Formula: How do I create a "rolling" sum in excel?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rhianne
  • Start date Start date
R

Rhianne

I have a spreadsheet where I need to have a way in which to capture the
number of statements people agree with - this data is collected from a
seperate document. for example, if five people agree then I want to be able
to be able to hit "1" each time but to have the cell instantly add up how
many I have entered. I am sure there is a method to do this, but I have no
idea what the correct formual would be!

Cheers

Rhianne
 
You don't quite enough info about your sheet. Are you talking about a series
of cells in a row you are putting in 1s as you go across?

A- - - - B - - C - - - D
Name - -Q1 - -Q2 - - Q3
John - - - 1 - - - 0 - - - 1

Something like that?

If so, next I need to know are you wanting the number of 1s for an entire
student (row) or an entire question (column).
=========
If the answer is "student", then out to the right where the questions have
ended, let's say column G is the last question, in H2 enter the formula:
=SUM(B2:G2)

You can copy that down the the H column and each row will total the 1s for
you as you add them.
========
If the answer it "question", then at the bottom of the list of students add
a row called TOTALS. Let's say there are 50 students and the list ends on row
51.

In row 52, enter TOTALS for the name in A52, and in B52, enter the formula:
=SUM(B2:B51)

Copy that formula to the right for the other columns.
 
I think I know what you mean and if I'm right then I have already done that -
I have entered a formula at the end of each section so as to calculate that
section amount. But that is at the END of the section. I want something so as
I'm adding into the one cell the number increases...usually I would simply do
the formula as I went, but I probably won't be the only one using this
spreadsheet so need to have it in place already. Am not sure if this is even
possible!

Thanks for the help though.
 
Are you talking about typing INTO a cell that already has a value in it, and
having the number you typed simply added to what was there already?

So if A2 had a 1 in it, and you selected the cell and typed a 1 again, when
you press Enter the cell value would become 2?
 
Yes! Lol. I don't think I explained myself very well in the first post. Is
there a way to do it?

Cheers R.
 
Yes, it can, but I have to stress as strongly as possible that you don't do
this.
This concept (and it's one talked about with some frequency), this concept
has no "history". There's no sense of what came before, when or why? It's a
bit scarey in practice.

First, it has to be done in code. And with most macros, there's no "oops",
no UNDO.

People make mistakes when typing, and if you used a macro that let you type
over one cell with a new value and it added the values together as soon as
you pressed ENTER, what if you mistype? You're staring at a new number and I
PROMISE you won't know remember what was there before.

Remember, no "undo".

Others warn:
http://www.officearticles.com/excel/add_to_current_cell_value_in_microsoft_excel.htm

Why do you want to do this? How can I convince you to design your sheet
without this feature so the sheet has a sense of history?

-Jerry
 
Ahhhh...OK then I will leave it. The data will be required for evaluation and
statistical purposes so I don't want to take chances.

Cheers for the advice it's been a big help.

Rhianne
 
Great. Don't forget to vote "yes" on the items in this thread that were
useful to you, I appreciate the feedback.
 
Back
Top