SUM
Add up numbers, cell ranges, or a mix of both.
Syntax
SUM(number1, [number2], ...)| Argument | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
number1 | Required | A number, a cell reference, or a range such as A2:A100. |
number2 | Optional | Further numbers or ranges to include in the total. |
Examples
Every example below was executed against VisiGrid engine 0.19.0 — not
transcribed from another vendor's documentation. Reproduce any of them with vgrid calc.
| Formula | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
=SUM(A2:A4) | 60 | Column A holds 10, 20 and 30. |
=SUMIFS(A2:A4,B2:B4,"x") | 40 | Use SUMIFS when the total needs a condition. |
Text and blanks inside a range
SUM ignores blank cells and text inside a range rather than erroring. That
behaviour is convenient and occasionally dangerous: a column of numbers where
one value has been imported as text will total lower than expected, with no
error to warn you.
This is a good example of why VisiGrid re-checks results in the browser against its Rust engine. A number-stored-as-text problem does not announce itself — but two independent engines reaching the same wrong-looking total tells you the total is genuinely what the data says, and the data is what needs fixing.
Whole-column references
SUM(A:A) totals the entire column. It is convenient for a scratch calculation
and a liability in a model that will grow, because it silently absorbs anything
later added to that column — including notes, subtotals, and a copy of the total
itself. Prefer an explicit range in anything you intend to keep.
Excel compatibility
Matches Excel's SUM, including its treatment of text and blank cells inside a range as zero rather than an error.