understanding of a formula

  • Thread starter Thread starter sabi
  • Start date Start date
It usually means that the author of the formula started with Lotus 123.

In lotus, you could start a formula with +
+a1+b1

Excel starts with an equal sign:
=a1+b1

But some people have muscle memory and can't stop typing that + even though they
don't need it.
 
sabi said:
Placing a + infront of a sum means what?
eg:=+SUM(C6+C8+C10)
Click to expand...

Nothing special. It is a carry-over from another spreadsheet application
that permitted you to enter formulas as +formula instead of =formula. Excel
translates +formula into =+formula, and some people might enter =+formula
out of habit or poor training.

However, there is no harm as long as whatever follows "+" is a numeric
expression.

But the way, it is also generally unnecessary to write SUM(expression).
That incurs unnecessary overhead (function call), with no benefit. It would
be better to write:

=C6+C8+C10

On the other hand, there is some benefit to writing SUM(C6,C8,C10). In that
case, SUM treats text as zero, where as C6+C8+C10 results in a #VALUE!
error.
 
Whilst you are undoubtedly correct, Dave, there can be another reason.

On a full size keyboard with numeric pad, entering +61+32 changes to =61+32
and is a lot faster than having to move your cursor up to the top row of
numbers to reach the "=" sign.
Some people who do a lot of keyboard entry, get into the habit of hitting
that "+" key, hence do the same when entering a formula and just type
+A1+B1, which Excel changes to =+A1+B1
Strange that it drops the leading "+" for numerics, but not with
alphnumerics.
 
Strange that it drops the leading "+" for numerics,
but not with alphnumerics.
Click to expand...

I think it would be strange if it did. Your way makes sense. It
would be strange if Excel's often-capricious heuristics began to make
sense. If they did, I would question our sense of what makes
sense. :-) :-) :-)

PS: Thanks for the explanation. It, well, makes good sense.

PPS: In fairness to MS, wasn't this dichotomy of behavior cloned from
a market leader in spreadsheets at the time, c. 1984?



----- original posting -----
 
LOL

--
Regards
Roger Govier

joeu2004 said:
I think it would be strange if it did. Your way makes sense. It
would be strange if Excel's often-capricious heuristics began to make
sense. If they did, I would question our sense of what makes
sense. :-) :-) :-)

PS: Thanks for the explanation. It, well, makes good sense.

PPS: In fairness to MS, wasn't this dichotomy of behavior cloned from
a market leader in spreadsheets at the time, c. 1984?



----- original posting -----
Click to expand...
 
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