need array of true/false if text exists

[alex]

hello,

say you have a column.
i need an array that, for each cell in the column tells whether it
contains text(TRUE) or blank (FALSE)

this will be used as the 3 array set in the below SUMPRODUCT function.
(where I've put the Master!$G$2:$G$4000="*") (which doesn't work

=SUMPRODUCT((Master!$A$2:$A$4000="potatoes")*(Master!$C$2:$C$4000="mashed")*(Master!$G$2:$G$4000="*"))

(seems it would be obviouse but having a hard time finding a answer
searching help in excel and google)

many thanks,
Alex

 

[hgrove]

alex wrote...
...

i need an array that, for each cell in the column tells whether i contains text
(TRUE) or blank (FALSE)

...

Either ISTEXT(Range) or (Range<>"") depending on whether you wan
to count cells containing numbers or booleans as blanks or text
respectively

 

[alex]

ok. the (Range<>"") works like i need it to.
(explains why I couldn't find the appropriate function I guess

The ISTEXT was a functiuon that I'd looked up but it returns a value
(TRUE/FALSE) not and array of T/F on a per cell bases for the
specificed range.

thanks very much for the help!
-Alex

 

[hgrove]

alex wrote...
...

The ISTEXT was a functiuon that I'd looked up but it returns a value
(TRUE/FALSE) not and array of T/F on a per cell bases for th

specificed range.

?

If I enter the following 'formulas' in A1:A8,

1
2
a
c
="0"
=1=1
=1=0
=1/0

then I select B1:B8 and enter the array formula =ISTEXT(A1:A8), B1:B
shows the array result

FALSE
FALSE
TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
FALSE
FALSE
FALSE

Do you get something different

 

[alex]

well, yes, I return what you get above as well but it's no in an
array....it's in the individual cells.

I have the feeling that I'm missing something basic here.
thanks anyways for the help though.
regards,
Alex

 

[hgrove]

alex wrote...

well, yes, I return what you get above as well but it's no in a array....it's in the
individual cells.

...

Only in the sense that the array was entered into the cells.

ISTEXT *does* return an array. If you want further demonstration, wit
the original setup, enter the formulas

=SUMPRODUCT(--ISTEXT(A1:A8))

and

=SUMPRODUCT(--ISTEXT(A1:A8),ROW(A1:A8))

Do you not get 3 and 12 as results? If you do but you still don'
believe ISTEXT returns an array, what do *you* mean by 'array'

 

[alex]

Right.........

Yes, if I put that above in and then use "Evaluate Formulas" to see
what's happening I do see that they return arrays.
Ok, thanks very much for sorting me out there.

-alex