Using the IF Worksheet Function

Summary: Programmers know that a staple of any language is the ability to create conditional statements. Excel understands this, as well, so it provides the IF worksheet function that allows you to evaluate an expression and thereby conditionally choose a result. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)

Excel provides a wide range of worksheet functions you can use. One of the most versatile worksheet functions is IF. This function allows you to test some condition, and then use a value if the condition is true or a different value if the condition is false. For instance, consider the following example:

=IF(A2
Notice that IF requires three arguments, each separated by commas. The first argument (in this example, A2
You are not limited, of course, to returning strings in an IF function. You can return any value you want, including the values stored in other cells. For example:
=IF(A2
In this case, if A2 is less than C2, then the value derived by subtracting B7 from B6 is returned. If A2 is not less than C2, then the value 43 is returned.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2347) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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Using the IF Worksheet Function