✨ Part 1: Introduce
🔹 Definition: The ADDRESS function in Microsoft Excel is a built-in function that allows users to obtain a specific cell’s cell reference (address) in a worksheet. It returns the address as a text string in the format “SheetName!$ColumnLetter$RowNumber”. This Function is handy in scenarios where you need to reference cells based on certain conditions or calculations dynamically.
🔹 Purpose: The primary purpose of the ADDRESS function is to provide a flexible way to generate cell references dynamically. It is often used with other functions, such as MATCH, INDEX, INDIRECT, and more, to create powerful formulas that handle varying data and conditions.
🔹 Syntax & Arguments: The syntax of the ADDRESS function is as follows:
=ADDRESS(row_num, column_num, [abs_num], [a1], [sheet_text]) Explanation of the Arguments:
row_num(required): The row number of the cell you want to obtain the address.column_num(required): The column number of the cell you want to obtain the address.abs_num(optional): An optional argument that specifies the type of reference to be returned. It can take one of the following values:- 1 (or omitted): Returns the absolute address with dollar signs (e.g., $A$1).
- 2: Returns a mixed reference with an absolute row and relative column (e.g., $A1).
- 3: Returns a mixed reference with a relative row and absolute column (e.g., A$1).
- 4: Returns a relative reference without dollar signs (e.g., A1).
a1(optional): An optional logical argument that specifies the reference style. If TRUE or omitted, the reference is returned in A1-style (e.g., $A$1). If FALSE, the connection is returned in R1C1-style (e.g., R1C1).sheet_text(optional): An optional argument that allows you to specify the worksheet name from which you want to obtain the address. If omitted, the Function will use the current worksheet.
🔹 Return Value: The ADDRESS function returns the cell reference as a text string.
🔹 Remarks:
- The row_num and column_num arguments must be positive integers representing the valid row and column numbers, respectively.
- If the specified row_num or column_num is out of the worksheet’s range, the Function will return a #VALUE! Error.
- The ADDRESS function is proper when working with other functions that require a cell reference as an argument.
✨ Part 2: Examples
🔹 Example 1: Using ADDRESS with MATCH Function
Suppose we have a table of sales data for different products, and we want to find the cell reference of the sales amount for a specific product in a given quarter. We can use the ADDRESS and MATCH functions to achieve this.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Result |
| 2 | Product A | 100 | 150 | =ADDRESS(MATCH("Product A", A2:A4, 0) + 1, MATCH("Q1", A1:C1, 0)) |
| 3 | Product B | 120 | 110 | =ADDRESS(MATCH("Product B", A2:A4, 0) + 1, MATCH("Q2", A1:C1, 0)) |
| 4 | Product C | 90 | 130 | =ADDRESS(MATCH("Product C", A2:A4, 0) + 1, MATCH("Q1", A1:C1, 0)) |
Explanation: The formulas in column D use the ADDRESS function to find the cell reference of the sales amount for a specific product in a quarter. The MATCH function is used to locate the table’s row and column numbers for the specified product and quarter.
📊 Table Result for Example 1:
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Result |
| 2 | Product A | 100 | 150 | $B$2 |
| 3 | Product B | 120 | 110 | $C$3 |
| 4 | Product C | 90 | 130 | $B$4 |
🔹 Example 2: Using ADDRESS with VLOOKUP Function
In this example, we have a table of employee data, and we want to find the cell reference of a specific employee’s salary using the ADDRESS function nested with the VLOOKUP function.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Salary | Result | |
| 2 | John | $50,000 | =ADDRESS(MATCH("John", A2:A5, 0) + 1, 2) | |
| 3 | Mary | $55,000 | =ADDRESS(MATCH("Mary", A2:A5, 0) + 1, 2) | |
| 4 | Mike | $60,000 | =ADDRESS(MATCH("Mike", A2:A5, 0) + 1, 2) | |
| 5 | Lisa | $48,000 | =ADDRESS(MATCH("Lisa", A2:A5, 0) + 1, 2) |
Explanation: The formulas in column D use the ADDRESS function to find the cell reference of each employee’s salary by matching their names using the VLOOKUP function.
