software

in help there are examples for counta

i can see what is happening when it just has 1 value ie:
a range as in the first two examples

but cant see what is happening in the third ex

a1:a6 is 6 non blanks

there are five quot;2quot; but the result is 7 not 11A
1 Data
2 Sales
3 12/8/2008
4
4 19
6 22.24
7 TRUE
8 #DIV/0!

Formula Description (Result)
=COUNTA(A2:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above (6)
=COUNTA(A5:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the last 4 rows of the
list (4)
=COUNTA(A1:A7,2) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above and
the value 2 (7)
=COUNTA(A1:A7,quot;Twoquot;) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above
and the value quot;Twoquot; (7)Hi

Your last two formulae are counting the number of non-blanks (6) and also
the number 2 (or the word quot;twoquot;) - giving a total of 7

Andy.

quot;pete the greekquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; in help there are examples for counta
gt;
gt; i can see what is happening when it just has 1 value ie:
gt; a range as in the first two examples
gt;
gt; but cant see what is happening in the third ex
gt;
gt; a1:a6 is 6 non blanks
gt;
gt; there are five quot;2quot; but the result is 7 not 11
gt;
gt;
gt; A
gt; 1 Data
gt; 2 Sales
gt; 3 12/8/2008
gt; 4
gt; 4 19
gt; 6 22.24
gt; 7 TRUE
gt; 8 #DIV/0!
gt;
gt; Formula Description (Result)
gt; =COUNTA(A2:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above (6)
gt; =COUNTA(A5:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the last 4 rows of
gt; the
gt; list (4)
gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,2) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above and
gt; the value 2 (7)
gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,quot;Twoquot;) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above
gt; and the value quot;Twoquot; (7)
gt;
hi andy

the number 2 appears 5 times but the value 2 doesnt actually appear at all
also the word two isnt in the list so it cant count it /// confusing or what
quot;Andyquot; wrote:

gt; Hi
gt;
gt; Your last two formulae are counting the number of non-blanks (6) and also
gt; the number 2 (or the word quot;twoquot;) - giving a total of 7
gt;
gt; Andy.
gt;
gt; quot;pete the greekquot; gt; wrote in message
gt; ...
gt; gt; in help there are examples for counta
gt; gt;
gt; gt; i can see what is happening when it just has 1 value ie:
gt; gt; a range as in the first two examples
gt; gt;
gt; gt; but cant see what is happening in the third ex
gt; gt;
gt; gt; a1:a6 is 6 non blanks
gt; gt;
gt; gt; there are five quot;2quot; but the result is 7 not 11
gt; gt;
gt; gt;
gt; gt; A
gt; gt; 1 Data
gt; gt; 2 Sales
gt; gt; 3 12/8/2008
gt; gt; 4
gt; gt; 4 19
gt; gt; 6 22.24
gt; gt; 7 TRUE
gt; gt; 8 #DIV/0!
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Formula Description (Result)
gt; gt; =COUNTA(A2:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above (6)
gt; gt; =COUNTA(A5:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the last 4 rows of
gt; gt; the
gt; gt; list (4)
gt; gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,2) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above and
gt; gt; the value 2 (7)
gt; gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,quot;Twoquot;) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above
gt; gt; and the value quot;Twoquot; (7)
gt; gt;
gt;
gt;
gt;

If you select a blank cell and type
=COUNTA
and then hit Ctrl A. The dialog box that appears may help you understand.
Type anything in the Value1 box, and the result at the bottom will be 1.
Type anything in the Value2 box, and the result will be 2, etc. etc.

Post the results you were hoping for from your examples.

Andy.

