The most pointless combination of functions

[Jonmo1]

I disagree with this one. =SUM(E5,K5) is different from =E5+K5, particularly if either E5 or K5 could contain a text value.

That's very true...

THIS would make it pointless, a + instead of ,

=SUM(E5+K5)

 

[Greg Truby]

I disagree with this one. =SUM(E5,K5) is different from =E5+K5, particularly if either E5 or K5 could contain a text value.

That's a great point, Matt. I'd forgotten about SUM's robustness in handling non-numeric variants. Interesting that SUM(A1,B1) where the cells contain TRUE returns zero, but =A1+B1 returns 2.

 

[Lewiy]

Interesting that SUM(A1,B1) where the cells contain TRUE returns zero, but =A1+B1 returns 2.

But =SUM(--A1,--B1) returns 2 as does =SUM(A1+B1)
and
=SUM(A1:B1) returns zero.

Curious! <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

[Richard Schollar]

Interesting that SUM(A1,B1) where the cells contain TRUE returns zero, but =A1+B1 returns 2.

Greg, surely that's what you would expect given that Sum performs no coercive operations on the arguments passed to it?

 

[Lewiy]

=A1*B1 returns 1 but
=PRODUCT(A1,B1) returns zero
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I guess this is just how the functions interpret Boolean values as either numbers or not.

 

[Legacy 96851]

It's a bit ironic that this thread has pretty much become "why certain combinations of functions aren't pointless."

 

[Lewiy]

It's a bit ironic that this thread has pretty much become "why certain combinations of functions aren't pointless."

The best way to prove something is pointless is to disprove that it’s not!

 

[Jonmo1]

I think that is the Scientists Code or something...

It's easier to prove something FALSE, than it is to prove it TRUE.
You only have to find 1 reason for it to be FALSE, but you need to explore ALL possiblities to prove it TRUE..

 

[Pugster]

When you eventually decide upon the most pointless combination of functions, they will obviously satisfy the condition of being the most pointless combination of functions and therefore will cease being the most pointless combination of functions.

Hofstatder-esc recursion.

 

[Lewiy]

I think we can make an exception for a function’s only purpose being that it is the most pointless function!!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>