Static random array in Excel.

[wedding]

Hi is there anyway to make the rand() function static in excel? For example if I were to copy down the formula down column A, the array in cell A1 will change. I would want the array to stay after the formula is entered. Thanks guys.

 

[jim may]

You could write a macro to create the Rand numbers, and include a copy, paste as values. maybe(?*&^^)

 

[wedding]

anyway I could do it without the use of copy paste?

 

[jim may]

Paste this into a Standard module (not comment instructions)

Sub Foo()
'Prior to running this Macro
'Select (highlight) the area of your Worksheet you wish to populate with
' the randon numbers
Selection.Formula = "=Int(Rand()*1000)"
Selection.Value = Selection.Value
End Sub

 

[jim may]

note comment instructions

 

[wedding]

Am I doing the right thing? Alt+F11 then insert then module then save?

 

[jim may]

1)Alt+F11 - Opens the VBE Window
2)Ctrl+R - Gets you into the Project Explorer Pane
3)Find your Workbook File in PE and see if there is already a Folder "Module1"
4)If so, double-click it - The Module1 Code Window will become active (paste in the code here)
5)If not, Click on the File in the PE, then at the Menu - click on Insert - Module
then paste in the code here, then save.

 

[Richard Schollar]

One, non-code, way might be to enable Iterations (Tools>Options>Calculation tab in xl2003, File>Excel Options>Formulas in xl2010) and then use something like the following formula in A1 and copy down. Then, any time you want to 'fix' the values, just type an N into C1 and then recalcs won't affect the formula results. When you want to recalc, just delete the N in C1:

<b>Excel 2010</b><table cellpadding="2.5px" rules="all" style=";background-color: #FFFFFF;border: 1px solid;border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #BBB"><colgroup><col width="25px" style="background-color: #DAE7F5" /><col /><col /><col /></colgroup><thead><tr style=" background-color: #DAE7F5;text-align: center;color: #161120"><th></th><th>A</th><th>B</th><th>C</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">1</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.612645</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style=";">N</td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">2</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.714382</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">3</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.124015</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">4</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.004853</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">5</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.43632</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">6</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.038231</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">7</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.130768</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">8</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.407135</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">9</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.783822</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">10</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.738162</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">11</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.785831</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">12</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.862826</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">13</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.844553</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">14</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.525369</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">15</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.141917</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">16</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.916114</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">17</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.273361</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">18</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.953136</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">19</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.18492</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">20</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.378538</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">21</td><td style="text-align: right;;">0.093376</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="width:3.6em;font-weight:bold;margin:0;padding:0.2em 0.6em 0.2em 0.5em;border: 1px solid #BBB;border-top:none;text-align: center;background-color: #DAE7F5;color: #161120">Sheet1</p><br /><br /><table width="85%" cellpadding="2.5px" rules="all" style=";border: 2px solid black;border-collapse:collapse;padding: 0.4em;background-color: #FFFFFF" ><tr><td style="padding:6px" ><b>Worksheet Formulas</b><table cellpadding="2.5px" width="100%" rules="all" style="border: 1px solid;text-align:center;background-color: #FFFFFF;border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #BBB"><thead><tr style=" background-color: #DAE7F5;color: #161120"><th width="10px">Cell</th><th style="text-align:left;padding-left:5px;">Formula</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th width="10px" style=" background-color: #DAE7F5;color: #161120">A1</th><td style="text-align:left">=IF(<font color="Blue">$C$1="N",A1,RAND(<font color="Red"></font>)</font>)</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></table><br />

 

[wedding]

thanks jim and richard that a good way to do it too.