Tired of copying a few rows from an Excel spreadsheet into another part of your workbook, only to repeat the whole process when your data changes? There is a better way. This guide shows you how to use the TAKE function in Excel to pull out exactly the rows and columns you need, so you can build focused reports that update automatically.
Excel TAKE function (Credits: How-To Geek)
How to Use TAKE Function in Excel: The Syntax
TAKE is available in Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel for the web. It works with ordinary cell ranges as well as Excel tables — and using a table is recommended, because tables automatically expand when you add new records, keeping your formulas up to date.
The syntax is:
=TAKE(array, rows, columns)
array is the range or table you want to extract data from. rows determines how many rows to return, and columns determines how many columns to return. Positive numbers select from the beginning of the source, while negative numbers select from the end.
Practical TAKE Function Examples
=TAKE(tblInventory,5) returns the first five rows of a table, while =TAKE(tblInventory,,-1) returns the last column. You can leave either the row or column argument blank to include everything in that dimension — but you must specify at least one. Setting either argument to 0 returns a #CALC! error.
TAKE is a dynamic array function: you enter the formula in one cell, and Excel spills the results into the surrounding cells. The results update automatically when the source table changes, including when new records are added — just make sure nothing is blocking the spill range. Combine it with functions like AVERAGE or FILTER to build dynamic reports that stay current without manual copy-paste.
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Source: How-To Geek — read the full story there.
