Unable to excecute formula

[Guest]

I tried to use functions and had an instant when I type in :

=if(or(A3=A2,A3=A4),1,0)

Excel instead of executing the function and does the comparison, displays
the exact words as above.

How can I get Excel to perform the function as I had wanted?

 

[JulieD]

Hi

check tools / options / view tab and ensure that formulas is unticked
it might also be that the cell is formatted to text, choose a blank unused
cell somewhere and copy it, then click on your cell, choose edit / paste
special - ADD. You might then still need to click on the cell press the F2
key and then press enter for it to behave.

Cheers
JulieD

 

[JE McGimpsey]

When you entered your function, the cell was formatted as Text, so
that's how XL's parser interpreted it. Change the format and re-enter it.

FWIW, your formula could be a bit shorter by using XL's implicit
coercion of TRUE/FALSE to 1/0 in a math operation:

= --OR(A3=A2,A3=A4)

where the first - is used to coerce TRUE/FALSE to -1/0, then the second
- negates the result of the first.

Alternatively:

=(A3=A2)+(A3=A4)

but the -- is somewhat more efficient.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Disregard the last - it will return 2 if all three are equivalent.

 

[Guest]

Thanks JE, Julie,

I changed the text format to number format and it works !!