If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
understanding of a formula
Placing a + infront of a sum means what?- eg:=+SUM(C6+C8+C10)
|
#2
|
|||
|
|||
understanding of a formula
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 wrote: Placing a + infront of a sum means what?- eg:=+SUM(C6+C8+C10) -- Dave Peterson |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
understanding of a formula
"sabi" wrote:
Placing a + infront of a sum means what? eg:=+SUM(C6+C8+C10) 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. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
understanding of a formula
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. -- Regards Roger Govier "Dave Peterson" wrote in message ... 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 wrote: Placing a + infront of a sum means what?- eg:=+SUM(C6+C8+C10) -- Dave Peterson |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
understanding of a formula
On Mar 24, 10:58 am, "Roger Govier" wrote:
Strange that it drops the leading "+" for numerics, but not with alphnumerics. 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 ----- On Mar 24, 10:58*am, "Roger Govier" roger@technology4unospamdotcodotuk wrote: 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. -- Regards Roger Govier "Dave Peterson" wrote in message ... 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 wrote: Placing a + infront of a sum means what?- eg:=+SUM(C6+C8+C10) -- Dave Peterson |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
understanding of a formula
LOL
-- Regards Roger Govier "joeu2004" wrote in message ... On Mar 24, 10:58 am, "Roger Govier" wrote: Strange that it drops the leading "+" for numerics, but not with alphnumerics. 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 ----- On Mar 24, 10:58 am, "Roger Govier" roger@technology4unospamdotcodotuk wrote: 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. -- Regards Roger Govier "Dave Peterson" wrote in message ... 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 wrote: Placing a + infront of a sum means what?- eg:=+SUM(C6+C8+C10) -- Dave Peterson |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|