Comparison of strings containing inequalities in excel countif() function
up vote
1
down vote
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I'm analyzing some survey data in which the responses are in the form of a string containing inequalities, e.g.
a) < 5
b) 5-10
c) 11-15
d) > 15
I'm attempting to tabulate responses using the Countifs function, and Excel does not appear to parse the value of the cell with the criteria argument as a string, and so returns 'False' for those bins; it does not evaluate a cell containing the string '< 5' as being equal to another cell containing '< 5', or the literal argument "< 5".
A comparison of the reference cells in other formulas, using = or EXACT() returns TRUE. 
I know the criteria argument of the conditional operators like COUNTIF(), SUMIF(), etc. use strings with inequalities when they're actually serving as operators, but I can't figure out how to suppress this and evaluate these cells as simple strings. Thanks so much!
microsoft-excel worksheet-function
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I'm analyzing some survey data in which the responses are in the form of a string containing inequalities, e.g.
a) < 5
b) 5-10
c) 11-15
d) > 15
I'm attempting to tabulate responses using the Countifs function, and Excel does not appear to parse the value of the cell with the criteria argument as a string, and so returns 'False' for those bins; it does not evaluate a cell containing the string '< 5' as being equal to another cell containing '< 5', or the literal argument "< 5".
A comparison of the reference cells in other formulas, using = or EXACT() returns TRUE.
I know the criteria argument of the conditional operators like COUNTIF(), SUMIF(), etc. use strings with inequalities when they're actually serving as operators, but I can't figure out how to suppress this and evaluate these cells as simple strings. Thanks so much!
microsoft-excel worksheet-function
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
Does anything here help? superuser.com/questions/1132899/…
– Rey Juna
Dec 7 at 22:52
Better share some sample data with us to create proper solution!!
– Rajesh S
Dec 8 at 5:37
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I'm analyzing some survey data in which the responses are in the form of a string containing inequalities, e.g.
a) < 5
b) 5-10
c) 11-15
d) > 15
I'm attempting to tabulate responses using the Countifs function, and Excel does not appear to parse the value of the cell with the criteria argument as a string, and so returns 'False' for those bins; it does not evaluate a cell containing the string '< 5' as being equal to another cell containing '< 5', or the literal argument "< 5".
A comparison of the reference cells in other formulas, using = or EXACT() returns TRUE.
I know the criteria argument of the conditional operators like COUNTIF(), SUMIF(), etc. use strings with inequalities when they're actually serving as operators, but I can't figure out how to suppress this and evaluate these cells as simple strings. Thanks so much!
microsoft-excel worksheet-function
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
I'm analyzing some survey data in which the responses are in the form of a string containing inequalities, e.g.
a) < 5
b) 5-10
c) 11-15
d) > 15
I'm attempting to tabulate responses using the Countifs function, and Excel does not appear to parse the value of the cell with the criteria argument as a string, and so returns 'False' for those bins; it does not evaluate a cell containing the string '< 5' as being equal to another cell containing '< 5', or the literal argument "< 5".
A comparison of the reference cells in other formulas, using = or EXACT() returns TRUE.
I know the criteria argument of the conditional operators like COUNTIF(), SUMIF(), etc. use strings with inequalities when they're actually serving as operators, but I can't figure out how to suppress this and evaluate these cells as simple strings. Thanks so much!
microsoft-excel worksheet-function
microsoft-excel worksheet-function
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
edited Dec 7 at 23:27
Twisty Impersonator
17.6k136395
17.6k136395
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
asked Dec 7 at 22:17
William Richter
82
82
Does anything here help? superuser.com/questions/1132899/…
– Rey Juna
Dec 7 at 22:52
Better share some sample data with us to create proper solution!!
– Rajesh S
Dec 8 at 5:37
add a comment |
Does anything here help? superuser.com/questions/1132899/…
– Rey Juna
Dec 7 at 22:52
Better share some sample data with us to create proper solution!!
– Rajesh S
Dec 8 at 5:37
Does anything here help? superuser.com/questions/1132899/…
– Rey Juna
Dec 7 at 22:52
Does anything here help? superuser.com/questions/1132899/…
– Rey Juna
Dec 7 at 22:52
Better share some sample data with us to create proper solution!!
