"SpecialIf" function.

[richardf]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

Used to be called "Second Formula" in "Ragtime". Explanation - in early versions of "Ragtime", the user could include a SECOND FORMULA in a cell whose function was to prevent the FIRST FORMULA evaluating unless the SECOND FORMULA was returning "TRUE" This was replaced in "Ragtime 4+" by the SPECIALIF function which served the same purpose by using parameters. Also - if a cell contained a second formula, user could edit/change the cell content whilst leaving both formulae intact. THIS FEATURE WAS BRILLIANTLY USEFUL.

If Excel has a similar feature, I can't find it! Can anyone help?

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

Used to be called "Second Formula" in "Ragtime". Explanation - in early
versions of "Ragtime", the user could include a SECOND FORMULA in a cell whose
function was to prevent the FIRST FORMULA evaluating unless the SECOND FORMULA
was returning "TRUE" This was replaced in "Ragtime 4+" by the SPECIALIF
function which served the same purpose by using parameters. Also - if a cell
contained a second formula, user could edit/change the cell content whilst
leaving both formulae intact. THIS FEATURE WAS BRILLIANTLY USEFUL.

If Excel has a similar feature, I can't find it! Can anyone help?

No, excel does not have that. But, you can do the same thing with an IF
statement:
=if(test for a value,formula if true,formula if false)

 

[richardf]

Thank you. The formula you suggest works, of course. But if I then hand edit the cell value which the formula has just generated, the formula is erased, is it not? The beauty of the Ratime Second Formula - later SpecialIF - is that having updated the cell value from the formula, you could HAND EDIT or even DELETE the cell value without deleting the formula.
Is there any way Excel will allow me to do this, or do I have to accept that Ragtime is better than Excel for the jobs I want to do?

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Thank you. The formula you suggest works, of course. But if I then hand edit
the cell value which the formula has just generated, the formula is erased, is
it not? The beauty of the Ratime Second Formula - later SpecialIF - is that
having updated the cell value from the formula, you could HAND EDIT or even
DELETE the cell value without deleting the formula.
Is there any way Excel will allow me to do this, or do I have to accept that
Ragtime is better than Excel for the jobs I want to do?

I don't have a clue about what ragtime is or whether or not it might be
better for you. In Excel the rules are pretty simple, and strict: a formula
returns a value to a cell. If you delete the formula, the cell only holds a
value. You can get pretty clever about the formula contents to do what you
want. You might even look at using some intermediate cells whose value you
can change without touching the formula.