Forum Discussion
copy a consistent formula
How would I copy a consistent formula to a cell 4 columns over.
Ie copy sum( a1+b1) to 4 columns over to read sum(a2+b2)
Generally speaking, you wouldn't. There are ways to have that happen, but not by copying and pasting; the combinations you describe can't be handled readily by Absolute and Relative references. One way to do this would be to use INDIRECT to construct the formulas, using letters and numbers from elsewhere on the sheet (e.g., the top row).
In other words, what you're requesting -- or appear to be requesting --isn't readily accommodated by Excel. But the fact that you make the request raises (in my mind at least) a question back to you: what are you trying to accomplish that prompts you to ask this? It's easy enough--would have taken less time than it took to post the question--to just write the second formula in that cell four columns over to the right. Could you describe the context, the bigger picture, for us? There may be another solution