It seem that everything is designed with the cell containing a formula as the
destination for the results of the formula. I want to populate a different
cell based on the results of a formula. For instance I have a formula in cell
A1 that checks cell B1, if it is empty (null) I want to give it the value
contained in C1. If B1 contains data I want to leave it alove. I can't put
the formula in cell B1 because if I enter any data into it I replace the
formula. How can I do this. I'm sure that I just don't have the right
vocabulary to figure out the function name (e.g. It took me a while to find
the indirect function because I was thinking of the terms "GET" etc. and not
"indirect") Thanks

OK. I think we have a few conceptual issues here...

You wrote..
It seem that everything is designed with the cell containing a formula as
the destination for the results of the formula.

Spot on. It is not possible to change any other cell (value or formatting)
solely by using a formula (built-in or userdefined). A formula only affects
the cell it is in.

You wrote..
I want to populate a different cell based on the results of a formula.
Can't do it, see above. What you want to do is reference Data containing
cells with a cell containing a formula, in order to display the referenced
data, based on a set of arguments (a formula)...

This (imho) is the main principle of a spreadsheet, and answers what is
essentially your question here...and you are almost there. You talk of
cells A1, B1, & C1. You want to check cell B1 for data and populate with C1
if none exists, right? But you cannot have a formula AND data in the same
cell. Excel provides you with 256 columns & 65536 rows, thats 16777216
individual cells on a sheet! So why not have B1 & C1 as Data containers
(whether that "data" exists or not) and use A1 to perform your test &
display your result (a Formula container, if you like)? So A1 contains a
formula that says "If B1 has data, then show the value of B1, and if B1
doesn't have data, show the value of C1" (the formula in A1 would look like
this "=If(B1="",C1,B1"). A1 is now the equivelent of B1 in your example.
Does this help?


Oli

--
Message posted via http://www.officekb.com

Hi!

You can't do that but I'm a little confused. If you have a
formula in cell A1 then the result of your formula HAS to
be in A1. A formula can only return a value to the cell
that contains that formula.

Biff

-----Original Message-----
It seem that everything is designed with the cell
containing a formula as the
destination for the results of the formula. I want to
populate a different
cell based on the results of a formula. For instance I
have a formula in cell
A1 that checks cell B1, if it is empty (null) I want to
give it the value
contained in C1. If B1 contains data I want to leave it
alove. I can't put
the formula in cell B1 because if I enter any data into
it I replace the
formula. How can I do this. I'm sure that I just don't
have the right
vocabulary to figure out the function name (e.g. It took
me a while to find
the indirect function because I was thinking of the
terms "GET" etc. and not
"indirect") Thanks
.