Sum of children while keeping column formula

In my sheet I have columns with formulas that I would like to keep as applied column formulas. I also categorize my row's by creating children under a labeled row. Within the labeled row I would like to Sum up the figures contained within the columns that have column formulas however when I try to do that, the system wants me to not keep it as a column formula but change it to cell formulas only.

Is there a way I can create a sum of Children while also keeping the column formula applied only to the children?

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Andrée Starå

Hi @RamseyH

I hope you're well and safe!

Unfortunately, it's not possible now, but it's an excellent idea!

Please submit this as a Product Feedback or Idea (If it hasn't been added already) when you have a moment.

Here's a possible workaround or workarounds

Add a so-called helper column where you calculate the sum of children and reference it in the parent in the other column.

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up, Awesome, or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

RamseyH

This was helpful thank you! I will suggest this update to smartsheets.

Andrée Starå

@RamseyH

Excellent!

Happy to help!

✅Remember! Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up/Awesome or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Paul Newcome

Based on this comment:

"Is there a way I can create a sum of Children while also keeping the column formula applied only to the children?"

It sounds like you already have a formula in the child rows and that you wan to just sum up the outputs of the formula in the child rows on each parent row. If that is the case, you shouldn't need a helper column. Just an IF formula that says if it is a child row, run the child row formula, otherwise SUM(CHILDREN()).

=IF(COUNT(CHILDREN()) = 0, child_row_formula, SUM(CHILDREN()))

RamseyH

This is fantastic! Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for your help Paul!

Paul Newcome

Happy to help. 👍️

General Roper

OK, so what if the child rows are not a column formula? In other words, I would want to always sum children in the parent, but the children's values are manually entered. It works with the date columns (start date, end date, etc) but I'd like it to take a similar action on other columns with numeric values.

Paul Newcome

@General Roper You would have to manually add the formula to each parent row.

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