Formula Power
Master parametric expressions
Basic Formula Syntax
confBuild supports 95% of Excel formulas, allowing you to create powerful parametric relationships.
The Equals Sign
All formulas start with an equals sign =:
=A1 + B1 =Width * 2 =IF(Height > 100, "Large", "Small")
Cell References
Reference other cells to create dynamic relationships.
Single Cell
Reference: A1
Range
Reference: A1:A10
Cross-Sheet
Reference: Sheet2!A1
Named References
Reference cells by their name (first column value) for more readable formulas:
Width | 100 Height | =Width * 0.5 Volume | =Width * Height * Depth
Math Functions
Perform calculations with powerful mathematical functions.
Basic Operations
SUM
Add values together
=SUM(A1:A10)
AVERAGE
Calculate average
=AVERAGE(B1:B5)
MIN / MAX
Find minimum/maximum
=MAX(A1, B1, C1)
ROUND
Round to decimals
=ROUND(A1, 2)
ABS
Absolute value
=ABS(A1)
SQRT
Square root
=SQRT(A1)
PI
Pi constant (3.14159...)
=PI()
SIN/COS/TAN
Trigonometry (radians)
=SIN(RADIANS(45))
Logic Functions
Add conditional behavior to your configurators.
Decision Making
IF
Conditional result
=IF(A1>10,"Yes","No")
AND
All conditions true
=AND(A1>0, B1>0)
OR
Any condition true
=OR(A1>10, B1>10)
NOT
Negate condition
=NOT(A1)
Text Functions
Manipulate and combine text strings.
String Operations
CONCATENATE
Join text together
=A1&" x "&B1
LEFT / RIGHT
Extract characters
=LEFT(A1, 3)
LEN
Text length
=LEN(A1)
UPPER / LOWER
Change case
=UPPER(A1)
Lookup Functions
Search and retrieve data from tables.
Data Retrieval
VLOOKUP
Vertical table lookup
=VLOOKUP(A1, B:C, 2)
HLOOKUP
Horizontal table lookup
=HLOOKUP(A1, 1:2, 2)
INDEX
Get value by position
=INDEX(A1:C3, 2, 1)
MATCH
Find position in range
=MATCH("test", A:A, 0)
Practical Examples
Real-world formula patterns for your configurators.
Dynamic Dimensions
Width | 100 Height | =Width * 0.75 Depth | =Width / 2
Conditional Color
Temp | 25
Color | =IF(Temp>30,
"#FF0000",
"#0000FF")
Price Calculation
Length | 500
PricePerMM| 0.05
Total | =Length *
PricePerMM
Tips & Best Practices
Write better formulas with these guidelines.
Meaningful Names
Name parameter cells descriptively for readable formulas
Build Incrementally
Test formulas step by step before combining
Avoid Circular Refs
Don't reference cells that depend on the current cell