Periodically, I get questions about Excel formulas, functions, and functionality.  The Question Of The Day (QOD) series will address these questions and answer them so they can benefit our excel templates community as a whole.

Here is our first QOD paraphrased from our email/contact list (specific details have been removed so it is generalized):

Hey, I need to make a template where i can calculate my daily progress with out counting them one by one, we use codes at work ABC DEF GEF etc for job done. I want to count these codes in numbers. at the bottom. when i write ABC at the bottom it should add one in ABC column. If u do not understand what i mean then i have to send u a sample excel sheet to let u know what i exactly mean. thx i wait for ur reply

Question of the day: CountIF & Data Validation

Dear User,

Based on the question posed here, you want to utilize two excel features:

• CountIf
• Data Validation

The Countif function lets you count records that meet a certain critieria.   It consist of two parts: the range and criteria.  Create the countif function by typing:

•  =Countif
• Type an open parenthesis
• Highlight the range you want counted in the first part and add a comma.
• Add the criteria in the second half of the excel countif function example. If the criteria is counting alphabetic values enclose them in quotations…
• Close the parenthesis and press the Enter key

An example of this would look like this =Countif(A2:A30,”ABC”).  Add this type of formula in the total section of your spreadsheet.

Below is an actual excel countif function example you can download and see in action!

This example could be enhanced by adding data validation to this example.  Click this link, data validation, to see this example include data validation.