In a formula or function, what do the symbols "" mean.

[Rahne059]

=IF(E78=0,"",IF(E78="","",(IF(H77="",(F77+1),(H77+1)))))
=IF(E77=0,"",IF(E77=1,"",((E77+F77)-1)))
In the formulas, what does "" mean?
The first formula is in column F and the second is in column H. I trying to
debug a spreadsheet written by someone who is no longer with the company and
this formula only seems to partially work.
If I enter a number larger than 0 in E78, then the value in F78 becomes the
sum of E78 and F77, and H78 becomes the sum of E78 and H77.
If I enter a 0 in E78, then nothing appears in F78 or H78, but later rows
indicate a
#VALUE! error.
The values are correct as long as 0 is not used, but I do not understand why
the formula was written as it is.

 

[Pete_UK]

The "" in the formulae means to return a null (or empty) string, so
that the cell looks blank. So your first formula means:

If E78 contains zero, then return a blank, otherwise
If E78 is blank then return a blank, otherwise
If H77 is blank then return F77 plus 1, otherwise
return H77 plus 1

Hope this helps.

Pete

 

[Rahne059]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, it does not work the way it was designed
to; but is working well enough for the user. I will just not try to duplicate
the affect in my own formulas.

 

[David Biddulph]

If you tell us what you were trying to achieve, then we may be able to help
you to improve the formulae.

Apart from any functional concerns which you have, you may wish to get rid
of a few unnecessary extra parentheses, though they wouldn't be doing any
harm.
=IF(E78=0,"",IF(E78="","",(IF(H77="",(F77+1),(H77+1))))) could be
=IF(E78=0,"",IF(E78="","",IF(H77="",F77+1,H77+1))) or just
=IF(E78=0,"",IF(H77="",F77+1,H77+1)) as an empty string would satisfy the
E78=0 test
and
=IF(E77=0,"",IF(E77=1,"",((E77+F77)-1))) could be
=IF(E77=0,"",IF(E77=1,"",E77+F77-1))