A formula turns a worksheet into something you can ask questions of. SUM answers “what is the total?” and IF lets a result change when a condition is met. Together they are a useful first exercise in the GridCraft spreadsheet editor, before you explore more advanced functions.
Before you start
Start with a blank worksheet or a fresh practice copy. The steps below use English function names and comma-separated arguments. A cell reference such as A2 points to column A, row 2; A2:A4 includes all three cells from row 2 through row 4. Enter plain numbers in those cells so that you can calculate the answer by hand. Formula results are only as useful as the source values and ranges you choose.
Try it in a workbook
- In a blank sheet, enter Amount in A1. Put 120, 85 and 45 in A2, A3 and A4.
- Select A5 and enter =SUM(A2:A4). Press Enter. The result should be 250.
- In B2, enter =IF(A2>100,"Review","OK"). A2 contains 120, so B2 should show Review.
- Change A2 to 90. A5 should update to 220 and B2 to OK. Save an XLSX copy when you finish.
=SUM(A2:A4)
// 120 + 85 + 45 = 250
=IF(A2>100,"Review","OK")
// A2 = 120 → ReviewCheck your work, then go further
Try another threshold in the IF expression, then restore the original condition and compare the result. The lines beginning with // in the example are explanations, not text to paste into a cell. Once the small example works, apply the same pattern to a budget or a grade tracker. If a formula behaves unexpectedly, inspect its range and input types first. Check specialist Excel functions individually rather than assuming that a long function list guarantees complete compatibility.
Start with simple formulas and verify the result. Some Excel functions and advanced workbook features are not supported in the alpha.