📊 Table Result for Example 2:
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Salary | Result | |
| 2 | John | $50,000 | $B$2 | |
| 3 | Mary | $55,000 | $B$3 | |
| 4 | Mike | $60,000 | $B$4 | |
| 5 | Lisa | $48,000 | $B$5 |
🔹 Example 3: Using ADDRESS with IF Function
Suppose we have a table of test scores and want to find the cell reference of the highest score for each student. We can use the ADDRESS function nested with the IF function.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Score 1 | Score 2 | Max Score | Result |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | 95 | =IF(B2=D2, ADDRESS(2, 2), IF(C2=D2, ADDRESS(2, 3))) |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | 88 | =IF(B3=D3, ADDRESS(3, 2), IF(C3=D3, ADDRESS(3, 3))) |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | 90 | =IF(B4=D4, ADDRESS(4, 2), IF(C4=D4, ADDRESS(4, 3))) |
Explanation: The formulas in column E use the ADDRESS function and the IF function to find the cell reference of the highest score for each student based on the value in column D, which represents the maximum score.
📊 Table Result for Example 3:
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Score 1 | Score 2 | Max Score | Result |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | 95 | $C$2 |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | 88 | $C$3 |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | 90 | $B$4 |
🔹 Example 4: Using ADDRESS with INDEX and MATCH Functions
Suppose we have a table of sales data, and we want to find the cell reference of a specific sales value for a product and quarter using the ADDRESS function nested with the INDEX and MATCH functions.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Search Product | Search Quarter |
| 2 | Product A | 500 | 600 | Product B | Q1 |
| 3 | Product B | 700 | 450 | Product C | Q2 |
| 4 | Product C | 300 | 800 | Product A | Q1 |
| 5 | Product D | 400 | 700 | Product D | Q2 |
| 6 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(D2, A2:A5, 0) + 1, MATCH(E2, A1:C1, 0)) | ||||
| 7 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(D3, A2:A5, 0) + 1, MATCH(E3, A1:C1, 0)) |
Explanation: The formulas in column E use the ADDRESS function and the INDEX and MATCH functions to find the cell reference of the sales value for the specified product and quarter.
📊 Table Result for Example 4:
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Search Product | Search Quarter |
| 2 | Product A | 500 | 600 | Product B | $B$3 |
| 3 | Product B | 700 | 450 | Product C | $C$2 |
| 4 | Product C | 300 | 800 | Product A | $B$2 |
| 5 | Product D | 400 | 700 | Product D | $C$5 |
🔹 Example 5: Using ADDRESS with MAX Function
In this example, we have a table of scores for different students, and we want to find the cell reference of the highest score for each student using the ADDRESS function nested with the MAX function.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Test 1 | Test 2 | Result |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | =ADDRESS(2, MAX(B2:C2)) |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | =ADDRESS(3, MAX(B3:C3)) |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | =ADDRESS(4, MAX(B4:C4)) |
Explanation: The formulas in column D use the ADDRESS function and the MAX function to find the cell reference of the highest score for each student.
📊 Table Result for Example 5:
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Test 1 | Test 2 | Result |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | $C$2 |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | $C$3 |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | $A$4, $B$4 |
🔹 Example 6: Using ADDRESS with INDIRECT and CONCATENATE Functions
Suppose we have a table of data with the month names as column headers, and we want to find the cell reference of a specific value for a given month using the ADDRESS function nested with the INDIRECT and CONCATENATE functions.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Jan | Feb | Search Item | Search Month |
| 2 | Item 1 | 100 | 150 | Item 3 | Feb |
| 3 | Item 2 | 120 | 110 | Item 1 | Jan |
| 4 | Item 3 | 90 | 130 | Item 2 | Jan |
| 5 | Item 4 | 80 | 170 | Item 4 | Feb |
| 6 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(D2, A2:A5, 0) + 1, MATCH(CONCATENATE(E2), A1:C1, 0)) | ||||
| 7 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(D3, A2:A5, 0) + 1, MATCH(CONCATENATE(E3), A1:C1, 0)) |
Explanation: The formulas in column E use the ADDRESS function and the INDIRECT and CONCATENATE functions to find the cell reference of the specified item’s value for the given month.
