The smartest thing Excel does happens in places you can't see.

Functions like FILTER, SORTBY, UNIQUE, XLOOKUP, and VSTACK transform static grids into real-time data systems.

Stop manually reformatting Excel spreadsheets. The Spill Manager add-in makes your formatting move dynamically with expanding arrays.

Q. Is it possible to sort a column in Excel using formulas rather than the Data tab’s Sort tool, so the sort process is performed automatically as I update my data? A. Excel has announced a new ...

Excel’s BYCOL() and BYROW() functions evaluate data across columns and rows, returning an array result set allowing you to bypass a lot of work. Most Microsoft Excel functions are autonomous—one ...

In addition to the new SORT function, you may also find the new FILTER and UNIQUE array functions useful. For example, the worksheet on the next page contains a detailed listing of invoices in columns ...

Stop believing outdated Excel rules and learn how to optimize spreadsheet performance using Power Query, helper columns, and ...

Excel doesn’t have a built-in AVERAGEIF() function, but you can still average values, conditionally. Excel has SumIf and CountIf, but no AverageIf. However, with a little array magic, you can get ...

An curved arrow pointing right. {} These brackets mean something magical is happening inside your Excel formula. An "Array" function allows you to perform mathematical operations on many cells instead ...

is a senior correspondent and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft Excel used to only allow two types of data: text and numbers.