How an Argument Is Used in a Function or Formula
How an 'Argument' Is Used in a Function or Formula GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > MS Office 20 20 people found this article helpful
In this example, the second or nested IF function is used as the Value_if_true argument of the first IF function and is used to test for a second condition, if the data in cell A2 is less than 100. Since Excel 2007, 64 levels of nesting are permitted in formulas. Prior to that, only seven levels of nesting were supported.
How an 'Argument' Is Used in a Function or Formula
These arguments are actually quite helpful
By Ted French Ted French Writer Former Lifewire writer Ted French is a Microsoft Certified Professional who teaches and writes about spreadsheets and spreadsheet programs. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 12, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share EmailIn This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Function Syntax Number of Arguments Types of Data in Arguments Nesting Functions Finding a Function's Arguments Excel Function Dialog Boxes Step-by-Step: Type a Function's Name Arguments are the values that functions use to perform calculations. In spreadsheet programs such as Excel and Google Sheets, functions are just built-in formulas that carry out set calculations and most of these functions require data to be entered, either by the user or another source, in order to return a result.Function Syntax
A function's syntax refers to the layout of the function and includes the function's name, parenthesis, comma separators, and its arguments. The arguments are always surrounded by parentheses and individual arguments are separated by commas. A simple example, shown in the image above, is the SUM function, which can be used to sum or total long columns or rows of numbers. The syntax for this function is: SUM (Number1, Number2, ... Number255) The arguments for this function are: Number1, Number2, ... Number255Number of Arguments
The number of arguments that a function requires varies with the function. The SUM function can have up to 255 arguments, but only one is required — the Number1 argument. The remainder are optional. The OFFSET function, meanwhile, has three required arguments and two optional ones. Other functions, such as the NOW and TODAY functions, have no arguments but draw their data — the serial number or date — from the computer's system clock. Even though no arguments are required by these functions, the parentheses, which are part of the function's syntax, must still be included when entering the function.Types of Data in Arguments
Like the number of arguments, the types of data that can be entered for an argument will vary depending upon the function. In the case of the SUM function, as shown in the image above, the arguments must contain number data, but this data can be: the actual data being summed - the Number1 argument in the image above an individual cell reference to the location of the number data in the worksheet - the Number2 argument an array or range of cell references - the Number3 argument Other types of data that can be used for arguments include: text data Boolean values error values other functionsNesting Functions
It is common for one function to be entered as the argument for another function. This operation is known as nesting functions and it is done to extend the capabilities of the program in carrying out complex calculations. For example, it is not uncommon for IF functions to be nested one inside the other as shown below. =IF(A1 > 50,IF(A2 < 100, A1 * 10,A1 * 25)In this example, the second or nested IF function is used as the Value_if_true argument of the first IF function and is used to test for a second condition, if the data in cell A2 is less than 100. Since Excel 2007, 64 levels of nesting are permitted in formulas. Prior to that, only seven levels of nesting were supported.