Compact mode
COLUMN vs CONCATENATE vs FORMULATEXT
Table of content
Basic Classification Comparison
Function Category 📊
Primary classification of the Excel function based on its main purpose and usage domain, helps users quickly identify function typesCOLUMN- Lookup & ReferenceCOLUMN belongs to the Lookup & Reference category. Excel functions for searching and referencing data across spreadsheets
CONCATENATE- TextCONCATENATE belongs to the Text category. Excel functions for manipulating and analyzing text data
FORMULATEXT- InformationFORMULATEXT belongs to the Information category. Excel functions that provide information about cells and data
Operation Type 🔧
Fundamental type of operation or action that the Excel function performs on its inputsCOLUMN- InformationCOLUMN performs Information operations. Functions that focus on retrieving and displaying data in various formats
CONCATENATE- ManipulationCONCATENATE performs Manipulation operations. Functions that modify and transform data in different ways
FORMULATEXT- InformationFORMULATEXT performs Information operations. Functions that focus on retrieving and displaying data in various formats
Usage Context Comparison
For whom 👥
Target user groups who would benefit most from using this Excel functionFor all*COLUMNCONCATENATEFORMULATEXT
Basic Information Comparison
Known For ⭐
Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel functionCOLUMN- Column Number RetrievalCOLUMN is known for Column Number Retrieval.
CONCATENATE- Text JoiningCONCATENATE is known for Text Joining.
FORMULATEXT- Formula InspectionFORMULATEXT is known for Formula Inspection.
History Comparison
Facts Comparison
Interesting Fact 💡
Unique or lesser-known information about the Excel functionCOLUMN- Essential for column calculations
CONCATENATE- Predecessor to &
FORMULATEXT- Popular among Excel trainers
Sarcastic Fact 🤣
Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel functionCOLUMN- The vertical cousin of ROW function
CONCATENATE- Making text joining unnecessarily formal
FORMULATEXT- The formula whisperer
Usage Information Comparison
Formula Complexity Level 📖
Indicates the difficulty level and complexity of using the Excel function effectivelyFor all*
Technical Details Comparison
Input Data Type 📝
Types of data that the Excel function accepts as input parametersCOLUMN- RangeCOLUMN accepts Range as input data. Excel functions that operate on cell ranges and data sets
CONCATENATEFORMULATEXTVersion Compatibility 💻
Indicates which Excel versions and platforms the function is compatible with < including Office 365< Excel 2019< 2016< etc.For all*- Excel 2019Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2019 version
- Excel 2016Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2016 version
- Excel 2013Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2013 version
CONCATENATE- Microsoft 365CONCATENATE is compatible with Microsoft 365 Excel functions optimized for the latest Microsoft 365 platform
- Excel OnlineCONCATENATE is compatible with Excel Online Excel functions optimized for use in the web-based Excel Online platform
Operating System 💾
Specifies the operating systems where the function can be used < including Windows< macOS< and web platformsFor all*- WindowsExcel functions optimized for Windows operating system
- MacOSExcel functions optimized for MacOS users
- Web ExcelExcel functions available in web-based versions
Required Arguments Count 🔢
Number of mandatory arguments needed for the function to work properlyCOLUMN- ~
CONCATENATEFORMULATEXTRequired Arguments Type 📊
The data types accepted as valid input arguments for the functionCOLUMN- RangeCOLUMN accepts Range as input types Excel functions that operate on cell ranges for calculations
CONCATENATE- TextCONCATENATE accepts Text as input types Excel functions specialized in text string manipulation and processing
FORMULATEXT- RangeFORMULATEXT accepts Range as input types Excel functions that operate on cell ranges for calculations
Evaluation Comparison
Pros ✅
Key advantages and strengths of the Excel functionCOLUMN- No Arguments NeededExcel functions that work without arguments provide quick results with minimal setup
- Consistent Results
CONCATENATE- Simple Text Combining
- Clear Syntax
- Simple To Use
- Flexible Text Combination
FORMULATEXT- Great For Learning
- Easy Debugging
Cons ❌
Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel functionCOLUMN- Limited FunctionalityFunctions with restricted capabilities, reducing problem-solving options Click to see all.
- Basic Output
CONCATENATE- No Automatic FormattingFunctions that don't automatically adjust the format of their output Click to see all.
- Limited To Text
- Limited To Text OnlyFunctions that exclusively work with text data and cannot process numbers or dates Click to see all.
- No Delimiter Options
FORMULATEXT
Ratings Comparison
Versatility Score 📈
Rating for function's adaptability to different scenariosCOLUMNCONCATENATEFORMULATEXTPerformance Score ⚙
Rating for function's execution speed and efficiencyCOLUMNCONCATENATEFORMULATEXTReliability Score 🛠
Rating for function's consistency and error handlingCOLUMNCONCATENATEFORMULATEXT
Alternatives to COLUMN
LEFT
Known for Text Extraction
📊
is easier to use than CONCATENATE
🛠
is more reliable than CONCATENATE
RIGHT
Known for Extract Rightmost Characters
🛠
is more reliable than CONCATENATE
⭐
is rated higher than CONCATENATE
LEN
Known for Character Count Calculation
📊
is easier to use than CONCATENATE
🛠
is more reliable than CONCATENATE
LOWER
Known for Convert Text To Lowercase
📊
is easier to use than CONCATENATE
🛠
is more reliable than CONCATENATE
CLEAN
Known for Removing Non-Printable Characters
🛠
is more reliable than CONCATENATE
EXACT
Known for Case-Sensitive Comparison
📊
is easier to use than CONCATENATE
🛠
is more reliable than CONCATENATE
TRIM
Known for Remove Extra Spaces
📊
is easier to use than CONCATENATE
🛠
is more reliable than CONCATENATE
⭐
is rated higher than CONCATENATE
MID
Known for Extracting Text Segments
🔢
needs fewer arguments than CONCATENATE