Excel + IF function Help

watson.robin

I'm trying to use the "=DATE()" function in excell combined with an IF fucntion.

I have a piece of measuring equipment hooked up to the PC.
When i press the button on the measuring tool it spits a number into Columb A, and moves down 1 row automagically each time the button is pressed.

What I want is to put in Columb B a time and date stamp provided the number fed into columb A isn't 0.

Here is what I've put into B1:
=IF(A1<>0,"=NOW()",0)

Putting =NOW() into a blank cell does provide the time, however instead of putting in the time and date when a number is put into columb A, its just writing "NOW()" into columb B.

Any ideas?
Any help much appreciated.

py2006

Not entirely sure how to solve your problem! But I do know that whatever is between the quotes will appear as just text in a cell! So because you have "now()" thats what will appear in the cell.

fionny

py2006 wrote: »

Not entirely sure how to solve your problem! But I do know that whatever is between the quotes will appear as just text in a cell! So because you have "now()" thats what will appear in the cell.

This. Plus dont put the = in the =now.

I would phrase this forumla as:

=IF(A1="","",NOW())

Meaning if A1 = Blank
True = Leave Blank
False = TIMESTAMP

thirtythirty

watson.robin wrote: »

I'm trying to use the "=DATE()" function in excell combined with an IF fucntion.

I have a piece of measuring equipment hooked up to the PC.
When i press the button on the measuring tool it spits a number into Columb A, and moves down 1 row automagically each time the button is pressed.

What I want is to put in Columb B a time and date stamp provided the number fed into columb A isn't 0.

Here is what I've put into B1:
=IF(A1<>0,"=NOW()",0)

Putting =NOW() into a blank cell does provide the time, however instead of putting in the time and date when a number is put into columb A, its just writing "NOW()" into columb B.

Any ideas?
Any help much appreciated.

It's treating it as text because of the " " , and so just putting in whatever's written there. Try adding a random letter inbetween the "N" and "O" to test if you want.

Anyway the solution is to put the forumla as =IF(A3<>0,NOW(),0)

And don't forget to format the cell as a date, otherwise it'll come out as 40053.23 or something crazy

watson.robin

Ah ha, thank you spottyelephant.

I thought I'd tried your approach but mustn't have.
I had tried it with and without the "" around the NOW()

Thanks all.