How do I sum a column of numbers

Answer 1:

=SUM(range)

where range would be something like B2:B20 or whatever range of cells you want to sum.

Answer 2:

=SUM(B) to sum the entire column B

But this formula cannot be in the same column unless it is in a header or a footer.

I know that is how I do it is MS Excel but how do I do it in NUMBERS?

I try to select from c2 .c13 then what

to sum a range do one of the following:

select the range to sum, then drag from sum tag from the quick tools on the left to the destinations cell:

2) in the destination cell type "=sum(" then click, and hold, on the first cell of the range, drag to the last cell of the range, then release, the type ")" and return

3) type the formula directly in the destination cell.

for instance if you want the sum of cells A2 thru A21 in cell C3...

in cell C3 type "=sum(A2:A21)" without the double quotes, then hit return.

You can get this an more information from the Numbers Users; gide which is available from Apple for Free from here:

http://support.apple.com/manuals/#productivitysoftware

"I know that is how I do it is MS Excel but how do I do it in NUMBERS?

I try to select from c2 .c13 then what"

Responses to questions posted in this community almost invariably apply to Numbers. Logical, considering the name of the community is "Numbers."

Regards,

Barry

I'd also like to know how to select the range because when I click on Sum it automatically sums up....I've accidentally changed it or had to manually select the cells. I know it just takes practice (don't say it's intuitive) but a little basic suggestions would be helpful. Basic for apple world.

I had numbers with a R (Rand) infront and it would not sum it up. I had to change all to the official currency symbol (ZAR), which I dont really want... WHY??

Hi ZAgirl,

If you typed the R in front of the number, adding that piece of text makes the whole entry a text value, not a number.

The listed currency symbols are applied as a format, and not added as text. The cell still contains a numeric value (which may be summed), but displays with the chosen symbol either preceding of following the number, depending on the custom for that symbol and location.

If you are using Numbers '09 (version 2.x), you could create a custom format, using the Custom item in the Cell Inspector's Cell Format pop-up menu. Here's an example. Columns B, C and D contain the same set of numbers. B is formatted as Number, 2 decimal places, C as Currency, South African Rand (ZAR), and D has a custom format applied. note that the contents of the selected cell (shown in th entry bar) dose not include the "R" currency symbol.

Details of the Custom format are shown below the table.

Custom format settings (Numbers 2.3)

If you are using Numbers 3.0, you may be out of luck. To my understanding, Custom Formats are not currently supported in that version. You will need to choose bete=ween the official symbol and no symbol at all.

The latter would be my choice, as I find a column of figures, each with its currenc symbol, presents a cluttered appearance—better to have a column of numbers without the symbol, then appeand a symbol to the sum at the end of the column. If that sum is not used in further calculations, using a formula that creates a text string from the sum will work, as demonstrated in column B of this copy of the table above:

Formula shown in the entry box above the tale.

Regards,

Barry

"If you typed the R in front of the number, adding that piece of text makes the whole entry a text value, not a number"

- I have a related problem/question, please see:

http://www.hansogoline.dk/netv/Numbers2.htm

The 'problematic cells' are in the same row of a (much larger) Numbers sheet, and when I look at them it makes no sense (to me) that they are not 'counted' by the SUM function.

But there is a (kind of) explanation:

In the previous version of the sheet these cells contained amounts i Euros, so I had prefixed the cell data with a €-sign (in order to have them excluded when summing up).

Later on I converted the amounts to local currency (Danish 'kroner') and removed the Euro-prefix - but as seen the Numbers sheet somehow 'remembered' the deleted Euro-prefix!?

I have rectified the situation now, but first I had to delete the entire row and then create it again.

I find this situation somewhat 'treatcherous': Imagine that I handed the document over to another person, not knowing about 'the history': He/she would have no chance to identify this 'catch (22)'! 😉

h2vh,

I suspect the row had been formatted as text at one point, and alignment had been set to 'right', disguising the text format.

When you deleted the row, that also deleted the formatting. Recreating the row (by inserting a new row) gave the new row the same formatting as the row above (or below) it, and reentering the data resulted in numeric values. The cells may also have contained non-priinting text characters (eg. a sticky space) which could affect recognition of the entry as a number.

I'd wonder more about the row showing a left-aligned 231,12. The left alignment is default for text values.

Regards,

Barry

"I suspect the row had been formatted as text at one point, and alignment had been set to 'right', disguising the text format" - thanks, Barry.

I have also been a bit confused by the 'alignment': I normally copy cell contents from a Google spreadsheet into the Numbers sheet, and in fact I haven't noticed whether the cell alignment from Google is simply carried over(?).

I'll look into that.

BTW: Until some months ago I could copy rows (one or several at at time) from Google to Numbers. That option seems no longer to exist - nowadays I can transfer columns only. 😕

I don't know whether this change originates from Google or from Apple - but to me it's a nuisance!

Numbers for Mac, version 3.2.2 - I was trying to figure out how to sum an entire column of numbers so that, as the sheet expanded, so would the range of cells I was adding without worrying about exceeding the range of cells in my formula. However, if I added an artificial range of, say B10:B300, with only 50 rows in my sheet to begin with, I received an error. Trying the =SUM(B) given here did not work in this version of Numbers. However, when I tried " = SUM B " with no punctuation, it seemed to work just fine.

use the formula

=sum(B)

this sums all cells in column B

type it like this:

=SUM

Now type the open parenthesis:

now click the "B" for column B:

now lose the parenthesis:

Right, thank you. We are saying the same thing. You can click the column, as you point out, or you can click in the formula in the cell and type "B", or type " ( B", or, even, " ( B )", and they all seem to do the same thing. Unless you try to put the formula in the same column you are trying to sum, as mentioned elsewhere, then the error shows up. Probably where mine came from.

HI VP.c,

This answer, copied from Badunit's reply above, may shed some light:

"Answer 2:

=SUM(B) to sum the entire column B

But this formula cannot be in the same column unless it is in a header or a footer."

header and footer refer to a row that has been declared a Header Row or Footer Row, or to a column which has been declared a Header column.

Regards,

Barry

In my case, I've tried to use the = SUM (N3,N22) Aand appeared no results, just a blank cell