The first argument in the CHOOSECOLS function is array. Array can be a range, or an array from another formula. Additional arguments are in the form col_num1, col_num2, col_num3, etc. Each number represents a specific column to extract from the array, and should be supplied as a whole number.
Basic usage
To get columns 1 and 3 from an array, you can use CHOOSECOLS like this: To get the same two columns in reverse order: CHOOSECOLS will return a #VALUE! error if a requested column number is out of range:
With array constants
Another option for specifying which columns to return is to use an array constant like {1,2,3} as the second argument (col_num1). In the example below, the formula in H3 is: With the array constant {1,3,5} given as the second argument, CHOOSECOLS returns columns 1, 3, and 5:
The array constant provided can be in the form {1,2,3} or {1;2;3}.
With arrays
As seen above, you can use an array constant as the second argument in CHOOSECOLS to indicate columns. You can also use an array created with a formula. For example, the formula below uses CHOOSECOLS and the SEQUENCE function to reverse the order of columns in an array: When given a 3-column range or array, SEQUENCE returns {3;2;1} to CHOOSECOLS, and CHOOSECOLS returns the 3 columns in reverse order:
The formula returns all the columns in Array, starting with the last column.
Notes
CHOOSECOLS will return a #VALUE error if a column number is out of range.
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