📊 Table Result for Example 6:
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Jan | Feb | Search Item | Search Month |
| 2 | Item 1 | 100 | 150 | Item 3 | $C$3 |
| 3 | Item 2 | 120 | 110 | Item 1 | $B$2 |
| 4 | Item 3 | 90 | 130 | Item 2 | $B$3 |
| 5 | Item 4 | 80 | 170 | Item 4 | $C$5 |
🔹 Example 7: Using ADDRESS with SMALL Function
In this example, we have a data table, and we want to find the cell reference of the nth smallest value in the range using the ADDRESS function nested with the SMALL Function.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nth Smallest | Cell Reference | |||
| 2 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 1 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(SMALL(A2:C4, D2), A2:C4, 0) + 1, MATCH(SMALL(A2:C4, D2), A2:C2, 0)) |
| 3 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 2 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(SMALL(A2:C4, D3), A2:C4, 0) + 1, MATCH(SMALL(A2:C4, D3), A2:C2, 0)) |
| 4 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 3 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(SMALL(A2:C4, D4), A2:C4, 0) + 1, MATCH(SMALL(A2:C4, D4), A2:C2, 0)) |
Explanation: The formulas in column E use the ADDRESS function, MATCH function, and SMALL Function to find the cell reference of the nth smallest value in the range A2:C4 based on the value in column D.
📊 Table Result for Example 7:
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nth Smallest | Cell Reference | |||
| 2 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 1 | $A$2, $A$3 |
| 3 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 2 | $C$4 |
| 4 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 3 | $A$4 |
🔹 Example 8: Using ADDRESS with IF and AVERAGE Functions
Suppose we have a table of test scores, and we want to find the cell reference of the average score for each student if they scored above a certain threshold, using the ADDRESS function nested with the IF and AVERAGE functions.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Test 1 | Test 2 | Result |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | =IF(AVERAGE(B2:C2) > 90, ADDRESS(2, 2), "") |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | =IF(AVERAGE(B3:C3) > 90, ADDRESS(3, 2), "") |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | =IF(AVERAGE(B4:C4) > 90, ADDRESS(4, 2), "") |
Explanation: The formulas in column D use the ADDRESS function along with the IF and AVERAGE functions to find the cell reference of the average score for each student, but only if their average score is above 90.
📊 Table Result for Example 8:
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Test 1 | Test 2 | Result |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | $B$2 |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | $B$4 |
🔹 Example 9: Using ADDRESS with VLOOKUP and MAX Functions
In this example, we have a table of sales data, and we want to find the cell reference of the maximum sales value for a specific product using the ADDRESS function nested with the VLOOKUP and MAX functions.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Result |
| 2 | Product A | 500 | 600 | =ADDRESS(2, MAX(VLOOKUP("Product A", A2:C5, {2,3}, 0))) |
| 3 | Product B | 700 | 450 | =ADDRESS(3, MAX(VLOOKUP("Product B", A2:C5, {2,3}, 0))) |
| 4 | Product C | 300 | 800 | =ADDRESS(4, MAX(VLOOKUP("Product C", A2:C5, {2,3}, 0))) |
| 5 | Product D | 400 | 700 | =ADDRESS(5, MAX(VLOOKUP("Product D", A2:C5, {2,3}, 0))) |
Explanation: The formulas in column D use the ADDRESS function and the VLOOKUP and MAX functions to find the cell reference of the maximum sales value for each product.
