COLUMN
Return the column number of a reference (A is 1, B is 2), or of the cell the formula is in.
Syntax
COLUMN([reference])| Argument | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
reference | Optional | A cell or range. Omit it for the formula's own column. |
Examples
Every example below was executed against VisiGrid engine 0.51.0 — not
transcribed from another vendor's documentation. Reproduce any of them with vgrid calc.
| Formula | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
=COLUMN(D1) | 4 | D is the fourth column. |
=COLUMN(B2:D2) | 2 | For a range, the first column. |
=COLUMN()>0 | TRUE |
A column index that follows the formula
The third argument of VLOOKUP and
INDEX is a column number, and a typed number does not
change when columns are inserted. Deriving it from a reference does:
=COLUMN(D1)-COLUMN(A1)+1 → 4— the position of column D within a table starting at A, which stays right if a column is added in between.
Counting across
Filled right, =COLUMN()-1 numbers columns 1, 2, 3… the way ROW() numbers
rows.
Excel compatibility
Matches Excel for single cells and the first column of a range.