Thanks for your answer Aladin.

This is the second time in as many days that I'm bringing up *my* issue with
the unary, or as you mention here, the "comma" syntax.

In today's world, the use of the web for mining data is as common a fact of
life as is the use of the computer itself.
They are in fact, virtually synonymous.

Data imported into XL, and the form and format of this data, is a very
common issue within these NGs.
On a daily basis, there are numerous questions pertaining to unworkable
formulas, where the ultimate solution is to "homogenize" the data forms and
formats.

The "problem" with the comma syntax is, it's *sneaky*!
In a convoluted scenario of "mixed" data, it returns a "wrong" result,
without any conspicuous declaration.
Zero is calculated for the "bad" data (numeric text as well as alpha text),
and its result is mixed in with the "good" data.

The developer completes the project and it's turned over to office staff for
implementation.
Then, let the cards fall where they may!

The asterisk form, on the other hand, *does* calculate the numeric text, and
"errors out" in the presence of alpha text, thus performing double duty.
It's the notification that's the important thing.
If you're told something's wrong, you can look for it!

There are cases where the comma form is necessary, but that's a mute point
in this discourse.

I'll get off my soap box now.<g
--

Regards,

RD
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Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
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"Aladin Akyurek" wrote in message
...
Performancewise, +0 is very close to --, the double negation, both
better than other coercers. Invoking one as the other is a "weak"
attempt on my part to emphasize the real thing, that is, the comma
syntax, which is confounded by far too many with the coercer issue. All
this will subside when SumProduct does the coercion itself. See [1] in
my signature, which is a SumProduct-specific proposal.

RagDyer wrote:
Aladin,
Would you comment on the perceived advantage of using
+0
Instead of the asterisk or the unary.

--

[1] The SumProduct function should implicitly coerce the truth values to
their Excel numeric equivalents.
[2] The lookup functions should have an optional argument for the return
value, defaulting to #N/A in its absence.