=+SUM

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FJ

Hi, I have a question: I was given a spreadsheet to work on and all the SUM
formulas have the following format: =+SUM(A1:A10). I have never seen this
before. Does the + sign before SUM mean anything and if so, what? It
doesn’t seem to make a difference when it is removed. Sorry if this is a
really basic question. I have just never seen this before and I am curious.

Thanks in advance for any information.
 
I believe the standard answer for the + is that its a throwback to the Lotus
1 2 3 days. I works but is not needed in Excel. Discard at your pleasure

HTH
Regards,
Howard
 
The plus sign was used to enter a formula in other spreadsheet applications
like Lotus 123. Some of those old spreadsheet users do it by force of habit.
Excel accepts it for compatibility but it has no effect one way or another.

Try entering this formula in Excel in cell B1:

+SUM(A1:A10)

Excel will simply add the equal sign to the formula:

=+SUM(A1:A10)
 
I've always considered this to be lazy programming on the part of the
Excel developers. When you enter something into a cell and press
<enter> Excel then needs to make sense of what you have typed. All
formulae in Excel begin with =, which makes it easy to distinguish a
formula from other types of entry. Earlier spreadsheets did not follow
this convention, however, so you could type a formula with a leading
arithmetic operator (like +), or with an @ symbol to denote a
function. You can still use these within Excel, but Excel will put an
= in front of what you have typed. The leading + is redundant, but
Excel does not remove it, although when you type a formula like:

@left(a1,2)

Excel will convert this to:

=LEFT(A1,2)

so it is capable of removing some of your text (and of changing
function names and cell references to upper case, etc). The + is a
hangover from earlier times and can be ignored (and Excel should get
rid of it).

Pete
 
The + sign was placed there by someone who used to work with Lotus which
uses the + sign instead of the = sign and has not yet adjusted to Excel.

Or someone who prefers to use the numpad for entering formulas.

In Excel if you enter +A1 in a cell it will be turned into =+A1

It is not necessary but does no harm.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP
 
Hi, thank you very much for your response. :)


T. Valko said:
The plus sign was used to enter a formula in other spreadsheet applications
like Lotus 123. Some of those old spreadsheet users do it by force of habit.
Excel accepts it for compatibility but it has no effect one way or another.

Try entering this formula in Excel in cell B1:

+SUM(A1:A10)

Excel will simply add the equal sign to the formula:

=+SUM(A1:A10)

--
Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP





.
Click to expand...
 
Hi, thank you very much for your response. :)


L. Howard Kittle said:
I believe the standard answer for the + is that its a throwback to the Lotus
1 2 3 days. I works but is not needed in Excel. Discard at your pleasure

HTH
Regards,
Howard




.
Click to expand...
 
Hi, thank you for the information. :)



Gord Dibben said:
The + sign was placed there by someone who used to work with Lotus which
uses the + sign instead of the = sign and has not yet adjusted to Excel.

Or someone who prefers to use the numpad for entering formulas.

In Excel if you enter +A1 in a cell it will be turned into =+A1

It is not necessary but does no harm.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP



.
Click to expand...
 
Hi, thank you for the information. :)


Pete_UK said:
I've always considered this to be lazy programming on the part of the
Excel developers. When you enter something into a cell and press
<enter> Excel then needs to make sense of what you have typed. All
formulae in Excel begin with =, which makes it easy to distinguish a
formula from other types of entry. Earlier spreadsheets did not follow
this convention, however, so you could type a formula with a leading
arithmetic operator (like +), or with an @ symbol to denote a
function. You can still use these within Excel, but Excel will put an
= in front of what you have typed. The leading + is redundant, but
Excel does not remove it, although when you type a formula like:

@left(a1,2)

Excel will convert this to:

=LEFT(A1,2)

so it is capable of removing some of your text (and of changing
function names and cell references to upper case, etc). The + is a
hangover from earlier times and can be ignored (and Excel should get
rid of it).

Pete



.
Click to expand...
 
"+" sign is near to numeric pad and that's why often used instead of "="
If you would insert a formula like:
+sum(1,1)
it would automatically convert to:
=+sum(1,1)
 
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