Formula help

M

Mike R

Xl2000
Been trying to get this right, and I think it is simple but I am not getting
it. What I have is: Column B “amount Rec’dâ€, Column C “Purchasesâ€, Column D
“Cash outâ€, Column E “Balanceâ€. I am trying to put together a formula in
Column E that will only give a result when data is entered into either B, C,
or D. Then be able to copy it all the way to row 36, and not have anything
in Column E until data is entered into the corresponding row. I know this is
easy but I am not getting it. Please Help

Mike R.
 
B

Biff

Hi!

Will you always enter data in B1, C1 and D1 as a group? If
so, you can base your formula on whether or not D1 is
empty. In E1 enter:

=IF(D1="","",Your_Formula_Here)

With the above, E1 will remain blank until an entry is
made in D1.

Biff
-----Original Message-----
Xl2000
Been trying to get this right, and I think it is simple but I am not getting
it. What I have is: Column B â?oamount Recâ?Tdâ?,
Click to expand...
Column C â?oPurchasesâ?, Column D
 
K

Kassie

I suggest you adapt Biff's formula a little bit, as his only checks for info
in one column. Change it to =IF(OR(B1<>"",C1<>"",D1<>""),<Enter your
formula>,""). Then simply drag this formula down to the last row (36). this
will check whether either column B, C or D has any value, and if so, will
calculate your formula. If this test is false, cell in column E will remain
blank
 
K

Kassie

There are a number of possibilities here. The word either may mean that you
will enter data into either B, C or D. In that case, the formula is :
=IF(OR(B1<>"",C1<>"",D1<>""),<Enter your formula here>,"")
If you want to enter data into column B, C and D before a culculation is
done, then Biff's formula is correct.
If you want to ensure that all these columns have data before a calculation
is made, the formula is : =IF(OR(B1="",C1="",D1=""),"",<Enter your formula
here>)
 
M

Mike R

Biff and Kassie Thank you for the post.
It worked!!!! And Kassie your assumption was correct, these columns may or
may not have data, the only truth was that there was to be at least one entry
on each row. Is there any place to study how some symbols work in a formula?
I would never have figured out D1<>"", for instance. And what is the
difference between D1<>"" and D1="","",? I understand the IF statement, but
how do you know which symbol means "null" or "empty". Thank you very much
for sharing your education and therefore contributing to mine.

Mike R.
 
K

Kassie

Glad I could help, Mike. If I can transate into English: D1<>"" means that
D1 is not equal to nothing, or then not equal to an empty cell. D1 ="",""
means that if D1 is equal to nothing, then do not insert any value. And yes,
read your Help File, my friend. At least you now know that "" means no
value, nothing, empty. To choose which one to use, you have to logically
figure out how Excel would trap conditions. If your formula read
=IF(OR(B1="",C1="",D1=""),"",<Enter your formula>), the formula would only
have worked correctly while B1 contained a value. Even if you swapped the
last two arguments to read =IF(OR(B1="",C1="",D1=""),<Enter your
formula>,""), the formula would not have worked because your formula would
then calculate on an empty cell, hence the suggestion to use<> (not equal).
In this manner, the first non-empty cell sets the trap, and your formula
works.
 
M

Mike R

:
Kassie, Thanks for the post.

As I set here smiling, amazed by how all this works, and thank you! Your
explanation struck me as understandable "english" :)...

Mike R.
 
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