Goal: Extract and reorder columns.
CHOOSECOLS creates a new array by picking specific column numbers (1, 2, 3...) from the source.
Source Data (A1:D5)
1 (ID)
2 (Name)
3 (Dept)
4 (Scr)
⬇
Result Array
(Waiting...)
Ready...
💻 Formula Structure
=CHOOSECOLS(array, col_num1, [col_num2], ...)
- 1. Array: The source range (e.g., A1:D5).
- 2. Col Nums: The index of columns to keep.
- Negative: -1 means the last column, -2 the second to last.
-- Pick specific columns
=CHOOSECOLS( A1:D5, 1, 3 )
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
🚫 Out of Bounds
If you ask for Column 5 in a 4-column range, Excel returns a #VALUE! error.
💡 Repetition
You can repeat columns! CHOOSECOLS(A1:C5, 1, 1) will output the first column twice side-by-side.