If you're using Google Sheets and you have a table of data like we do here and you want
to add some totals into it, maybe we want to total the ending balance and the ending
value.
We are going to go over a couple different ways to do this and advantages and disadvantages
of method.
You can already see that I put an error in the ending value column so we'll talk about
how to deal with that.
The first thing that I would do with this table is give it some formatting.
We'll do that real quick because this isn't really about formatting.
But, you want your reader to know where to look to find the totals.
I would go to Format and do Alternating colors.
Our table, if you look, has a header row and we're going to be putting in a footer row.
So, I am going to left-click on footer as well.
We're going to make it green because black and white is boring.
Click Done.
Now it is apparent where our table starts and end.
I'm going to type total down here.
And I'm going to left click on the bold symbol to make the entire row bold.
So, let's say that we want to sum column C. The most intuitive way to do this is to start
with an = sign because you always start with an = if you're going to do a formula because
you are telling Goolge Sheets the cell = what I am going to type in.
It already auto-suggests the SUM formula but the most basic way to do this would be to
say, take call C5, so I'm left-clicking on C5 + C6 + C7 until you get to the end and
press Enter.
Now, that works and it's intuitive if you read it.
So, when I come back in and I click on the formula, we'll talk about a few things here.
Each of these cells is color coded to help you look at it.
So, if you want to see C5 it's orange in the formula and there's orange around the box.
And Google Sheets is also giving you the result of the formula already.
So, as you type, you would see this blue number increment.
But, as you look at this, if you could imagine this table with a hundred rows in it, you
could easily miss one of them by doing it this way and wouldn't see it.
And, the formula would also just get kind of large and hard to read.
But, we're going to leave it this way for now and I'm going to hit Enter.
I'm going to select it again and I'm going to copy and paste it into column E. This will
show you another problem with this formula.
So, if you use just +s and you have a value in your table that isn't recognized and a
number, you'll just get an error and it won't be able to add it up.
So, let's go back to C9.
We're going to start with a better method which is the SUM formula.
We're going to be typing in the name of the function throughout this tutorial, but the
easiest way to do it, if you don't know the name of the function, is to go up to the toolbar
and click on the Delta sign.
This is a list of all your functions and SUM is going to be listed first because it's the
most common function.
If you left click on that, it puts it down in the cell for you already.
Let's zoom in here for a minute.
This function is telling you a few things as it's sitting here.
So one, you get the box of the helper text and it's telling you that it's going to return
the sum of a series of numbers or cells.
You have this little grey object, under the blinking cursor, and that's saying it's waiting
for a value.
You have the two parentheses, but inside you need to tell me what to do with it.
Optionally, you can give me additional values if you'd like.
We could do it where we gave it C5 and hit a comma, or a semi-colon in some countries,
and then C6, etc.
The SUM function would work, but you're still having the same problem where you have to
list out all the cells.
A better way to do it, the much more efficient way is to designate the starting cell, hit
your colon, and then C8, and then we'll close off the parenthesis.
It's showing one box around the entire range that you're going to some and if you look
at the cell references in the function, they're both orange.
So, they are corresponding to this.
You hit Enter.
This says 98.
Now, the other advantage of using the SUM function is, if I copy it, come over to cell
E9, and I'm going to paste it.
It can ignore this bad value of Seventy and it adds up what it can.
So, if I select these other cells, and I look at the auto sum feature down here, it's coming
up with 550.
If I also select E7, it doesn't change.
It's 550.
This next video is all the basics that you need to know to start using Google Sheets.
At the end of the video, you're going to be probably the most incredible spreasheet user
on the face of the earth.
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