Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
Elkar
 
Posts: n/a
Default why a reference to an empty cell is not considered empty

The presence of a formula in a cell makes that cell non-blank. Even if the
value returned is nothing, it is stlil a returned value.

I'm not clear as to what exactly you're trying to do, but how about using
double-quotes "" to find a blank value in a cell with a formula?

=IF(A2="","Empty","Full")

HTH,
Elkar



"Nicoscot" wrote:

I do not understand why a cell that contains a formula which result is empty
is not considered as an empty cell.
Example: The cell A1 is empty; in cell A2 I type =A1; in cell A3 I type
=if(isblank(A2);"empty";"full") and the result in A3 is... "full". I do not
get it.
Other example:The cell A1 is empty; in cell A2 I type =A1; in cell A3 I type
=if(A20;"number higher than 0";"other") and the result in A3 is... "number
higher than 0"!!!!.... Even in the case that the value in A2 was 0 how could
it be strictly superior to 0!!! That makes no sense at all.
Please tell me how to create a reference to an empty cell whose result is
indeed an empty cell. I am going crazy.

  #2   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
Nicoscot
 
Posts: n/a
Default why a reference to an empty cell is not considered empty

Another way of seeing it is that when I really have an empty cell in A1 and
in A2 I have a formula that says =A1*10 (for example) the result is 0 ...
fair enough...

....but if I have in A1 a formula that says =if(ISBLANK(B1);"";B1) (because I
realized that if I only say =B1 and B1 is blank than the formula returns 0
instead of blank) and that B1 is indeed a real blank than I do not see any 0
in A1, as I wanted, but the result in A2 becomes #VALUE!.
When I want to see the calculation steps I see =""*10 with the explanation
the next evaluation will result in an error.

I do not understand why Excel cannot considere the result in A1 just as it
considers a real empty cell !?


"Elkar" wrote:

The presence of a formula in a cell makes that cell non-blank. Even if the
value returned is nothing, it is stlil a returned value.

I'm not clear as to what exactly you're trying to do, but how about using
double-quotes "" to find a blank value in a cell with a formula?

=IF(A2="","Empty","Full")

HTH,
Elkar



"Nicoscot" wrote:

I do not understand why a cell that contains a formula which result is empty
is not considered as an empty cell.
Example: The cell A1 is empty; in cell A2 I type =A1; in cell A3 I type
=if(isblank(A2);"empty";"full") and the result in A3 is... "full". I do not
get it.
Other example:The cell A1 is empty; in cell A2 I type =A1; in cell A3 I type
=if(A20;"number higher than 0";"other") and the result in A3 is... "number
higher than 0"!!!!.... Even in the case that the value in A2 was 0 how could
it be strictly superior to 0!!! That makes no sense at all.
Please tell me how to create a reference to an empty cell whose result is
indeed an empty cell. I am going crazy.

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Maintaining cell reference after sorting GRITS Excel Discussion (Misc queries) 2 April 30th 23 07:42 PM
Urgent date/scheduling calc needed jct Excel Worksheet Functions 3 February 24th 06 01:36 AM
substitute the filename in a cell reference with a string in another cell. flummi Excel Discussion (Misc queries) 11 February 22nd 06 01:14 PM
How do I create a cell reference from a value within a cell? Fishboy Excel Worksheet Functions 3 February 20th 06 08:45 PM
how do I format a cell reference to move as source changes KGray Excel Worksheet Functions 1 August 13th 05 12:41 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:51 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2025 ExcelBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Microsoft Excel"