Google is deploying a new feature in Sheets to assist Internet users: a suggestion tool for functions and formulas, based on the data entered in the cells.
You are certainly familiar with the feature of Google that tries to complete the queries you type on the search engine for you, based on the words you are looking for. The American company wants to extend the principle to Sheets spreadsheets, which make up its Google Docs office suite. How? ‘Or’ What ? By trying to anticipate formulas and functions.
Type and let Google Sheets complete the formula
” You will now see inline, sequential, and contextual formula and function suggestions when working with data in Google Sheets “, Explains the American company, in an advertisement published on August 25, 2021.” Just start inserting a formula into Sheets and the suggestions will automatically appear as you type. “
This new functionality seeks to simplify the use of spreadsheets by trying to anticipate the operations of the Internet user, in any case the most common ones, such as the calculation of a sum between several cells or the establishment of a average from a series of values. So typing the equal sign “=” in the next cell after a column of numbers brings up a suggested formula.
In the eyes of Google, “ formula suggestions will make it easier to write new formulas exactly and help make data analysis faster and easier “. If the proposal is not suitable, Internet users have the option of displaying additional suggestions in the drop-down menu. One limitation, however: the tool should be confined to rather simple formulas and functions.
Clearly, the option is more aimed at saving time on basic operations, but which can turn out to be recurring, in the same way that the search suggestions that Google displays on its engine aim to avoid having to type everything in. keyboard – just select the clause, which is refined as the words entered are quite precise and numerous.
With this in mind, Google Sheets includes, for example, a word translation function, which uses the tool designed by the American company.
The announcement, made on August 25 by Google, could take a little time before becoming a reality on all the spreadsheets opened by Internet users. The company estimates that the rollout of this feature will take around two weeks for everyone to be eligible. If these suggestions do not suit you, Google also provides an option to disable them.
