IF statment with """ markings

[bobo17]

Hi
I am just getting into understanding formulas etc. I have a Dividend Reinvestment spreadsheet (tracks dividend paying stocks performance etc.) and there are some complicated formulas embedded in it. I am trying to understand them.
Here is one that I need help with, specifically what the character "" would mean in relation to this formula?:

=IF(FALSE,0,IF(AND(OR(B22="",C22=""),D22=""),"",IF(P22<>"",P22,B22*C22)+D22))


thanks in advance any suggestions are appreciated
bobo

 

[bjurney]

"" would refrence a cell with no value in it. A blank cell if you will. So with your formula

=IF(FALSE,0,IF(AND(OR(B22="",C22=""),D22=""),"",IF(P22<>"",P22,B22*C22)+D22))

So in essence, its saying If Cell B22 or C22 and cell D22 are blank, then make the cell with this formula blank, otherwise, do the other IF statement.

 

[T. Valko]

Hi
I am just getting into understanding formulas etc. I have a Dividend Reinvestment spreadsheet (tracks dividend paying stocks performance etc.) and there are some complicated formulas embedded in it. I am trying to understand them.
Here is one that I need help with, specifically what the character "" would mean in relation to this formula?:

=IF(FALSE,0,IF(AND(OR(B22="",C22=""),D22=""),"",IF(P22<>"",P22,B22*C22)+D22))


thanks in advance any suggestions are appreciated
bobo

The "" character represents an empty TEXT string and is used to mean "blank".

In the formula the expressions like C22="" are testing the cell to see if they are either completely empty cells or cells that contain formulas that return other formula blanks "".

C22="" means: C22 equals blank

The empty text string is commonly referred to as a formula blank.

Note that if a cell contains a formula blank, even though it appears to be an empty/blank cell, the cell does contain the formula blank so that cell will evalaute as a TEXT entry.

On a side note...

That's a really unusual formula. The first part is not needed:

=IF(FALSE,0

=IF(AND(OR(B22="",C22=""),D22=""),"",IF(P22<>"",P22,B22*C22)+D22)

 

[bobo17]

thanks guys
i am trying to understand and your explanations are helping, but i have a long way to go.

bobo

 

[Scott Huish]

Also, if you are basically just checking to see if there are 3 numbers present in B2:D2, use IF(COUNT

=IF(COUNT(B2:D2)=3,IF(P22="",B22*C22,P2)+D22,"")

 

[bobo17]

The "" character represents an empty TEXT string and is used to mean "blank".

In the formula the expressions like C22="" are testing the cell to see if they are either completely empty cells or cells that contain formulas that return other formula blanks "".

C22="" means: C22 equals blank

The empty text string is commonly referred to as a formula blank.

Note that if a cell contains a formula blank, even though it appears to be an empty/blank cell, the cell does contain the formula blank so that cell will evalaute as a TEXT entry.

On a side note...

That's a really unusual formula. The first part is not needed:

=IF(FALSE,0

=IF(AND(OR(B22="",C22=""),D22=""),"",IF(P22<>"",P22,B22*C22)+D22)

What would the <>"" part of the formula mean (also the meaning of <>

thanks

 

[bjurney]

<> does not equal
= equal
> greater then
< less then
>= greater then or equal to
<= less then or equal to

 

[bobo17]

<> does not equal
= equal
> greater then
< less then
>= greater then or equal to
<= less then or equal to

thanks i appreciate your help and fast responses

bobo

 

[T. Valko]

What would the <>"" part of the formula mean (also the meaning of <>

thanks

<> means: not equal to

So, <>"" means: not equal to blank

I find it makes more "logical sense" to interpret the not equal to operators <> as "is not". For example:

<>"" : not equal to blank : is not blank

<>"X" : not equal to X : is not X

 

[bobo17]

hi.
Can someone be so kind as to state what the formula is saying in english, so I can follow the equation? I think i am mostly there but not sure what the comma between P22, B22 is saying? Rather than bouncing questions back and forth, maybe an english interpretation will suffice.

=IF(FALSE,0,IF(AND(OR(B22="",C22=""),D22=""),"",IF(P22<>"",P22,B22*C22)+D22))