software

I'm trying to get excel 2000 to return one formula if something is true and
another if it's false. This is what I have so far:
=IF(C4gt;C3,=(C4-C3),=(C3-C4))

but it's telling me there's an error in my formula. Is this something Excel
just an't do? C3 and C4 are times and I need to know the difference between
them. I know Excel can't display time as a negative number, and I've tried
multiplying the answer by 24 and displaying it as a number not time, but it's
not right either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi

=C4-C3 (C4lt;C3)

An explanation. Time in Excel is a decimal. A full day (24 hours) equals to
1 - the same as logical value TRUE. Logical value FALSE equals to 0.
I.e. when C4gt;C3, then the eqation is C4-C3 0;
when C4lt;C3, then the equation is 1 C4-C3--
Arvi Laanemets
( My real mail address: arvi.laanemetslt;atgt;tarkon.ee )
quot;Rachel Kochquot; lt;Rachel gt; wrote in message
...
gt; I'm trying to get excel 2000 to return one formula if something is true
gt; and
gt; another if it's false. This is what I have so far:
gt; =IF(C4gt;C3,=(C4-C3),=(C3-C4))
gt;
gt; but it's telling me there's an error in my formula. Is this something
gt; Excel
gt; just an't do? C3 and C4 are times and I need to know the difference
gt; between
gt; them. I know Excel can't display time as a negative number, and I've
gt; tried
gt; multiplying the answer by 24 and displaying it as a number not time, but
gt; it's
gt; not right either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
quot;Rachel Kochquot; wrote:
gt; I'm trying to get excel 2000 to return one formula if
gt; something is true and another if it's false. This is
gt; what I have so far: =IF(C4gt;C3,=(C4-C3),=(C3-C4))
gt; but it's telling me there's an error in my formula.

Because of the quot;=quot; in the middle. What you want is:

=if(c4gt;c3, c4-c3, c3-c4)

Alternatively:

=abs(c4-c3)

But I am not sure that really meets your needs ....

gt; C3 and C4 are times and I need to know the difference
gt; between them.

If c4 is the later time and c4 lt; c3 arises because you have
gone past midnight, simply doing c3 - c4 does not give you
the correct amount of elapsed time. What you might really
want is:

=if(c4gt;c3, c4-c3, 1 c4-c3)

Or simply:

=c4-c3 (c4lt;c3)

On the other hand, that would not detect the situation
when you have gone past midnight __and__ past c3
the following day.