SUM, AVERAGE and PRINT with #N/A cells

[PaulinaDi]

Thanks Sheeloo and T. Valko but I still have questions about this issue. I'm
just copying my new questions on this new post to make it easier or you may
refer to my first post where I wrote them originally.

The original issue is after these questions.

I use Excel 2000 so I don´t have the File>Page Setup>Sheet tab

Under Print...Cell errors as>select blank > OK option available.

The =SUMIF(A1:A10,"<1E100") formula helped me but would like to know what
does "<1E100" means.

About the AVERAGE formula =AVERAGE(IF(ISNUMBER(A1:A10),A1:A10))
I would like to know why should I use an array formula (in fact it worked
but just to know why)

And about the =IF(ISNA(your_formula),"",your_formula) formula, maybe I get a
blank cell to SUM or to AVERAGE but I get a mark on my chart just on that
month I'm using it and if I substitute the "" for NA() I get the #N/A mark on
my printed files.

____________________________________________

I'm using a formula to bring results from another worksheet but in some cases
I get the #N/A result as I don´t have data on the original worksheet. To get
the graphics on the final worksheet I use the formula with NA() not to give
me 0 values on the chart and I also use the conditional formula to get the
#N/A results just like the cells were empty (the same color I use for that
cell) but when I print my page, I get the #N/A in black (so I can see them)
and additional I'm not able to get a SUM or AVERAGE on each column as I get
the #N/A for those cells with that mark.

Two examples of the formula I'm using are:

=IF(SUMPRODUCT(--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256>=$O14),--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256<$O15))=0,NA(),SUMPRODUCT(--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256>=$O14),--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256<$O15),('2009'!E$8:E$256))/SUMPRODUCT(--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256>=$O14),--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256<$O15)))

=IF(L9/L8-1=0,NA(),L9/L8-1)

How may I get the SUM or the AVERAGE for that column and how may I print my
file without seeing the #N/A's in black?

 

[T. Valko]

I use Excel 2000

Ok, I don't know if that setting is available in Excel 2000. Seems like a
fairly basic option that should be available with every version of Excel.

=SUMIF(A1:A10,"<1E100")
what does "<1E100" means

1E100 is scientific notation for a very large number. 1 followed by 100
zeros. Chances are pretty good that the numbers you're dealing with are less
than 1E100 so the formula sums all numeric values that are less than 1E100
and ignores any errors.

=AVERAGE(IF(ISNUMBER(A1:A10),A1:A10))
I would like to know why should I use an array formula

You don't have to but don't be "affraid" to. I like array formulas. They can
be very powerful and simplify a complex task.

You can also use this non-array formula:

=SUMIF(A1:A10,"<1E100")/COUNT(A1:A10)

 

[Ashish Mathur]

Hi,

1. Difficult to guess why

2. "1E100" - This is a very large number I.e. 1 raised to the power of 100.
So in effect we are saying that sum all numbers which are less than or equal
to 1E100. Since an error is not a number it is ignored. You may also
specify the criteria as "<=largest numbers I your range"

3. Average(IF( - b'coz there is no averageif() function. If you do not
wish to use the array formula, you can use the SUM function in the numerator
and count function in the denominator
=SUMIF(A1:A10,"<1E100")/countif(A1:A10,"<1E100)

4. Question not clear

--
Regards,

Ashish Mathur
Microsoft Excel MVP
www.ashishmathur.com

 

[PaulinaDi]

Thanks a lot for your answers. I understood all of them.

Regarding my last question this is the issue: I'm trying to use a formula
with the NA() option in order to get my chart just with those rows that have
any value.
For example:

A L M
Month $ %
6 Jan 38.0843 15.88%
7 Feb 37.8526 -0.61%
8 Mar 41.6886 10.13%
9 Abr 45.5067 9.16%
10 May
11 Jun
12 Jul
13 Aug


To get the 15.88%, -0.61%, 10.13% and so on I used a formula like this:
=IF(ISNA(L7/L6-1),NA(),L7/L6-1) where L7 and L6 contains a formula that
brings results from another worksheet once I get some data for that month. So
in row 10, 11, 12 and 13 I get an #N/A result.

The formula to get the "L" column results is:
=IF(SUMPRODUCT(--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256>=$O15),--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256<$O16))=0,NA(),SUMPRODUCT(--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256>=$O15),--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256<$O16),('2009'!E$8:E$256))/SUMPRODUCT(--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256>=$O15),--('2009'!$B$8:$B$256<$O16)))

So what I really want is to get in my chart just the values I have and not
the ones I still don´t have like May, Jun, Jul, Aug and that's why I use the
NA() option but when I print my file, the NA() APPEARS in the printed sheet
when I use any color for my column different from blank. In column M I
decided to use a gray color so I used the conditional formatting to get those
#N/A in gray but still appear in black when printed.

What am I doing wrong?

___________________________________

 

[PaulinaDi]

Thanks for your answer. I already understood the issues and really appreciate
your explanation. I still have a question when I print and get the #N/A cells

 

[T. Valko]

I can't believe there isn't a print option that let's you choose how to
handle errors. I don't use Excel 2000 as you do so the menu path to that
option in Excel 2000 may be different than what I posted. Look around for
it.

If that option is not available...

Have you tried using conditional formatting to set the text color of those
cells that contain #N/A to be the same as the background color of those
cells? For example, the background cell color is white, set the font to also
be white.

 

[PaulinaDi]

Incredible but true....

Unfortunately I'm not able to paste the image I get but it is something like
this:
Page SetUp
Page - Margins - Header / Footer - Sheet
On Sheet you have
Print Area
Print Titles
Print
Gridlines
Black and White
Draft Quality
Row and Comumn headings
Comments
Page Order.....

As you see, I'm not able to click on any Error function under the Print
option to disable it.

I have also looked for it into the Tools / Options menu and the Printer menu
but I don´t have it.

Talking about the other option, I did it yesterday, I changed the color for
the #N/A cells into gray (as my cell) but THEY APPEAR in black, not just in
gray but in black. The only way they function is if I turn the error into
white and I leave the cell in white but honestly for some cases I need to use
colors in order to separate the columns and to make it easier to look for
when my boss is watching them. That's why I wanted the gray columns to use a
special formula.

 

[T. Valko]

Well, I'm out of ideas.

Take a look around this website:

http://peltiertech.com/

It's supported by Excel MVP Jon Peltier, a charting expert. He may have
something on there that will work.

 

[PaulinaDi]

Thanks a lot for the other answers and for trying to solve my last problem.
I'll reach Jon hoping he has a solution for this issue.

REGARDS!!!!!!

 

[T. Valko]

He may have a technique for not having to use #N/A that won't mess up the
chart.

 

[PaulinaDi]

Biff:

I loaded the page you refered to me and found that maybe I will need to pay
for any special info, but for the moment I just solved my problem adding a
column and just entering a formula like:
=IF(ISNA(L10),"",L10), so I hid the column containing the #N/A's values but
left it for the graphic and took the new column just to view the results I
got in the previous column and not to graphic it.

If you, in the future, find anyway to make this issue easier, I will be
grateful to receive any help about it.

THANKS A LOT!!!!!!

 

[T. Valko]

I was going to suggest doing something like that but that's like a last
resort. Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes even if that means it's
not the "perfect" solution.