Microsoft KB Archive/94188

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Excel: Computed Criterion Does Not Need to Reference Database

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0
 * Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0
 * Microsoft Excel for OS/2, version 3.0

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SUMMARY
The last paragraph on page 329 in version 4.0 of the &quot;Microsoft Excel User's Guide 1,&quot; states that a computed criterion formula must refer to at least one existing database field. This same information is given on page 374 in version 3.0 of the &quot;Microsoft Excel User's Guide.&quot; This information is incorrect, a computed criterion formula does not have to refer to a database field.

MORE INFORMATION
Examples on page 337 of the version 4.0 &quot;Microsoft Excel User's Guide 1,&quot; and page 378 of the version &quot;Microsoft Excel User's Guide&quot; correctly show that you can use computed criteria without referring to database fields.

The example uses the following computed criterion formula to extract a random sample of 10-percent of the records in the database:

  A1:   Random Sampling A2:  =RAND<10%

The above two cells should be defined as your criteria range. Even though no database fields are referenced in the formula, the criteria work correctly.