In this formula: = b24/b5

If b5 is blank or zero, can the formula be written so that it will return
"NoOrders" ?

Thank you in advance.

=IF(N(B5),B24/B5,"NoOrders")

carl wrote:
In this formula: = b24/b5

If b5 is blank or zero, can the formula be written so that it will return
"NoOrders" ?

Thank you in advance.

Hi, Aladin:

I was going to say that doesn't work for me, but surprisingly (to me), it
does!

According to the documentation for the N function, it shouldn't work. If I
type a 0 in B5, then write in another cell the formula =N(B5), I get 0. But
your formula returns NoOrders.

The question is, WHY? Let's say you have 100 in B24 and 0 in B5. N tests
whether 0 is a number, which it is. Therefore the formula *should* return
100/0, and ultimately a divide-by-zero error.

OTOH, if you change the formula to

=IF(N(B24/B5),B24/B5,"NoOrders")

you get #DIV/0! rather than NoOrders. B24/B5 in this case returns an error
value, and N(B24/B5) returns that same error value, #DIV/0! IF seems to treat
this error result as non-0, and returns the result of B24/B5, or an error.

I find this behavior to be very bizarre and counter-intuitive.

I would use a formula that doesn't produce all of these "surprises", maybe
something like

=IF(ISERROR(B24/B5),"NoOrders",B24/B5)



On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:41:11 +0200, Aladin Akyurek wrote:

=IF(N(B5),B24/B5,"NoOrders")

carl wrote:
In this formula: = b24/b5

If b5 is blank or zero, can the formula be written so that it will return
"NoOrders" ?

Thank you in advance.

Myrna,

If the condition part in a IF formula evaluates to 0, which means FALSE
while a non-zero numeric result is taken as TRUE, and N(0)=0, IF will
proceed to its then-part.

Aladin

Myrna Larson wrote:
Hi, Aladin:

I was going to say that doesn't work for me, but surprisingly (to me), it
does!

According to the documentation for the N function, it shouldn't work. If I
type a 0 in B5, then write in another cell the formula =N(B5), I get 0. But
your formula returns NoOrders.

The question is, WHY? Let's say you have 100 in B24 and 0 in B5. N tests
whether 0 is a number, which it is. Therefore the formula *should* return
100/0, and ultimately a divide-by-zero error.

OTOH, if you change the formula to

=IF(N(B24/B5),B24/B5,"NoOrders")

you get #DIV/0! rather than NoOrders. B24/B5 in this case returns an error
value, and N(B24/B5) returns that same error value, #DIV/0! IF seems to treat
this error result as non-0, and returns the result of B24/B5, or an error.

I find this behavior to be very bizarre and counter-intuitive.

I would use a formula that doesn't produce all of these "surprises", maybe
something like

=IF(ISERROR(B24/B5),"NoOrders",B24/B5)



On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:41:11 +0200, Aladin Akyurek wrote:


=IF(N(B5),B24/B5,"NoOrders")

carl wrote:

In this formula: = b24/b5

If b5 is blank or zero, can the formula be written so that it will return
"NoOrders" ?

Thank you in advance.

Myrna,

I'm not, (can't), trying to answer for Aladin, but I don't understand what
you mean by:

According to the documentation for the N function, it shouldn't work

My Help says for N:

*************************
If value is or refers to N returns
A number That number
************************

If N returns a 0 then it is the same as:

=IF(0,"Alex","Sandy")

which will return "Sandy"

Why do you find it counter-intuitive?

--
Puzzled,


Sandy

Replace@mailinator with @tiscali.co.uk


"Myrna Larson" wrote in message
...
Hi, Aladin:

I was going to say that doesn't work for me, but surprisingly (to me), it
does!

According to the documentation for the N function, it shouldn't work. If I
type a 0 in B5, then write in another cell the formula =N(B5), I get 0.
But
your formula returns NoOrders.

The question is, WHY? Let's say you have 100 in B24 and 0 in B5. N tests
whether 0 is a number, which it is. Therefore the formula *should* return
100/0, and ultimately a divide-by-zero error.

OTOH, if you change the formula to

=IF(N(B24/B5),B24/B5,"NoOrders")

you get #DIV/0! rather than NoOrders. B24/B5 in this case returns an error
value, and N(B24/B5) returns that same error value, #DIV/0! IF seems to
treat
this error result as non-0, and returns the result of B24/B5, or an error.

I find this behavior to be very bizarre and counter-intuitive.

I would use a formula that doesn't produce all of these "surprises", maybe
something like

=IF(ISERROR(B24/B5),"NoOrders",B24/B5)



On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:41:11 +0200, Aladin Akyurek
wrote:

=IF(N(B5),B24/B5,"NoOrders")

carl wrote:
In this formula: = b24/b5

If b5 is blank or zero, can the formula be written so that it will
return
"NoOrders" ?

Thank you in advance.

Because my Alzheimer's is flaring up today???

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:18:58 +0100, "Sandy Mann"
wrote:

Myrna,

I'm not, (can't), trying to answer for Aladin, but I don't understand what
you mean by:

According to the documentation for the N function, it shouldn't work

My Help says for N:

*************************
If value is or refers to N returns
A number That number
************************

If N returns a 0 then it is the same as:

=IF(0,"Alex","Sandy")

which will return "Sandy"

Why do you find it counter-intuitive?

Somehow I must have been thinking about ISNUMBER(B5), even though I was
reading help on the N() function. As I said, must be a "bad Alzheimer day".

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:24:22 -0500, Myrna Larson
wrote:

Because my Alzheimer's is flaring up today???

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:18:58 +0100, "Sandy Mann"
wrote:

Myrna,

I'm not, (can't), trying to answer for Aladin, but I don't understand what
you mean by:

According to the documentation for the N function, it shouldn't work

My Help says for N:

*************************
If value is or refers to N returns
A number That number
************************

If N returns a 0 then it is the same as:

=IF(0,"Alex","Sandy")

which will return "Sandy"

Why do you find it counter-intuitive?

The doctor said to the patient, "I've got two pieces of bad news for you -
you've got cancer and Alzhimer's"
"Oh well," said the patient, "At least I haven't got cancer!" <g

--
Regards


Sandy

Replace@mailinator with @tiscali.co.uk


"Myrna Larson" wrote in message
...
Somehow I must have been thinking about ISNUMBER(B5), even though I was
reading help on the N() function. As I said, must be a "bad Alzheimer
day".

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:24:22 -0500, Myrna Larson
wrote:

Because my Alzheimer's is flaring up today???

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:18:58 +0100, "Sandy Mann"

wrote:

Myrna,

I'm not, (can't), trying to answer for Aladin, but I don't understand
what
you mean by:

According to the documentation for the N function, it shouldn't work

My Help says for N:

*************************
If value is or refers to N returns
A number That number
************************

If N returns a 0 then it is the same as:

=IF(0,"Alex","Sandy")

which will return "Sandy"

Why do you find it counter-intuitive?