Microsoft Excel help???

[Denisec4502]

How do you enter a formula on Excel that can determine a letter or word in a cell to have a numerical value and then add the letters or words at the bottom as a total number? eg. if S in a column has a value of 5 people, and E has a value of 3 people how can that be determined in the total at the bottom of the column as 8 people?? How do I enter the formula.. have been on excel help but cannot find out. Anybody got any ideas???

[Katoninelive]

Use the 'Autosum' button if not =sum(s+column number+e+column number)

[Denisec4502]

But that does not determine that s = 5 people and e = 3 people, how do you put a key in to show that value the letters are? That just ads e and s together - so not working.

[factor-fiction]

Set up a new column and put values equal to 5 x value in cell S, 3 x E, etc, then sum those.
You could also use conditional formatting but I think the method I suggested is easier

[straightAs]

you have to give the exact location of that cell for applying any function on it . if it is in col D and row 5 its location is D5

[beso]

Check out the Lookup function in Excel.

It is used to determine corresponding values for the value it is given. You just need to have an area as a table with the letters and corresponding numbers adjactent.

Use this to generate a column with the corresponding numerical values and then sum the column.

[ACtheTROLL]

this is a dirty fix - but it will work if you don't need too many values
you can't sort out a single word from a sentence

You need to use two columns
assume four values for
first=5,
second=10,
third=15,
four=20

a holds the values
b holds the formula
=if(a1="",0,if(a1="first",5,if(a1="second",10,if(a1="third",15,if(a1="four",20,"")))))

copy the formula down col b

edit the words between the "s and the numbers to suit
I can't remember how many nests you can have

then just sum column b