What do you do if you have to perform a calculation that is mathematically complex or involves a large number of cells? One suggestion is to try and find a function that will perform the calculation for you. Excel 2003 has such a wide variety of built in functions, that you are likely to find a function or combination of functions that will solve your problem.

In Excel 2003, you can use the Insert Function dialogue box to help you find the function you need for a given situation.

The Insert function dialogue box can be displayed by choosing Insert->Function from the menu bar, or by clicking the fx (function button on the formula bar).

You will notice that the Insert Function box has a text field that you can use to enter a description of what you want to do. Type a word or phrase describing what you want and click GO. Based on your description, Excel will present a scrolling list of candidate functions under the Select a function label.

If you cannot find what you are looking for this way, you can display the drop list of function categories next to the words Or select a category. When you select a likely category for the function you will see a list of possible functions in the Select a function area.

If you select a function, an example of the function and its parameter list will be shown in bold near the bottom of the dialogue box. You will also see a brief description of the function that you have selected. For additional help on using the selected function you can click the blue text link, (Help on this function) to open a help window with more links and information.

If you think you need a function, consider the context of the data and the work you are doing.

If you are working with monetary data, you may be looking for a financial function or a function like sum that will total columns or rows.

If you are analyzing scientific data or survey results, it is possible that you may be looking for a statistical function.

If you are building complex formulas based on engineering specifications, you might require a function from the Math and Trig category.

If you need to extract data from a table based on certain conditions, explore the lookup or database functions.

The functions that you use most frequently will be available in the Recently used category.

If there is no single function that suits your needs, consider combinations of functions. Perhaps you require an average of sums, or a maximum of averages. If need be, you can even include and combine functions with your formulas.