How to return empty cell from function in calc
I want get a completely empty cell at return without using quotes, i.e. not like at previous question
It is in principle impossible. The return value of a formula is shown in the very same cell, which contains the formula. And because this cell contains the formula it is never "empty". Otherwise a formula would erase itself.
If the empty string is a valid result and you need to indicate, that the formula result is not valid, then you can use the function NA(). It generates the special error value #N/A, which can be tested by the function ISNA().
If you need to erase the content of a cell dependent on the values of other cells, you need a macro to do that.
In order to provide an answer, here's my two cents that actually do exactly what is asked.
If you're doing a conditional on, let's say, cell B4:
then you can do this: =IF(B4=0;{};B4)
This results in a blank cell if the value of B4 is zero and returns B4 when it is not.
Best, L
The cell containing the formula will answer FALSE if asked =ISBLANK(TheCell). It will also return FALSE to =ISTEXT(TheCell) and to =ISNUMBER(). We may consider this "virtually blank". The fact, however, that the cell is containing a formula is unchangeable - and to =ISFORMULA(TheCell) we get a TRUE.
In my test with V4.2.2 the "pseudoblank" result of the suggested formula persisted when the value of B4 was changed to something <>0. I regard this as a bug.
Still Ctrl + arrow is fetches cell with ={} although it looks empty. Interesting enough pivot table recognizes ={} as zero and ="" as second (empty) whereas totally empty as the first (empty).
I wanted a way to make a cell, that contains a function to do calculations based on the content of another cell, look "empty" when that other cell didn't contain any value.
This is the perfect answer for me. I wasn't aware of the {} construction to make a cell look "empty".
Great tip!
The short answer seems to be no.
Following on Regina's logic answer (a cell containing a formula is not empty because it contains the formula): because a cell returning "" is interpreted as containing Text you can use an IF(ISTEXT(A1);0;A1) condition to solve (some) problems.
I asked about returning empty cell because I want to use Ctrl + arrow. Not for using formula. Formula do well with empty cells.
Hi
My answer may be too late for this, sorry, but if the goal is:
Ctrl+Arrow should not find a cell displaying "" (result of a formula)
a solution could be to protect these cells (eg . apply a cell style) then Tools▸Protect▸Sheet▸uncheck Allow all users to Select protected cells.
Regards
This thread is very old, but having a subject that was clearly (though not fully consistent) worded, it is visited again and again. I originally contributed a soultion only by commenting on the answer posted as "wiki" on 2015-04-29.
Meanwhile there was opportunity to learn that this anwer was unnecessarily complicated. The usage of OFFSET() or similar constructs can be omitted if not the calculated reference is needed. Thus I give a new answer with one old and unchangeable part "-1-" and the simple way to get something like a soultion as far as possible in part "-2-".
-1-
To get an actually blank cell by a resident formula is strictly impossible because the formula itself is content of the cell.
-2-
The simple way to get what's next to blank if the referenced cell (A2 e.g.) is blank is the formula {=A2:A2}.
(This is =A2:A2 entered for array-evaluation either by Ctrl+Shift+Enter or from the formula wizard.)
The answer is exemplified in this attachment.
Asked: 2014-05-14 11:07:11 +0200
Seen: 10,536 times
Last updated: Jan 01
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Ctrl + arrow is fetches an empty string as two double quotes. What I do not want as return of function. Is there a way to do so?
Yet another case is pivot table. It adds (empty) result.