Missing parenthesis error

Question

When I type @average( it returns this error message when I go to select data I want to average. This is recent; I have been doing averages in Excel for years (data shown is daily electric use -- month / total $$ charge / # of days / average cost per day). This is happening in all Excel workbooks that I have been using lately.

Averages:	80.15	31	2.54
8/26-9/26 2017	15.04	31	0.49
9/26-10/25 2017	16.27	33	0.49
10/26-11/23 2017	37.96	33	1.15
11/28-12/22 2017	43.99	26	1.69

Answer 1

It appears you are not alone, and also that switching to 365 possibly wouldn't help anyway: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/i-cannot-get-lotus-commands-to-work-on-my-excel/0025576d-85ab-4f46-bf85-9327b9de7a7b

Answer 2

"Thanks. Sorry to vent at you, but trip_to_tokyo didn't even seem to read my entire question."

-It's OK. I've thrown my keyboard in the bin before due to Excel so I do understand. ;)

"In your reply of Jan. 1, you wrote: "I can't replicate the error you describe" Well, did you try entering @average(...) or @sum(..)"

• Yes. On my PC, simply entering @AVERAGE( resulted in just that text being entered, until I turned on Lotus compatibility, at which point it entered correctly as a formula without any weird error messages (unless I accidentally hit Tab twice, or Enter, before selecting a range). On My mac it worked by default without me having to change any settings.

"I'd guess there has been a recent Office update?" So, as a "moderator" you can't get MS to answer that question?"

• I mean updates applied to your machine.

"And using = instead of @ is same number of keystrokes! Never had to enter @= together when entering formula."

• on my machine, @ involves holding Shift while pressing another key. = is just one key. ;)

"Don't the programmers ["coders"] ever get input from users?"

• Yes if you use the feedback / send a frown options. Otherwise, no not really. I suspect this was an unintended side effect of something (Probably the new use of @ as an intersection operator) and they didn't test with any Lotus die-hards... :)

Answer 3

Thanks. Sorry to vent at you, but trip_to_tokyo didn't even seem to read my entire question.

In your reply of Jan. 1, you wrote: "I can't replicate the error you describe" Well, did you try entering @average(...) or @sum(..)

"I'd guess there has been a recent Office update?" So, as a "moderator" you can't get MS to answer that question?

So, do you have the Lotus compatibility settings checked in Excel Options? I'm assuming you aren't prepared to just use = instead of @ even though it's one fewer keystroke? Don't know, like I said the problem just started in the last week or so. And using = instead of @ is same number of keystrokes! Never had to enter @= together when entering formula.

Started with Lotus 1-2-3 (and dBase 3 Plus!) way back last century. Lotus was smarter then than Excel is now. Could just type 1+2+3 and it knew to sum it to 6. No need to type ***+***1+2+3 to get the same result.

There are probably other Excel things that bug me, but these two are the worst.

Will explore how to prevent MS from updating any more of my Office products. Don't the programmers ["coders"] ever get input from users?

Answer 4

Whilst I appreciate you are frustrated, I don't work for Microsoft and your venting at me is not going to help resolve any problems you are having.

So, do you have the Lotus compatibility settings checked in Excel Options? I'm assuming you aren't prepared to just use = instead of @ even though it's one fewer keystroke? ;)

If it has just started happening, I'd guess there has been a recent Office update? If so, it may simply be a bug that has been introduced, in which case it may be rectified in the next update. It is not likely to just be an attempt to get you to upgrade to 365v given that it is not something likely to affect many users.

Answer 5

For MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS I have been using @average(...) and @sum(...) to add/average chart data. (Bought first computer in 1983!)

NOW @ does not work. Why? Unannounced, unwanted, unnecessary update?

MS Office 2016, purchased 2017(?) on Windows 10 Home.

WILL NOT PAY FOR OFFICE 365! I paid for Office 2016 and should be able to continue to use it, as sold to me, in perpetuity.