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davegb davegb is offline
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Default Sum vs. Addition

I have some data spreadsheets that come from the statistical program
SPSS. My job is to convert them into decent looking, readable,
understandable to our non-mathematical staff data. With a lot of help
here, I've been doing that.

The latest batch came in and when I started adding data from different
columns to create the "consumer" product, I got #VALUE errors in in the
totals where I was adding in blank cells. I cleaned up the spreadsheet
using the Clean and RemoveSpaces macros, but it didn't help this time.
I replaced the additions with SUM formulas adding up the same cells,
and, voila! They work fine.

I've used adding cells many times with blank cells included and never
had a problem. So why this time? There must be something still resident
in those "blank" cells from SPSS that XL doesn't like, but what? Anyone
else ever have a similar experience? Any suggestions as to how to fix
it?

Thanks!