title: Excel: INDIRECT(ADDRESS(...)) vs. OFFSET(...)
body: <p>It seems that using Excel functions <code>INDIRECT(ADDRESS(...))</code> and <code>OFFSET(...)</code> can be used interchangeably.</p>
  
  <p>For example, the following two formulas return the same result to an absolute reference:</p>
  
  <pre><code>= INDIRECT(ADDRESS(1,1))
  
  = OFFSET(&lt;current cell&gt;,1-ROW(),1-COLUMN())
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And similarly the next two formulas return the same result to a relative reference (in this case, for example, these formulas return whatever value is in the cell below this cell with the formula):</p>
  
  <pre><code>= OFFSET(&lt;current cell&gt;,1,0)
  
  = INDIRECT(ADDRESS(ROW()+1,COLUMN()))
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>My questions are: Is one method always preferred over the other? It seems to me that <code>INDIRECT(ADDRESS(...))</code> lends itself to more absolute type references and <code>OFFSET(...)</code> lends itself to more relative type references, but as shown above, either method could be used to accomplish either type of reference. Or, is there a completely different alternative to using these two functions that is superior to both of these options?</p>