Using Excel 2003 and have discovered what I can only assume is a glitch.
Here's the set-up: We recieve a PO for a project (col A), and then bill the
customer each month for 6 months (cols. B-G), or until the project is
complete. Each month, I need to know how much is left to bill on each
project (col. H)
The formula in column H = A1-B1-C1-D1-E1-F1-G1.
This formula works great in all my rows (several hundred), EXCEPT when the
numbers we $39,795.00 - $13,530.90 - $11,895.00 - $14,369.10 (there were
only 3 billings for this PO.)
The result (or the amount left to bill) should be $0.00, but instead Excel
told me the result was: -$0.00000000000181898940354586000.
All the numbers (the PO amt and ea. invoice amt) are directly keyed into the
spreadsheet and are not created by formulas, so the issue is not related to
format vs. actual cell contents.
Interestingly, if I limit the formula to H = A1-B1-C1-D1 just accounting for
the 3 invoice amounts, the result is fine, and yet if I enter a 0.00 into the
last 3 cells, it still gives the strange result.
I've experimented with the formula in many ways, but the issue seems to be
tied to subtracting the 1st entry with the .90, because when changing the
order and switching the first and second values it works fine.
I invite others to try this and see if you don't get the same thing.
Ultimately, I can just override the formula on this row, but it is
aggravating to have it not work properly.