the mouse.

Can also get this by mouse clicking on the function name in the upper
left corner from the fomula bar where the function name is diplayed.

But all are less useful than simply putting the mouse in the function
text and hitting F1 or some combo like Alt-F1.

Thanks again.

-- Roy Zider
 
at least you're still at the keyboard and don't have to use the mouse.

I'm a mouse guy!

I agree that none of these methods is ideal but that's what we have to work
with.
 
Another roundabout way to get help on specific functions is to start
typing the formula or click on a function then click the Insert Function
icon. For example:

Start typing: =SUM(

Then click the Insert Function icon. The Insert Function user form opens
for the SUM function which includes a link to the specific help file on
the particular function.
Click to expand...

You can save one keystroke... instead of clicking Insert on the menu bar and
then Function on the sub-menu, you can move the mouse to the left of your
formula's equal sign (if the 'fx' button is not visible, it will appear when
you do this) and simply click the 'fx' button.

Rick
 
You can save one keystroke... instead of clicking Insert on the menu
bar and
then Function on the sub-menu, you can move the mouse to the left of
your
formula's equal sign (if the 'fx' button is not visible, it will
appear when
you do this) and simply click the 'fx' button.

Rick:

Right your are -- didn't that fx used to be an equal sign '=' in
earlier versions of Excel?

Can see now that clicking the mouse cursor on the function text in the
function bar, then clicking fx brings up the function-specific help
for that function. Works for nested functions OK, so that's the mouse
solution. Thanks.

-- Roy
 
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