Can you use a formula to make a truly "blank" cell

I have a setup that (simplified slightly) looks like:

A1: 20
B1: =if(A1<50,"",A1)
C1: =isblank(B1)

C1: produces "false". Why? Isn't "" supposed to put "nothing" into a cell?

The point of all this: I want the cell to be truly blank, so that it doesn't
graph as a "zero" in a chart. (Yes, I have the option under Tools>Options
checked, so that blank values are not plotted as zeros.) However, it is
graphing my "not quite blank" cells, generated by the above formula, as
zeros. It does skip truly blank values (if I delete the formula altogether),
but doesn't when I try to force blank values using a formula like this.

Any ideas how to get a formula to make a cell think it is blank?

Thank you,

Heidi

Hi!

Try this:

=if(A1<50,#N/A,A1)

That'll keep your chart from getting messed up but the downside is that
you'll have #N/A's in some cells.

You can hide them with conditional formatting, though.

Select the cell(s)
Goto Format>Conditional Formatting
Formula is: ISNA(cell_reference)
Click the Format button
Set the font color to be the same as the fill color
OK out.

Biff

"Heidi" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have a setup that (simplified slightly) looks like:
>
> A1: 20
> B1: =if(A1<50,"",A1)
> C1: =isblank(B1)
>
> C1: produces "false". Why? Isn't "" supposed to put "nothing" into a
> cell?
>
> The point of all this: I want the cell to be truly blank, so that it
> doesn't
> graph as a "zero" in a chart. (Yes, I have the option under Tools>Options
> checked, so that blank values are not plotted as zeros.) However, it is
> graphing my "not quite blank" cells, generated by the above formula, as
> zeros. It does skip truly blank values (if I delete the formula
> altogether),
> but doesn't when I try to force blank values using a formula like this.
>
> Any ideas how to get a formula to make a cell think it is blank?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Heidi

On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:13:03 -0800, "Heidi" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I have a setup that (simplified slightly) looks like:
>
>A1: 20
>B1: =if(A1<50,"",A1)
>C1: =isblank(B1)
>
>C1: produces "false". Why? Isn't "" supposed to put "nothing" into a cell?
>
>The point of all this: I want the cell to be truly blank, so that it doesn't
>graph as a "zero" in a chart. (Yes, I have the option under Tools>Options
>checked, so that blank values are not plotted as zeros.) However, it is
>graphing my "not quite blank" cells, generated by the above formula, as
>zeros. It does skip truly blank values (if I delete the formula altogether),
>but doesn't when I try to force blank values using a formula like this.
>
>Any ideas how to get a formula to make a cell think it is blank?
>
>Thank you,
>
>Heidi

Well, if a cell contains a formula, then, by definition, it is not blank.

If your goal is to have it ignored in a graph, then set the cell to NA. You
can then use conditional formatting to make the cell appear blank, if you wish.

e.g.:

B1: =IF(A1<50,NA(),A1)

Format/Conditional Formatting/Formula Is: =ISNA(B1)
Format the font color to the same as the background color.




--ron

That works great! Thanks so much! Thank you also for thinking ahead to make
the spreadsheet look prettier by "hiding" the error values with conditional
formatting.

Heidi

"Biff" wrote:

> Hi!
>
> Try this:
>
> =if(A1<50,#N/A,A1)
>
> That'll keep your chart from getting messed up but the downside is that
> you'll have #N/A's in some cells.
>
> You can hide them with conditional formatting, though.
>
> Select the cell(s)
> Goto Format>Conditional Formatting
> Formula is: ISNA(cell_reference)
> Click the Format button
> Set the font color to be the same as the fill color
> OK out.
>
> Biff
>
> "Heidi" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >I have a setup that (simplified slightly) looks like:
> >
> > A1: 20
> > B1: =if(A1<50,"",A1)
> > C1: =isblank(B1)
> >
> > C1: produces "false". Why? Isn't "" supposed to put "nothing" into a
> > cell?
> >
> > The point of all this: I want the cell to be truly blank, so that it
> > doesn't
> > graph as a "zero" in a chart. (Yes, I have the option under Tools>Options
> > checked, so that blank values are not plotted as zeros.) However, it is
> > graphing my "not quite blank" cells, generated by the above formula, as
> > zeros. It does skip truly blank values (if I delete the formula
> > altogether),
> > but doesn't when I try to force blank values using a formula like this.
> >
> > Any ideas how to get a formula to make a cell think it is blank?
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Heidi
>
>
>

Thank you, Ron.

-Heidi

"Ron Rosenfeld" wrote:

> On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:13:03 -0800, "Heidi" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >I have a setup that (simplified slightly) looks like:
> >
> >A1: 20
> >B1: =if(A1<50,"",A1)
> >C1: =isblank(B1)
> >
> >C1: produces "false". Why? Isn't "" supposed to put "nothing" into a cell?
> >
> >The point of all this: I want the cell to be truly blank, so that it doesn't
> >graph as a "zero" in a chart. (Yes, I have the option under Tools>Options
> >checked, so that blank values are not plotted as zeros.) However, it is
> >graphing my "not quite blank" cells, generated by the above formula, as
> >zeros. It does skip truly blank values (if I delete the formula altogether),
> >but doesn't when I try to force blank values using a formula like this.
> >
> >Any ideas how to get a formula to make a cell think it is blank?
> >
> >Thank you,
> >
> >Heidi
>
> Well, if a cell contains a formula, then, by definition, it is not blank.
>
> If your goal is to have it ignored in a graph, then set the cell to NA. You
> can then use conditional formatting to make the cell appear blank, if you wish.
>
> e.g.:
>
> B1: =IF(A1<50,NA(),A1)
>
> Format/Conditional Formatting/Formula Is: =ISNA(B1)
> Format the font color to the same as the background color.
>
>
>
>
> --ron
>