Feel Tips - Calculating Rows and Columns in Word Table

Microsoft Excel can help users easily calculate values in rows and columns. However, if you don’t like Excel, but you need to evaluate values, you can do the job in Microsoft Word.  Although, the calculating feature of Microsoft Word is rudimentary, it is useful when you need do calculating in Word processing.

The main steps are simple:

1. Create a table in Word document and enter the values you’ll be calculating.
2. To calculate rows, add a new column to the right or left of the table and click Formula in the Data group (on the contextual Layout tab).
3. To calculate columns, add a new row to the bottom or top of the table and click Formula.

It is straightforward to calculate values in a Word table. Word will do most of the work for you. Below is a simple example. We will calculate total commissions by salesperson and by specific vehicle types.

First, follow the steps below to add a calculating column:

1. Click any cell in the right-most column to insert a new column and click Insert Right in the Rows & Columns group on the contextual Layout tab. In Word 2003, select Insert from the Table menu, and then select Columns to The Right.
2. Select the second cell in the new column (not the header cell, the one at the end of the Smith row).
3. Click Formula in the Data group. In Word 2003, choose Formula from the Table menu.
4. Word anticipates your needs and supplies the appropriate formula for you - add everything to the left of this cell. If Word doesn’t supply the formula for you, enter =SUM(LEFT)
5. From the Format dropdown, select the currency format, $#,##0.00;($#,##0.00).
6. Click OK. You can resize the column to accommodate the new content.
7. Repeat the process for each row, but be careful. Once you add the first formula, Word will detect values above the current cell and default to ABOVE instead of LEFT, in the formula. You’ll need to change =SUM(ABOVE) to =SUM(LEFT).

Second, add totals to each column.

1. Add a new row (Total) at the bottom of the table.
2. Click in the third cell - the Car, New column.
3. Click Formula in the Data group.
4. You won’t have to change the formula, because Word will detect the values above and default accordingly.
5. Set the format.
6. Click OK.
7. Repeat the process for each column.

The values can’t be updated automatically in a Word table. To update a calculating cell, we need to select it and press [F9].  To update all of the calculations, we can select the entire table and press [F9].  Similarly, if we want to update calculating cells in some area, we can just select the area and press [F9].