TL;DR: Unleash the power of Excel’s XOR function to simplify attendance tracking and analyze employee presence.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Download the Example File
To get hands-on experience, download the Excel file used in this tutorial. You can follow along and recreate the steps as you learn.
Compatibility Note: This file uses Dynamic Array Functions, a feature available in the latest versions of Office 365 (desktop and web app).
Stay tuned for a bonus tutorial on building a compatible dashboard using pivot tables for older Excel versions.
Part of the “The Office” Inspired Series
This article is the first in a series inspired by an Excel Hash competition, where Excel enthusiasts build creative solutions.
My entry this year? A dashboard inspired by The Office, transforming simple timestamp data into an attendance reporting tool worthy of Dwight Schrute himself!
Check out the video for a peek at my entry: Excel Hash: Attendance Report with Storm Clouds & Fireworks.
Here’s the lineup of articles in the series:
- How to Use the XOR Function (this post)
- How to Use XLOOKUP for Reverse Order Search
- Return Multiple Values for a Lookup Formula in Excel with FILTER and UNIQUE
- How to Sort with a Formula in Excel Using SORT and SORTBY Functions
- How to Create a Dynamic Drop-down List that Automatically Expands
- How to Create Icons with Conditional Formatting in Excel
Bonus: How to Create the Dashboard that is compatible with All Versions of Excel
- How to Use the XOR Function (this post)
- How to Use XLOOKUP for Reverse Order Search
- Return Multiple Values for a Lookup Formula in Excel with FILTER and UNIQUE
- How to Sort with a Formula in Excel Using SORT and SORTBY Functions
- How to Create a Dynamic Drop-down List that Automatically Expands
- How to Create Icons with Conditional Formatting in Excel
Bonus: How to Create the Dashboard that is compatible with All Versions of Excel
- How to Use the XOR Function (this post)
- How to Use XLOOKUP for Reverse Order Search
- Return Multiple Values for a Lookup Formula in Excel with FILTER and UNIQUE
- How to Sort with a Formula in Excel Using SORT and SORTBY Functions
- How to Create a Dynamic Drop-down List that Automatically Expands
- How to Create Icons with Conditional Formatting in Excel
Bonus: How to Create the Dashboard that is compatible with All Versions of Excel
Understanding the XOR Function
The first step in crafting our attendance dashboard involves analyzing timestamp data to determine “In” or “Out” status.
The logic is simple: one entry signifies an employee’s arrival (“In”), while a second indicates they’ve left (“Out”). Essentially, we need to identify whether there’s an odd or even number of entries for each employee to determine their current status.
Enter the XOR function! It returns TRUE if a range contains an odd number of TRUE values, and FALSE if the count is even.
Important: Ensure your data is sorted chronologically for accurate attendance tracking.
Compatibility Note: The XOR function is available in Excel 2013 and later. For older versions, explore the alternative ISODD(COUNTIF()) formula detailed in the video below.
How to Write the XOR Function
Using the XOR function is simple: type =XOR and Excel will prompt you to enter logical statements. You can also supply it with an array of TRUE/FALSE values.
In our example, we use the range (A2=A$2:A2). This checks if the name in cell A2 matches any names within the expanding range from A2 to A2. As the formula copies down, the range automatically expands, with the starting point fixed at A2 due to the absolute reference (dollar sign).
The XOR function then counts the matches. It returns TRUE for an odd number of matches, and FALSE for an even number.
For a clearer report, wrap the XOR function within an IF statement to display “In” for TRUE and “Out” for FALSE.
The complete formula: =IF(XOR(A2=A$2:A2),”In”,”Out”)
Leveraging Table Range References
Excel’s regular range references (like A$2:A2) might not automatically expand when adding data. A robust alternative is using table range references.
Using the INDEX function, we can compare the first cell with a range of cells within the same column, achieving the same result.
The equivalent table reference: ([Employee]=INDEX([Employee],1):[@Employee]). While it might appear complex initially, this approach is significantly better for continually updated reports.
Alternative: COUNTIF and ISODD
An alternative to the XOR function involves combining COUNTIF and ISODD.
The formula: =ISODD(COUNTIF(A$2:A2,A2))
The next article in this series explores calculating the duration of time that employees spend in the office.