Conditional formatting quirk

[Alison KS]

I am unable to fathom the errors I am experiencing with the following simple
problem. Please help with the necessary formula.

I want to make the contents of cell C4 say ‘pc’, but only when the contents
of cell B4 are anything EXCEPT ‘stock’, ‘np’, ‘ff’, or blank.

That shouldn’t be so difficult, but …

currently cell B4 has some conditional formatting which is intended to keep
the cell ‘normal’ if it’s equal to 0, or says ‘stock’ or ‘np’, turns it blue
if it says ‘ff’, but turns it red if it says anything else. This is achieved
with the following conditions in this order:

formula is =OR(B4=0,B4="stock",B4="np",C4="px in") (‘normal’ format)

cell value = “ff†(blue)

cell value not equal =â€stock†(red)

and they work fine. However, during my attempts to formulate C4, B4 has been
turning red even though it’s empty. I appreciate that it’s the third
condition that’s turning it red, but why has OR(B4=0 ceased to invoke
‘normal’ formatting if there’s a formula in C4? It is OR rather than AND,
after all.

What formula do I need in C4, and how do I need to amend the conditional
formatting on B4?

Might I add that thanks to the sterling efforts of those on this group, I
have always been able to find what I need to know till now. I guess I’ve
worked my way into a logical loophole.

 

[Ray]

Not sure this'll help, but worth a try ...

In my experience, B4=0 and B4=empty aren't the same thing and thus
wouldn't fit under Condition #1.

Try adding [ B4="" ], without the [], to the OR formula in Condition
#1 ... I didn't test this, but I'm guessing that it'll work

br//ray

 

[Bob Phillips]

Is B4 also a formula that is returning null not 0?

--
---
HTH

Bob


(there's no email, no snail mail, but somewhere should be gmail in my addy)

 

[WLMPilot]

Formual for C4:

=IF(OR(B4<>"stock",B4<>"np",B4<>"ff",B4<>""),"pc","")

I believe the only correction you need to make to the conditional format in
B4 is to the first condition. Add the following: B4=""
You did not account for a null or empty cell.

As for the 2nd and 3rd conditon change each to the following:
#2: Formula is: =AND(B4<>"",B4="ff") (blue)
#3: Formula is: =AND(B4<>"",B4<>"stock") (red)

I am in the habit of checking to see if the cell is blank as added protection.

Hope that works,
Les

 

[Alison KS]

There's no formula in B4

 

[Alison KS]

I thought that Ray, but it didn't work and I'm not sure why not.

 

[Alison KS]

Have tried this, but C4 returns 'pc' when B4 is blank. Not sure why. But B4
has stopped going red with the formula in C4. Progress.

 

[Alison KS]

In fact, C4 returns 'pc' when B4 says 'stock', 'np' or 'ff' as well as when
it's blank.

 

[Alison KS]

So I took away the negativity and added B4=0, reversed the outcomes and that
does exactly what I want.

Thanks for everyone's valuable help.