Question

Multi-level IF statement with ISNA

Asked by: dssxpert

I have three cost columns (B - D) and I want to pick the rightmost column when appropriate.  I have formulas in Columns C and D which sometimes return '#N/A'.  If the value in Column D, Cost 3, is '#N/A' I want the formula to move to the left and evaluate that column for a number.  If the value in Column C, Cost 2, is '#N/A' I want the formula to move to the left and choose the number in Column B, Cost 1.  Column B will will never have formulas but is the least preferred number.  I've tried both of the following formulas in Column E, Final Cost, but neither works completely right.
=IF(ISNA(D2) <> "TRUE",D2,IF(ISNA(C2),B2,C2))
=IF(D2 > 0,D2,IF(ISNA(C2),B2,C2))

        A              B           C              D            E
1 Item         Cost 1      Cost 2      Cost 3      Final
2 88005947  1.0000       #N/A      #N/A      #N/A
3 88005954      -         2.0000               0            2
4 88006002      -         3.0000               1            1

Thanks,
George

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Asked On
2006-05-22 at 17:27:16ID21859963
Tags

isna

,

statement

Topic

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Software

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: zorvekPosted on 2006-05-22 at 17:28:42ID: 16738958

=IF(ISNA(D2),IF(ISNA(C2),B2,C2),D2)

Kevin

 

by: zorvekPosted on 2006-05-22 at 17:34:09ID: 16738977

This version will move left a column if the value is either NA or 0:

=IF(OR(ISNA(D2),D2=0),IF(OR(ISNA(C2),C2=0),B2,C2),D2)

Kevin

 

by: byundtPosted on 2006-05-22 at 19:05:08ID: 16739261

Hi dssxpert,
You can use the LOOKUP function to get the rightmost value. It will exclude #N/A error values and blanks.
=LOOKUP(1E+40,B2:D2)               if the value is a number
=LOOKUP("zzzzz",B2:D2)             if the value is text

The first parameter in the LOOKUP formulas are intended to be larger than any possible data you might have in columns B through D. 1E+40  (10^40) is an extremely large number; only a physicist, astronomer or mathematician is apt to need anything larger. Likewise, the text string "zzzzz" will sort last in almost any alphabetized list.

Hoping to be helpful,

Brad

 

by: dssxpertPosted on 2006-05-26 at 19:52:18ID: 16773912

Brad,

Thanks for your suggestion but I could not get it to work right for me.

Kevin,

Your suggestion works for the most part but does not skip zeros.  If you look at my original example, cell D3 contains a zero and cell E3 skips it and returns the value in cell C3.

George

 

by: byundtPosted on 2006-05-26 at 20:11:16ID: 16773941

George,
Here is a sample workbook showing how the LOOKUP formula might work. http://www.ee-stuff.com/Expert/Upload/getFile.php?fid=132

If you have text that looks like numbers, then here is a revised formula that will still find the last "number" in the row:
=LOOKUP(1E+40,--B2:D2)
The unary operator (looks like -- ) forces the conversion of the data into real numbers.

Brad

 

by: byundtPosted on 2006-05-26 at 20:15:36ID: 16773947

George,
And if the formula needs to skip over 0 values, then try the array formula:
=LOOKUP(1E+40,IF(B2:D2=0,"",--B2:D2))
Array formulas need to be entered in a special way: hold the Control and Shift keys down, then press Enter. Excel should respond by adding curly braces { } surrounding the formula. If it doesn't, then select the cell, click in the formula bar and CTRL + Shift + Enter.

Brad

 

by: zorvekPosted on 2006-05-27 at 07:24:58ID: 16775550

George,

>Your suggestion works for the most part but does not skip zeros.
That's why I posted my second formula...

=IF(OR(ISNA(D2),D2=0),IF(OR(ISNA(C2),C2=0),B2,C2),D2)

Kevin

 

by: byundtPosted on 2006-05-27 at 07:31:19ID: 16775568

Revised file showing the formula that ignores zero values    http://www.ee-stuff.com/Expert/Upload/getFile.php?fid=133
=LOOKUP(1E+40,IF(B2:D2=0,"",--B2:D2))

 

by: dssxpertPosted on 2006-05-29 at 18:44:29ID: 16786839

Solutions from both authors worked, but neither worked 100%--I believe this is because the #N/A's that I have are caused by lookups to a separate workbook.  The example I constructed for my question was an extremely simplified version of my real table.  The final array formula choked less on the #N/A's and that's why I awarded it more points.  I thank both authors for their time and efforts, this was an extremely frustrating problem to resolve at work.

George

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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