the PLUS sign is leftover from the days of Lotus, it is not needed.

dwneumann wrote:

AND, it doesn't do anything.

"Bob I" wrote in message
...
the PLUS sign is leftover from the days of Lotus, it is not needed.

dwneumann wrote:

And it would seem it's no longer tolerated in E2007 unless there's a setting
somewhere I've missed

"Bob Umlas" wrote:

AND, it doesn't do anything.

"Bob I" wrote in message
...
the PLUS sign is leftover from the days of Lotus, it is not needed.

dwneumann wrote:

"Bob Umlas" wrote:
AND, it doesn't do anything.

Not quite correct. Excel 2003 does recognize +2+3 as a formula, equivalent
to =2+3, whereas 2+3 is treated as a string.

Someone once noted that there is still some benefit to treating the leading
"+" in this way. Namely, for people who use a numeric keypad for fast data
entry, they can enter simple constant formulas. The numeric keypad
typically does not have a "=".

BTW, I cannot enter +=2+3 in my revision of Excel 2003. Excel flags it as
an error and offers +2+3 (!) as a correction. Moreover, when I enter +2+3,
it is changed to =2+3 in the Formula Bar.

So I wonder how the OP is seeing his situation. Or do I have some option
set that I've forgotten and cannot find now?


----- original message -----

"Bob Umlas" wrote in message
...
AND, it doesn't do anything.

"Bob I" wrote in message
...
the PLUS sign is leftover from the days of Lotus, it is not needed.

dwneumann wrote:

+= is not valid syntax, and will not be accepted without correction.
=+ is valid, but =+A1+B1 is just the same as =A1+B1
Some people write the formula as +A1+B1 (without the = sign), but Excel will
interpret it as =A1+B1

Use of the + in such situations is a relic from old Lotus spreadsheet
applications.

[Next time, please remember to as your question in the body of the message,
not just in the subject line.]
--
David Biddulph

"dwneumann" wrote in message
...