quot;pete the greekquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; hi andy
gt;
gt; the number 2 appears 5 times but the value 2 doesnt actually appear at
gt; all
gt; also the word two isnt in the list so it cant count it /// confusing or
gt; what
gt;
gt;
gt;
gt; quot;Andyquot; wrote:
gt;
gt;gt; Hi
gt;gt;
gt;gt; Your last two formulae are counting the number of non-blanks (6) and also
gt;gt; the number 2 (or the word quot;twoquot;) - giving a total of 7
gt;gt;
gt;gt; Andy.
gt;gt;
gt;gt; quot;pete the greekquot; gt; wrote in
gt;gt; message
gt;gt; ...
gt;gt; gt; in help there are examples for counta
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; gt; i can see what is happening when it just has 1 value ie:
gt;gt; gt; a range as in the first two examples
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; gt; but cant see what is happening in the third ex
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; gt; a1:a6 is 6 non blanks
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; gt; there are five quot;2quot; but the result is 7 not 11
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; gt; A
gt;gt; gt; 1 Data
gt;gt; gt; 2 Sales
gt;gt; gt; 3 12/8/2008
gt;gt; gt; 4
gt;gt; gt; 4 19
gt;gt; gt; 6 22.24
gt;gt; gt; 7 TRUE
gt;gt; gt; 8 #DIV/0!
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; gt; Formula Description (Result)
gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A2:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above
gt;gt; gt; (6)
gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A5:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the last 4 rows
gt;gt; gt; of
gt;gt; gt; the
gt;gt; gt; list (4)
gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,2) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above
gt;gt; gt; and
gt;gt; gt; the value 2 (7)
gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,quot;Twoquot;) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list
gt;gt; gt; above
gt;gt; gt; and the value quot;Twoquot; (7)
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt;
gt;gt;
gt;gt;
hi

tried that before i posted and this appear to sugest that its not looking
for a quot;2quot; or quot;twoquot; it is just couting the fact that you have these two values
in the list of arguments and i cannot see why you would need to do this, you
could make values 1to30 the numbers 1 to 30 and the result would be 30.work
more like i would expect if you make value1 and 2 a range ie value1 b1:b5 and
value2 c1:c5.

there seems no sense in putting a number in the value fields as it doesnt
look for it

quot;Andyquot; wrote:

gt; If you select a blank cell and type
gt; =COUNTA
gt; and then hit Ctrl A. The dialog box that appears may help you understand.
gt; Type anything in the Value1 box, and the result at the bottom will be 1.
gt; Type anything in the Value2 box, and the result will be 2, etc. etc.
gt;
gt; Post the results you were hoping for from your examples.
gt;
gt; Andy.
gt;
gt; quot;pete the greekquot; gt; wrote in message
gt; ...
gt; gt; hi andy
gt; gt;
gt; gt; the number 2 appears 5 times but the value 2 doesnt actually appear at
gt; gt; all
gt; gt; also the word two isnt in the list so it cant count it /// confusing or
gt; gt; what
gt; gt;
gt; gt;
gt; gt;
gt; gt; quot;Andyquot; wrote:
gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; Hi
gt; gt;gt;
gt; gt;gt; Your last two formulae are counting the number of non-blanks (6) and also
gt; gt;gt; the number 2 (or the word quot;twoquot;) - giving a total of 7
gt; gt;gt;
gt; gt;gt; Andy.
gt; gt;gt;
gt; gt;gt; quot;pete the greekquot; gt; wrote in
gt; gt;gt; message
gt; gt;gt; ...
gt; gt;gt; gt; in help there are examples for counta
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; gt; i can see what is happening when it just has 1 value ie:
gt; gt;gt; gt; a range as in the first two examples
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; gt; but cant see what is happening in the third ex
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; gt; a1:a6 is 6 non blanks
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; gt; there are five quot;2quot; but the result is 7 not 11
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; gt; A
gt; gt;gt; gt; 1 Data
gt; gt;gt; gt; 2 Sales
gt; gt;gt; gt; 3 12/8/2008
gt; gt;gt; gt; 4
gt; gt;gt; gt; 4 19
gt; gt;gt; gt; 6 22.24
gt; gt;gt; gt; 7 TRUE
gt; gt;gt; gt; 8 #DIV/0!
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; gt; Formula Description (Result)
gt; gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A2:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above
gt; gt;gt; gt; (6)
gt; gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A5:A8) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the last 4 rows
gt; gt;gt; gt; of
gt; gt;gt; gt; the
gt; gt;gt; gt; list (4)
gt; gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,2) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list above
gt; gt;gt; gt; and
gt; gt;gt; gt; the value 2 (7)
gt; gt;gt; gt; =COUNTA(A1:A7,quot;Twoquot;) Counts the number of nonblank cells in the list
gt; gt;gt; gt; above
gt; gt;gt; gt; and the value quot;Twoquot; (7)
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt;
gt; gt;gt;
gt; gt;gt;
gt;
gt;
gt;