Chapter 19: Excel Tutorial (Using Database Functions)
After completing the tutorial, you will be able to use the database functions within Excel. These
functions are used to sort data. These functions are known as Dfunctions. These functions
include DAVERAGE, DCOUNT, DCOUNTA, DGET, DMAX, DMIN, DPRODUCT,
DSTDEV, DSTDEVP, DSUM, DVAR, and DVARP. These functions allow you to specify
certain criteria within a dataset, and manipulate the data. Within this tutorial, we will use the
DSUM, DAVERAGE, and DCOUNT formulas. Please refer back to the data set created in
chapter 4.
Using Database Functions – the following steps can be used to filter and manipulate data. You
can use any number of different Dfunctions by altering the steps below. The following the steps
below are detailed steps for the DSUM, DAVERAGE, and DCOUNT:
1. Open the workbook labeled “Template.”
2. Now let us find out the total amount purchased of Material X. With a small database like
this one, it would be easy to hold down Ctrl and select every value associated with
Material X. What would you do for a database with 50,000 entries? This is when the
DFunctions come into play. In cell D4, type the type of product you would like to sum.
In this case, type in “Material X.”
3. Now enter in cell A5, =DSUM(, and hit the Function key . Below is a detailed
description of the function argument screen:
Select the database
Exact match criteria (1 value entered
below headings), AND Search criteria
(2 or more values entered below
headings that need to be matched)
Select what you
would like to total
4. Above is called an “Exact Match” criteria, this means that the function is only going to
look for any row meeting this exact match. We will now do an example of a “AND
Search” criteria using the DAVERAGE function. We would like to find the average of
the amount of materials that were purchased on 3/20/08 and are still unapplied. To do
this by hand for a company that buys thousands of materials a day would take hours to
find. With multiple criteria abilities, Excel can manipulate this data. In row 4 enter the
following data; Description – Materials, Date – 03/20/08, and Applied to – Unapplied.
5. Nothing will change within your formula criteria. Refer to your DSUM function,
=DSUM(C9:G31,F9,C3:G4), the items you will use for DAVERAGE do not change
=DAVERAGE(C9:G31,F9,C3:G4). Excel is taking the same approach for one criterion,
or multiple criteria. The same principles apply to DCOUNT (to count how many entries
match the given criteria) =DCOUNT(C9:G31,F9,C3:G4)
6. As you can see, if you change the criteria within row 4, the formulas react and give you
the needed data associated with the criteria stated. To check your ending figures see
screen print below: