XL: Keeping a Cumulative Total in a Column or Row

ID: Q36950

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 1.x, 2.2, 3.x, 4.x, 5.0, 5.0a
Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.x, 4.x, 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, to calculate a cumulative total in a column or row of cells, you can use a combination of absolute and relative references in a SUM() formula.

For example, to keep a running total of cells A1 through A10 in column B (for example, B1 contains the value from A1, B2 contains A1+A2, B3 contains A1+A2+A3, etc.), set up the worksheet as follows:

Enter the formula, =SUM($A$1:A1), into cell B1.

Select cells B1 through B10.

On the Edit menu, click Fill Down.

The $A$1 (absolute reference) will be constant in each cell, while the A1 (relative reference) will be updated in each successive cell to refer to the adjacent cell in column A.

NOTE: This information also applies to the AVERAGE() formula.

Additional query words: 1.0 1.00 1.03 1.04 1.06 1.5 1.50 2.20 3.0 3.00 4.0 4.00 97 98 XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5 XL4 XL3 XL2


Keywords          : 
Version           : WINDOWS:2.x,3.x,4.x,5.0,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97; MACINTOSH:1.x,2.x,3.x,4.x,5.0,5.0a,98; WINNT:5.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: March 12, 1999