📊 Table Result for Example 9:
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Result |
| 2 | Product A | 500 | 600 | $C$2 |
| 3 | Product B | 700 | 450 | $B$3 |
| 4 | Product C | 300 | 800 | $C$4 |
| 5 | Product D | 400 | 700 | $C$5 |
🔹 Example 10: Using ADDRESS with COUNTIF and SMALL Functions
Suppose we have a table of test scores and want to find the cell reference of the nth lowest score for each student using the ADDRESS function nested with the COUNTIF and SMALL functions.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Test 1 | Test 2 | Nth Lowest | Cell Reference |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | 1 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(SMALL(B2:C2, D2), B2:C2, 0) + 1, MATCH(SMALL(B2:C2, D2), B2:C2, 0)) |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | 2 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(SMALL(B3:C3, D3), B3:C3, 0) + 1, MATCH(SMALL(B3:C3, D3), B3:C3, 0)) |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | 1 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(SMALL(B4:C4, D4), B4:C4, 0) + 1, MATCH(SMALL(B4:C4, D4), B4:C4, 0)) |
Explanation: The formulas in column E use the ADDRESS function and the COUNTIF and SMALL functions to find each student’s cell reference for the nth lowest score.
📊 Table Result for Example 10:
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Test 1 | Test 2 | Nth Lowest | Cell Reference |
| 2 | John | 85 | 92 | 1 | $B$2 |
| 3 | Mary | 78 | 88 | 2 | $C$2 |
| 4 | Mike | 90 | 85 | 1 | $C$4 |
🔹 Example 11: Using ADDRESS with CONCATENATE and SEARCH Functions
In this example, we have a table of products, and we want to find the cell reference of a specific product using the ADDRESS function nested with the CONCATENATE and SEARCH functions.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Price | Stock | Search |
| 2 | Apples | $1.50 | 100 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(1, (SEARCH(D2, A2:A5) > 0) * ROW(A2:A5), 0), 1) |
| 3 | Bananas | $0.80 | 50 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(1, (SEARCH(D3, A2:A5) > 0) * ROW(A2:A5), 0), 1) |
Explanation: The formulas in column D use the ADDRESS function and the CONCATENATE and SEARCH functions to find the cell reference of the specified product in the table.
📊 Table Result for Example 11:
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Price | Stock | Search |
| 2 | Apples | $1.50 | 100 | $A$2 |
| 3 | Bananas | $0.80 | 50 | $A$3 |
🔹 Example 12: Using ADDRESS with SUMIF Function
Suppose we have a table of sales data for different products, and we want to find the cell reference of the total sales for a specific product using the ADDRESS function nested with the SUMIF function.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Search |
| 2 | Product A | 100 | 150 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(D2, A2:A5, 0) + 1, 2) |
| 3 | Product B | 120 | 110 | =ADDRESS(MATCH(D3, A2:A5, 0) + 1, 2) |
Explanation: The formulas in column D use the ADDRESS function and the SUMIF function to find the cell reference of the total sales for the specified product in the table.
📊 Table Result for Example 12:
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Q1 | Q2 | Search |
| 2 | Product A | 100 | 150 | $B$2 |
| 3 | Product B | 120 | 110 | $B$3 |
Adjust the cell references based on your Excel spreadsheet and data arrangement. These examples demonstrate the versatility of the ADDRESS function when combined with various other parts to achieve different results in different scenarios.
✨ Part 3: Tips and Tricks
- The ADDRESS function is potent when combined with other tasks like MATCH, INDEX, VLOOKUP, and IF. It enables dynamic cell referencing based on specific criteria or calculations.
- When using the ADDRESS function in nested formulas, ensure that the arguments provided to the ADDRESS function are valid and correctly refer to the desired cells.
- Be mindful of the reference style (A1 or R1C1) when using the ADDRESS function, especially when working with other tasks that rely on cell references as inputs.
- The ADDRESS function can be an essential tool in creating dynamic and flexible formulas that adapt to changes in data and structure.
- Practice using the ADDRESS function in various scenarios to become familiar with its capabilities and enhance your Excel skills.