# Excel Formula Help

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 24, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305 "2010-06-24T01:55:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305/1 "2010-06-24T01:55:49Z")

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OK, I admit I am an excel idiot.

I need a formula for calculating and tracking components needed to build capital ship parts in eve online. Right now I have =IF(D4-E4\<“0”;"") but the partner I am working with doesn’t want it to return a negative if for example cell d4 is 5 and e4 is 100. How do I tell it to not return -95 and instead leave the F4 cell blank?

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**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305/2 "2010-06-24T02:09:47Z")

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> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> I need a formula for calculating and tracking components needed to build capital ship parts in eve online. Right now I have =IF(D4-E4\<“0”;“”) but the partner I am working with doesn’t want it to return a negative if for example cell d4 is 5 and e4 is 100. How do I tell it to not return -95 and instead leave the F4 cell blank?

I think this is what you want:

=IF(D4-E4\<0,“”,A2-B2)

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305/3 "2010-06-24T02:13:32Z")

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> [@LateComer](#):
>
> I think this is what you want:
> 
> =IF(D4-E4\<0,“”,A2-B2)

Not sure where A2 and B2 came from. It sounds like this is what is needed:

=IF(D4\<E4,“”,D4-E4)

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305/4 "2010-06-24T02:15:14Z")

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I’m changing my post to Rio, by Duran Duran.

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305/5 "2010-06-24T02:22:40Z")

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> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> I’m changing my post to Rio, by Duran Duran.

This should do the trick:

="Rio by "&REPT("Duran ",2)

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**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305/6 "2010-06-24T02:38:39Z")

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> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> Not sure where A2 and B2 came from.

it’s called “not paying attention to what you’re typing.”

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**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-formula-help/544305/7 "2010-06-24T02:56:18Z")

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Hm, I don’t have a copy of Rio, will Hungry Like the Wolf work?

And Ill give the new formula a shot. Thanks =)