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In this article
AREAS counts separate ranges in a reference — used with INDEX’s area_num argument to switch between tables.
Syntax
=AREAS(reference)| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
reference |
Wrap multiple ranges in brackets. |
Examples
Example 1
=AREAS((A1:C10, E1:G10, I1:K10))Returns 3.
AREAS in practice
Where you will use it
- Count blocks in a multi-area reference
- Check named ranges with several blocks
- Validate INDEX area_num
Worked example
| Reference | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| (H1:I2) | =CHOOSE(ROW()-1,AREAS((H1:I2)),AREAS((H1:I2,K1:K5)),AREAS((H1,J1,L1))) | 1 |
| (H1:I2,K1:K5) | =CHOOSE(ROW()-1,AREAS((H1:I2)),AREAS((H1:I2,K1:K5)),AREAS((H1,J1,L1))) | 2 |
| (H1,J1,L1) | =CHOOSE(ROW()-1,AREAS((H1:I2)),AREAS((H1:I2,K1:K5)),AREAS((H1,J1,L1))) | 3 |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Separator | A union uses commas inside extra brackets: AREAS((A1:B2,D1:D5)) |
| Rarely needed | Mostly for auditing complex named ranges |
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