what does the += operator do? cannot find any help on it.

  • Thread starter Thread starter dwneumann
  • Start date Start date
And it would seem it's no longer tolerated in E2007 unless there's a setting
somewhere I've missed
 
Bob Umlas said:
AND, it doesn't do anything.
Click to expand...

Not quite correct. Excel 2003 does recognize +2+3 as a formula, equivalent
to =2+3, whereas 2+3 is treated as a string.

Someone once noted that there is still some benefit to treating the leading
"+" in this way. Namely, for people who use a numeric keypad for fast data
entry, they can enter simple constant formulas. The numeric keypad
typically does not have a "=".

BTW, I cannot enter +=2+3 in my revision of Excel 2003. Excel flags it as
an error and offers +2+3 (!) as a correction. Moreover, when I enter +2+3,
it is changed to =2+3 in the Formula Bar.

So I wonder how the OP is seeing his situation. Or do I have some option
set that I've forgotten and cannot find now?


----- original message -----
 
+= is not valid syntax, and will not be accepted without correction.
=+ is valid, but =+A1+B1 is just the same as =A1+B1
Some people write the formula as +A1+B1 (without the = sign), but Excel will
interpret it as =A1+B1

Use of the + in such situations is a relic from old Lotus spreadsheet
applications.

[Next time, please remember to as your question in the body of the message,
not just in the subject line.]
 
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