If, or isblank, min

[dragonmouse]

I want a formula that will read multiple columns. IF the column ISBLANK I want it to go to the next column on the list. IF that column has a value then, move to the next column till all are read. At the end of the process I want it to READ all columns and return the minimum value (which would be the earliest date). What I have so far is:

=IF(OR(ISBLANK(L4)),"",MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4)) This "ALMOST" works If cell L4 is blank it returns a BLANK cell, If cell L4 is filled in it looks at the rest of the cells in a string (N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4) and returns the EARLIEST date due.

What I need is something like =IF(OR(ISBLANK(L4,O4,R4,U4,X4,AA4)),"",MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4))

I want it to read more filled in cells to compare but it returns an error of "too many arguments". I know this is an "easy peasy" one for smart folks.

 

[dragonmouse]

Oh and IF my formula using ISBLANK or whatever is bad I'm open to try something else

This problem are dates maintenance is preformed. Not all items need maintenance preformed at the same intervals. so they'd be blank. If everything is blank I don't want to see any text (which technically this formula is working fine) BUT it doesn't read all the columns...only ONE L4
.

 

[rayk8301]

If you simply just want the earliest date regardless if the cells are blanks or not, then a simple =MIN(L4:U4) for example will give you that even if some cells in between are blank.

unless i'm reading your question wrong?

 

[Aladin Akyurek]

Hard to follow...

What is the issue with just this?

=MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4)

Or are you looking the first cell among N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4 which has a date?

 

[dragonmouse]

Hard to follow...

What is the issue with just this?

=MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4)

Or are you looking the first cell among N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4 which has a date?

Actually I FINALLY figured it out...and I proceeded to stand and do a "happy dance".

But Yes to your question Aladin Akyurek.

The just plain =MIN(N4.....) wants to return "something". I have several lines that aren't required "YET", thus if all cells are BLANK, it will return a date of "0-JAN-1900" (I want the cell to be BLANK). Cell N4 has a "calculation" that checks to see if the frequency L4 is identified, OR else it uses the START date contained in another cell (H4 in my case).

Sooooooo...I'm over complicating it a bit because I don't want a filled in cell with nonsense. I looked up OR and ISBLANK on a couple of other posts and it looked like I might have had the request in the wrong place: I switched things up a bit and came up with:

=IF(OR(L4=7,O4=14,R4=28,U4=56,X4=168,AA4=336),IF(ISBLANK(L4)*(O4)*(R4)*(U4)*(X4)*(AA4),"",MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4)),"")

And it WORKS

I'm not the brightest penny in the bank...but I try...this forum has helped soooooo very much...I'm slowly learning.

 

[dragonmouse]

Hard to follow...

What is the issue with just this?

=MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4)

Or are you looking the first cell among N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4 which has a date?

Actually I FINALLY figured it out...and I proceeded to stand and do a "happy dance".

But Yes to your question Aladin Akyurek.

The just plain =MIN(N4.....) wants to return "something". I have several lines that aren't required "YET", thus if all cells are BLANK, it will return a date of "0-JAN-1900" (I want the cell to be BLANK). Cell N4 has a "calculation" that checks to see if the frequency L4 is identified, OR else it uses the START date contained in another cell (H4 in my case).

Sooooooo...I'm over complicating it a bit because I don't want a filled in cell with nonsense. I looked up OR and ISBLANK on a couple of other posts and it looked like I might have had the request in the wrong place: I switched things up a bit and came up with:

=IF(OR(L4=7,O4=14,R4=28,U4=56,X4=168,AA4=336),IF(ISBLANK(L4)*(O4)*(R4)*(U4)*(X4)*(AA4),"",MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4)),"")

And it WORKS

I'm not the brightest penny in the bank...but I try...this forum has helped soooooo very much...I'm slowly learning.

 

[Aladin Akyurek]

Does this help?

=IFERROR(1/(1/MIN(N4,Q4,T4,W4,Z4,AC4)),"")