Use of the DSUM formula to find exact matches in datatables

I am using DSUM formula in Excel 2002 to summarise data relating to Material
stock lines but it currently will not distinguish parts that have similar
starting part numbers. I have replicated the Orchard scenario in the Help
and it does not appear to work. If you change one of the lines in the data
area to show 'Apples' instead of 'Apple', it does not change the result of
the DSUM; even changing it to 'Apple Trees' does not change the result. Is
there something wrong with the function, has it been fixed in later versions
of Excel? The exact match is very important in my work as part no ABC-123
could be very different to part number ABC-123A but the DSUM formula
recognises them as the same.

In the criteria cell, instead of typing: Apple
type: ="=Apple"

Rob Henson wrote:
> I am using DSUM formula in Excel 2002 to summarise data relating to Material
> stock lines but it currently will not distinguish parts that have similar
> starting part numbers. I have replicated the Orchard scenario in the Help
> and it does not appear to work. If you change one of the lines in the data
> area to show 'Apples' instead of 'Apple', it does not change the result of
> the DSUM; even changing it to 'Apple Trees' does not change the result. Is
> there something wrong with the function, has it been fixed in later versions
> of Excel? The exact match is very important in my work as part no ABC-123
> could be very different to part number ABC-123A but the DSUM formula
> recognises them as the same.


--
Debra Dalgleish
Excel FAQ, Tips & Book List
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html