ROWS in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026: Count Rows in a Range

ROWS answers a range-size question: how many horizontal worksheet rows are covered by the reference? It is useful when checking the length of a report export, reserving a fixed-size input grid, excluding a heading row from a known rectangular block, or computing the maximum number of cells in a table alongside COLUMNS. It does not count filled-in records, and it does not tell you which worksheet row an address is on.

If you have a seven-row selection B4:D10, ROWS returns 7, including its first and last rows. Unlike COUNT or COUNTA, its output is based on geometry, not the content of the cells.

=ROWS(Range)

• Range (required): a valid PlanMaker cell-range reference, such as B2:B11, C4:F9, or the single cell D7 (a one-row reference). The documentation calls this input Range, not a count of values or a quoted address string.
• Return: a single numeric row count (a positive integer) for the referenced rectangle. The documented rule counts the span of worksheet rows from the top of the range to the bottom, inclusively.
• No optional arguments or defaults: the manual specifies ROWS(Range), not ROWS([Range]); do not omit the reference.
• Locale and notation: these examples use the English function name and A1-style range notation with a colon. There is only one argument, so comma-versus-semicolon function-argument separators do not affect these formulas. If your language build translates function names or your workbook uses another reference mode, confirm the input in that interface; such variants were not executed here.

Official source: PlanMaker 2026 English manual, ROWS entry. The adjacent ROW entry describes row coordinates, which are different.

Suppose a weekly orders export is laid out as follows. You do not have to enter the words shown in every cell to test the formula; they provide a small reproducible example.

Enter the table in A1:C6. In an empty cell such as E2, type:

=ROWS(A1:C6)

Expected result: 6. The selection includes the header on row 1. To find the number of data-row slots below that header, use:

=ROWS(A1:C6)-1

Expected result: 5. This subtraction assumes exactly one heading row in the selected range. It does not validate that the five rows each contain an actual order. A blank order row would still occupy a slot.

Place any labels in the referenced ranges (or leave the cells blank) and enter these formulas in otherwise empty cells.

The last four are independently calculated expected outcomes from the official counting rule. Notice the start row can be 2, 4 or 7; the size is not the same as the last row number.

Imagine an inventory form reserves the empty input rectangle B2:E8. How many cells does that rectangle contain? Multiply the number of rows by the number of columns:

=ROWS(B2:E8)*COLUMNS(B2:E8)

Expected result: 28, because seven rows (2–8) × four columns (B–E) = 28. This measures available positions; it does not tell you how many contain entries. PlanMaker officially documents COLUMNS as COLUMNS(Range) in the same 2026 manual. This combined example was checked arithmetically, but not executed in PlanMaker.

A simpler audit formula, =ROWS(A2:A11), returns 10 even if A5 and A7 are empty. That is valuable when you need a fixed form height, but it is a poor substitute for counting valid customers. For actual filled cells use a content-aware function suitable for the data, such as COUNTA, and check its own rules separately.

ROW’s reference is optional; ROWS’s range is required. ROW returns a coordinate; ROWS returns a dimension.

• Unexpectedly high count: ROWS includes the range’s full height, including its heading rows and blank rows. Verify the first and last row in the formula; e.g., A1:A11 is 11 rows, not 10.
• Expected number of filled entries: ROWS is the wrong function for that question. Use an appropriate content-counting function after inspecting blanks, formulas returning empty strings, and imported data types.
• Wrong reference after copying a formula: Relative references can adjust as you copy. If a fixed area is intended, specify $B$2:$E$8; the number of rows stays seven for that anchored rectangle.
• Function name confusion: ROW(A12) is 12, not 1; ROWS(A12) is 1. Check the final S.
• Empty/malformed argument: The official signature requires a cell-range reference. =ROWS() and quoted address text such as =ROWS("A1:D5") do not follow the documented syntax. The inspected entry does not specify a definitive PlanMaker error code for these inputs, so no particular #VALUE! or #REF! result is claimed.
• Broken or noncontiguous references: The official short entry does not specify outcomes for invalid/deleted references, unions of multiple areas, or named ranges with complex definitions. Repair or simplify the reference and test the exact installed build rather than transferring an Excel-specific error-code claim.
• Array literals: Microsoft’s Excel ROWS documentation additionally permits array arguments and array constants. The inspected PlanMaker ROWS entry documents a cell range, so compatibility for arbitrary literal arrays in PlanMaker is not established by this guide.

The official English manuals for PlanMaker 2026/NX and PlanMaker 2024 (printed pp. 771–772) document ROWS(Range) and the same ROWS(A1:D5) → 5 example. This is documentation evidence, not a verified test of every installed edition, operating system or mobile interface. No claim about 2021 support or the function’s first release is made here.

Microsoft’s Excel ROWS reference documents ROWS(array) and confirms a range-based example, ROWS(C1:E4) → 4. For ordinary rectangular references, the two vendors’ described meanings agree. Excel’s documented ability to pass arrays is broader than the narrow PlanMaker syntax inspected; actual compatibility, import/export and localized formula display have not been natively checked.

• SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026/NX, official English user manual, ROWS. ROWS(Range) and ROWS(A1:D5) = 5; accessed 2026-10-12 UTC.
• SoftMaker PlanMaker 2024, official English user manual, ROWS pp. 771–772. Same syntax and example; accessed 2026-10-12 UTC.
• Microsoft Excel, ROWS function. Excel argument scope, required array/reference, and version list; accessed 2026-10-12 UTC.
• SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026/NX, official English user manual, COLUMNS. Related column-count signature used for the 28-cell example; accessed 2026-10-12 UTC.

Verification status: Official documentation checked. The vendor’s one example is documented, and additional outcomes are expected from independent reference-dimension arithmetic. No PlanMaker execution, Excel execution or genuine application screenshots are claimed.