Excel validation lists avoid blanks and errors with TOCOL(ignore) plus FILTER; the spill range stays stable across worksheets.

Excel is one of those tools that we all know and use, but let’s be honest—most of us barely scratch the surface of its true potential. Sure, you’ve probably mastered the basics like SUM or AVERAGE, ...

Skip tables when you need spilled results, presentation-ready layouts, one-off modeling logic, or stable protected data-entry templates.

Over the last few months, I’ve written several articles about Excel’s newish dynamic array functions. In many cases, they can replace older, more complex expressions. The new functions do all that ...

Excel's basic formulas work fine for simple calculations, but they quickly become cumbersome when you're dealing with complex data analysis. You end up with nested functions that are hard to read, ...

Q. How do I use the FILTER function in Excel, and how is this an improvement over the filter feature? A. The FILTER function was introduced five years ago as part of the Excel Dynamic Arrays rollout.

Q. I currently keep a static to-do list, and I would like to update it to be more dynamic. Do you have any advice? A. Microsoft Excel is best known for crunching numbers, but it’s also a powerful tool ...

Users will appreciate a chart that updates right before their eyes. In Microsoft Excel 2007 and Excel 2010, it's as easy as creating a table. In earlier versions, you'll need the formula method.

An curved arrow pointing right. Here's a really easy setup for displaying data in Excel. The key is to create dynamic named ranges. Watch the video to see how to do it in just a few easy steps.