– Rajesh S
Dec 8 at 5:37
Better share some sample data with us to create proper solution!!
– Rajesh S
Dec 8 at 5:37
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
As stated The countifs in the criteria accepts string and thus <5 is reading less than five not the string.
To get it to look at the string use "="
=COUNTIF(C2,"="&C3)
By adding the = before the <, Excel sees it as a string and not an operand.
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Instead of fighting the bugs of Excel and getting it to recognize the < symbol, I'd solve the problem by removing it altogether. Just replace <5 with something like 5_or_less and then COUNTIF should work.
=SUBSTITUTE(A1,"<5","5_or_less") will do the replacement for A1 and <5. You can put this in a new column, say B1. Then do another replacement for >15 in C1 like =SUBSTITUTE(B1,">15","15_or_more"). Then runCOUNTIFon columnC`.
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
As stated The countifs in the criteria accepts string and thus <5 is reading less than five not the string.
To get it to look at the string use "="
=COUNTIF(C2,"="&C3)
By adding the = before the <, Excel sees it as a string and not an operand.
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
As stated The countifs in the criteria accepts string and thus <5 is reading less than five not the string.
To get it to look at the string use "="
=COUNTIF(C2,"="&C3)
By adding the = before the <, Excel sees it as a string and not an operand.
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
As stated The countifs in the criteria accepts string and thus <5 is reading less than five not the string.
To get it to look at the string use "="
=COUNTIF(C2,"="&C3)
By adding the = before the <, Excel sees it as a string and not an operand.
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
As stated The countifs in the criteria accepts string and thus <5 is reading less than five not the string.
To get it to look at the string use "="
=COUNTIF(C2,"="&C3)
By adding the = before the <, Excel sees it as a string and not an operand.
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
answered Dec 8 at 0:21
Scott Craner
10.9k1814
10.9k1814
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Instead of fighting the bugs of Excel and getting it to recognize the < symbol, I'd solve the problem by removing it altogether. Just replace <5 with something like 5_or_less and then COUNTIF should work.
=SUBSTITUTE(A1,"<5","5_or_less") will do the replacement for A1 and <5. You can put this in a new column, say B1. Then do another replacement for >15 in C1 like =SUBSTITUTE(B1,">15","15_or_more"). Then runCOUNTIFon columnC`.
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Instead of fighting the bugs of Excel and getting it to recognize the < symbol, I'd solve the problem by removing it altogether. Just replace <5 with something like 5_or_less and then COUNTIF should work.
=SUBSTITUTE(A1,"<5","5_or_less") will do the replacement for A1 and <5. You can put this in a new column, say B1. Then do another replacement for >15 in C1 like =SUBSTITUTE(B1,">15","15_or_more"). Then runCOUNTIFon columnC`.
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Instead of fighting the bugs of Excel and getting it to recognize the < symbol, I'd solve the problem by removing it altogether. Just replace <5 with something like 5_or_less and then COUNTIF should work.
=SUBSTITUTE(A1,"<5","5_or_less") will do the replacement for A1 and <5. You can put this in a new column, say B1. Then do another replacement for >15 in C1 like =SUBSTITUTE(B1,">15","15_or_more"). Then runCOUNTIFon columnC`.
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
Instead of fighting the bugs of Excel and getting it to recognize the < symbol, I'd solve the problem by removing it altogether. Just replace <5 with something like 5_or_less and then COUNTIF should work.
=SUBSTITUTE(A1,"<5","5_or_less") will do the replacement for A1 and <5. You can put this in a new column, say B1. Then do another replacement for >15 in C1 like =SUBSTITUTE(B1,">15","15_or_more"). Then runCOUNTIFon columnC`.
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
answered Dec 7 at 23:59
Docconat
83
83
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Does anything here help? superuser.com/questions/1132899/…
– Rey Juna
Dec 7 at 22:52
Better share some sample data with us to create proper solution!!
– Rajesh S
Dec 8 at 5:37