Named Functions

The "named functions" feature allows you to create new custom functions, for easier use and greater readability of the formulas in your spreadsheet (replacing a long complex formula with a simple one).

This can also allow an advanced user to create complex custom functions so that beginners can use them easily without understanding how they work.

Usage Example

In this example (which is the last example on the SPLIT function page), the following formula is used to extract the age using 2 functions:

The goal here will be to replace this formula:

=INDEX(SPLIT(A2,"/"),1,3)

With a simpler formula that will do the same job (which we will name, for example, "EXTRACT_AGE"):

=EXTRACT_AGE(A2)

To create a new named function, go to "Data" > "Named functions":

Add a new function and complete the various fields:

In this example:

• EXTRACT_AGE: name chosen for the function
• Extract the age: description of the function
• data: name of the function argument (the function needs only one argument here which corresponds to the data in column A)
• INDEX(SPLIT(data,"/"),1,3): the formula to calculate the result of the new function (here it is the same formula as before where "A2" has been replaced by "data")

Click on the Next button and then provide useful information for the data argument to help users better understand how to use the EXTRACT_AGE function:

Then click on the Create button to add the new function.

You can then insert it like other Google Sheets functions:

Notice how the information entered earlier is displayed in the function help:

Then simply enter the cell containing the data, here A2:

=EXTRACT_AGE(A2)