Compact mode

COLUMN vs LEFT vs NOW

Table of content

Basic Classification Comparison
Usage Context Comparison
Basic Information Comparison
History Comparison
Facts Comparison

Usage Information Comparison
Technical Details Comparison
Evaluation Comparison
Ratings Comparison

Basic Classification Comparison

Function Category 📊

Primary classification of the Excel function based on its main purpose and usage domain, helps users quickly identify function types

COLUMN

Lookup & Reference

COLUMN belongs to the Lookup & Reference category. Excel functions for searching and referencing data across spreadsheets Click to see all.

LEFT

Text

LEFT belongs to the Text category. Excel functions for manipulating and analyzing text data Click to see all.

NOW

Date & Time

NOW belongs to the Date & Time category. Excel functions for working with dates and time calculations Click to see all.
Operation Type 🔧

Fundamental type of operation or action that the Excel function performs on its inputs

COLUMN

Information

COLUMN performs Information operations. Functions that focus on retrieving and displaying data in various formats Click to see all.

LEFT

Manipulation

LEFT performs Manipulation operations. Functions that modify and transform data in different ways Click to see all.

NOW

Information

NOW performs Information operations. Functions that focus on retrieving and displaying data in various formats Click to see all.

Usage Context Comparison

Basic Information Comparison

Known For ⭐

Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel function

COLUMN

Column Number Retrieval

COLUMN is known for Column Number Retrieval.

LEFT

Text Extraction

LEFT is known for Text Extraction.

NOW

Current Date And Time Retrieval

NOW is known for Current Date And Time Retrieval.

History Comparison

Creation Date 📅

Original release date of the Excel function

COLUMN

Excel 2.0

COLUMN was created in Excel 2.0. Functions introduced in the Excel 2.0 version release Click to see all.

LEFT

Excel 95

LEFT was created in Excel 95. Functions that came with Excel 95 release Click to see all.

NOW

Excel 2.0

NOW was created in Excel 2.0. Functions introduced in the Excel 2.0 version release Click to see all.
Created By 👤

Organization or team responsible for developing the function

For all*

Microsoft Excel Team

Functions officially created by the Microsoft Excel development team

Facts Comparison

Interesting Fact 💡

Unique or lesser-known information about the Excel function

COLUMN

Essential for column calculations

LEFT

Often paired with RIGHT

NOW

Updates approximately 86400 times per day
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

COLUMN

The vertical cousin of ROW function

LEFT

The function that discriminates against right-handed people

NOW

The function that never lets you forget you're late

Usage Information Comparison

Formula Complexity Level 📖

Indicates the difficulty level and complexity of using the Excel function effectively

For all*

Simple

Basic Excel functions for common calculations and tasks

Technical Details Comparison

Input Data Type 📝

Types of data that the Excel function accepts as input parameters

COLUMN

Range

COLUMN accepts Range as input data. Excel functions that operate on cell ranges and data sets Click to see all.

LEFT

Text

LEFT accepts Text as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for text manipulation Click to see all.

NOW

Date

NOW accepts Date as input data. Excel functions for working with dates and time values Click to see all.
Version Compatibility 💻

Indicates which Excel versions and platforms the function is compatible with < including Office 365< Excel 2019< 2016< etc.

For all*

Excel 2019

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2019 version
Excel 2016

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2016 version
Excel 2013

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2013 version

LEFT

Microsoft 365

LEFT is compatible with Microsoft 365 Excel functions optimized for the latest Microsoft 365 platform Click to see all.

Excel Online

LEFT is compatible with Excel Online Excel functions optimized for use in the web-based Excel Online platform Click to see all.
Operating System 💾

Specifies the operating systems where the function can be used < including Windows< macOS< and web platforms

For all*

Windows

Excel functions optimized for Windows operating system
MacOS

Excel functions optimized for MacOS users
Web Excel

Excel functions available in web-based versions
Required Arguments Count 🔢

Number of mandatory arguments needed for the function to work properly

COLUMN

~
LEFT

2

LEFT needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

NOW

~
Required Arguments Type 📊

The data types accepted as valid input arguments for the function

COLUMN

Range

COLUMN accepts Range as input types Excel functions that operate on cell ranges for calculations Click to see all.

LEFT

Text

LEFT accepts Text as input types Excel functions specialized in text string manipulation and processing Click to see all.

Number

LEFT accepts Number as input types Excel functions that perform calculations specifically with numerical inputs Click to see all.

NOW

Date

NOW accepts Date as input types Excel functions specialized in processing date and time calculations Click to see all.

Evaluation Comparison

Pros ✅

Key advantages and strengths of the Excel function

COLUMN

No Arguments Needed

Excel functions that work without arguments provide quick results with minimal setup Click to see all.

Consistent Results

LEFT

Simple Text Extraction

Consistent

Easy Text Handling

Quick

Quick Excel functions deliver rapid results with minimal processing time Click to see all.

NOW

No Arguments Needed

Excel functions that work without arguments provide quick results with minimal setup Click to see all.

Updates Automatically
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

COLUMN

Limited Functionality

Functions with restricted capabilities, reducing problem-solving options Click to see all.

Basic Output

LEFT

Limited To Left Side

Functions that only work with characters from the left side of text entries Click to see all.

Fixed Length Only

Functions restricted to processing fixed-length inputs, reducing versatility Click to see all.

Only Left Side

Fixed Length

Functions only process data of specific lengths, limiting adaptability Click to see all.

NOW

Updates With Every Calculation

Can Slow Spreadsheets

Ratings Comparison

Alternatives to COLUMN

Known for Row Number Retrieval

Known for Empty Cell Counter

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

📈 is more versatile than COLUMN

⭐ is rated higher than COLUMN

Known for Month Extraction

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

Known for Formula Inspection

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

Known for Number Validation

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

Known for Empty Cell Detection

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

📈 is more versatile than COLUMN

⭐ is rated higher than COLUMN

Known for Converting Row Data To Columns

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

📈 is more versatile than COLUMN

⭐ is rated higher than COLUMN

Known for Counting Numeric Cells

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

📈 is more versatile than COLUMN

⭐ is rated higher than COLUMN

Known for Day Extraction

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COLUMN

Known for Generate Random Numbers

📈 is more versatile than COLUMN