LEFT() versus --LEFT()

[loesbrown]

Hello, I am using this formula --LEFT() instead of LEFT(), and I get different results, but I do not actually understand why. Can anybody explain what the -- does to the formula?

 

[RoryA]

LEFT returns text. If the result of your LEFT formula looks like a number, then --LEFT() will convert it into an actual number, so for example LEFT("19JUN89",2) would return the text "19" and if you want the actual number 19 you'd use the -- (or you could use +0 at the end). For many functions in Excel, "19" and 19 are quite different.