Blank (empty) cell always equal to 0??

[ulfah]

Is it possible to have Excel read an empty cell as "no value" rathe
than the value=0?
I have a graph and corresponding range with values and somtimes cell
in this range should be read as a "blank" cell! Resulting in *-n
point-* in the graph.
Assume that I have, in cell C5, the following function:
IF(AND(ISNUMBER($A5);ISNUMBER($B$4));$A5*$B$4;" ").
If, in cell A5, I have "-" (a dash) = no value (no reading), this wil
result in C5 being a Blank cell, due to the " " in the IF-function.
C5 is copied and pasted into the range connected to my graph. I want i
to result in no point in the graph!
But the graph is reading this cell as if the value was 0.0!
Is there a way to avoid this??
Your help is very much appreciated

 

[Dave Peterson]

I'd add another column and use a formula like:

=if(b2="",na(),b2)
then use that column in the chart.

 

[Guest]

why add another column, when you can just replace " " with NA()?

I'd add another column and use a formula like:

=if(b2="",na(),b2)
then use that column in the chart.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Sometimes, the look of the data is important and #n/a's are pretty ugly. And
sometimes those values could be used in other formulas and errors could mess up
those subsequent formulas.

They could be hidden with format|Conditional formatting, though. And other
formulas could be rewritten to avoid the errors.

(I'd just hide the whole helper column after I made the chart.)

But your post does show a problem with my formula.

I didn't notice that the OP used " " (I always use "" (no space)).

And the OP uses a semicolon instead.

I think that this formula is better:

=if(trim(b2)="";na();b2)

But I'd actually change the original formula:
=IF(AND(ISNUMBER($A5);ISNUMBER($B$4));$A5*$B$4;"")

Those spaces are can be a problem.

why add another column, when you can just replace " " with NA()?