Forum Discussion
Profit Formula Challenge
Don't forget that Twifoo intended the challenge to be an examination of the use of advanced array methods available within traditional Excel. The dislike of CSE is understandable but is simply a by-product of the user-interface design.
As I noted earlier, I had trained myself to commit all formulas with CSE but I would have preferred not to need it. For some reason my proposal to reverse the conventions, that is to use CSE to introduce the additional implicit intersection step and use Enter to allow the calculation to proceed as a simple array operation was not well-received 🙂
I share the views of SergeiBaklan and Twifoo in that I see no need to avoid {1,-1,1,-1} as an array constant on the grounds that the notation is similar to the CSE notation. The array constant is an important element of array calculation. They need to be used with care, not because they are arrays, but because they are constants. If there exists a possibility that they may change, a named variable would be more appropriate than a constant embedded within a formula.
Don't worry, I empathize with you. Bottom Line simple means the final amount, which refers to the values in the row for Operating Profit. Thus, Combined Bottom Line of All Branches refers to the value for Total Operating Profit, which is 45,800.00. I trust that I have somehow clarified your doubts as to the terms used in this formula challenge. By the way, Accounting is the language of business! It is only through Accounting that business information can be communicated to the users thereof.
Twifoo , thank you for the clarification. Yes, sure , accounting is the language of business, but English terms are not always understandable if your business uses another language.