Data Type for Each Cell Type
The built-in functions receive data through arguments and may return data of different types. The data types are typically:
Boolean values are handled as numeric values. Zero is considered False, and any non-zero number is considered True. When a function returns a Boolean value, it returns a zero (False) or a one (True).
To determine which cell type you can use to provide data for a function, and which cell type can accept the return value from a function, look at the data types the function accepts and returns.
The data types for the various cell types are summarized in this table.
| Data Type | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell Type | String | Number | Boolean | Other |
| Button | X | |||
| Check box | X | |||
| Combo box | X | |||
| Currency | X | |||
| Date | X | |||
| Edit | X | |||
| Number | X | |||
| Owner-Drawn | X | |||
| Percent | X | |||
| PIC (Mask) | X | |||
| Picture | X | |||
| Scientific | X | |||
| Static Text | X | |||
| Time | X | |||
| Note: These data types are the ones provided by each cell type for formula functions. The formula functions work with cell data in a different manner than other spreadsheet features. |
If you try to use a function in a cell type that does not use the data type returned by that function, the function appears not to return a value. For example, if you set the Formula property to use a numeric function, such as ABS( ), in an edit cell, the cell does not display a value.
Many functions will look for input as a certain data type, such as a number, and also will allow input from an empty cell without causing an error. Therefore, if you have a function operating on a range of cells, such as SUM( ), some of which contain numbers and some of which are empty, the function will calculate properly, using the values in the cells with numbers. Empty cells are cells that have not been assigned a cell type, and that do not contain data.
It is possible to return data from a function into a cell type that might not operate as you intend. For example, if you were to set a formula in a check box cell, and the formula returned a non-zero value, the check box cell would represent that value as a selected check box. However, the check box has no way to display the actual value, which is probably not what you intend. Keep this in mind when using formulas.
Return to the list of Functions in a Formula.