Simple Excel Formula Help

I have a simple inventory form with headings and a few simple formulas. The problem is this. One formula is the following =COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*") indicating Total Items for that column. The the problem is that if I look at the end of the actual column, the number is different. Right now the "formula" reads 578 Items, but if I look at the last item in the column, it says 580. It always reads 2 more items than actually exists.

Remember that * is a wild-card. Your formula will count the number of cells
containing text between C6 and C625


If you want to count * then use ~*
--
Gary's Student


"robert145" wrote:

>
> I have a simple inventory form with headings and a few simple formulas.
> The problem is this. One formula is the following =COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*")
> indicating Total Items for that column. The the problem is that if I
> look at the end of the actual column, the number is different. Right
> now the "formula" reads 578 Items, but if I look at the last item in
> the column, it says 580. It always reads 2 more items than actually
> exists.
>
>
> --
> robert145
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> robert145's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=32477
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=522657
>
>

Remember that * is a wild-card. Your formula will count the number of cells
containing text between C6 and C625


If you want to count * then use ~*
--
Gary's Student


"robert145" wrote:

>
> I have a simple inventory form with headings and a few simple formulas.
> The problem is this. One formula is the following =COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*")
> indicating Total Items for that column. The the problem is that if I
> look at the end of the actual column, the number is different. Right
> now the "formula" reads 578 Items, but if I look at the last item in
> the column, it says 580. It always reads 2 more items than actually
> exists.
>
>
> --
> robert145
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> robert145's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=32477
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=522657
>
>

I am aware of the wild, that is why I used it. My question was - why would it (the formula) add 2 more entries than actually exists ?

I am aware of the wild card, that is why I used it. My question was - why would it (the formula) add 2 more entries than actually exists ?

You say the *formula* reads 2 *more* items than actually exist,
BUT,
You also say that the formula reads 578 ... where the list contains 580 (2
*less*).

So ... which is it?

BTW, "*" will return text cells (alpha and numeric), and *also* nulls (zero
length strings) that you could have returned from formulas in those polled
cells (C6:C625), which, are of course, not visible.
--

Regards,

RD
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

"robert145" <[email protected]> wrote
in message news:[email protected]...

I have a simple inventory form with headings and a few simple formulas.
The problem is this. One formula is the following =COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*")
indicating Total Items for that column. The the problem is that if I
look at the end of the actual column, the number is different. Right
now the "formula" reads 578 Items, but if I look at the last item in
the column, it says 580. It always reads 2 more items than actually
exists.


--
robert145
------------------------------------------------------------------------
robert145's Profile:
http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=32477
View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=522657

To *exclude* nulls, try this:

=COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*?")
--

HTH,

RD
=====================================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
=====================================================


"RagDyeR" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
You say the *formula* reads 2 *more* items than actually exist,
BUT,
You also say that the formula reads 578 ... where the list contains 580 (2
*less*).

So ... which is it?

BTW, "*" will return text cells (alpha and numeric), and *also* nulls (zero
length strings) that you could have returned from formulas in those polled
cells (C6:C625), which, are of course, not visible.
--

Regards,

RD
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

"robert145" <[email protected]> wrote
in message news:[email protected]...

I have a simple inventory form with headings and a few simple formulas.
The problem is this. One formula is the following =COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*")
indicating Total Items for that column. The the problem is that if I
look at the end of the actual column, the number is different. Right
now the "formula" reads 578 Items, but if I look at the last item in
the column, it says 580. It always reads 2 more items than actually
exists.


--
robert145
------------------------------------------------------------------------
robert145's Profile:
http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=32477
View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=522657

Sorry. The formula reads 578 but the actual list contains 580. The formula reads =COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*") I have the cell range set well in advance of the current count so if it were counting any blank cells, it would be showing the total of 625. Knowing that it isnt counting blank cells, its reporting 2 less than the actual count for some reason.

What's the chance that the uncounted data is *not* text?
--

HTH,

RD
=====================================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
=====================================================

"robert145" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...

Sorry. The formula reads 578 but the actual list contains 580. The
formula reads =COUNTIF(C6:C625,"*") I have the cell range set well in
advance of the current count so if it were counting any blank cells, it
would be showing the total of 625. Knowing that it isnt counting blank
cells, its reporting 2 less than the actual count for some reason.


--
robert145
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