Problem with CODE and CHAR functions

Originally Posted by jason.b75

Images don't work, try explaining your problem and attaching a workbook with a sample if necessary.

edit:-

Managed to get your image to load.

When the CODE function returns 63, it can mean a Unicode character, which would have a code higher than 255 ( the limit for the code function).

As it appears you already know, ö should return 246 as a character code, likewise, CHAR(246) should return ö and not ɸ which is Unicode character 632.

You're profile says you're using excel 2013, try =UNICODE(E2) and see what that returns.

Thanks for the response, even though not only I never managed to get the attachment working but I also accidentally erased my post. The problem was that, I've been reading a textbook and one of the examples was demonstrating how to use international / Unicode characters (the book also had sample files). In one of those fiels they had ö in one of the cells and then they referenced that cell in a CODE formula. In the image shown in the book, the result of this function is actually 246. However on my PC, it says 63. Obviously 63 is incorrect; I know that because code(63) is simply a question mark. Code(246) also does not work, even though according to the book it should.

The UNICODE formula works; it returns 246. What I want to know is, why does my textbook says it should work but it doesn't? Is the problem the fact that my computer is running a Greek version of Windows?

It could be related to the version of windows, without having the exact same setup to test theory it is impossible to say for certain.

I was trying to help another member with a completely different problem yesterday, but there were similar issues where things were not doing as expected.

Possibly it is down to different settings on your computer being in different languages (Greek windows running in English?) could mean that some irregular fonts are used to display certain characters.

Hold down the Alt key and type 0246 on the number keypad, that should show ö

Try it in excel and in the browser, are the results different?

Originally Posted by shg

If you paste it in a post, I'll tell you what it is.

In the OP's absence, my observations so far.

The character in the image, located in E2 is ö

OP is saying that =CODE(E2) incorrectly returns 63. =UNICODE(E2) correctly returns 246.

As 246 falls within the boundaries of the ANSI character set, surely CODE should work correctly?

The image also indicates that =CHAR(246) which should return ö actually returns ɸ which is Unicode character 0632.

I'm wondering if the CODE runs with a different character set on a Greek operating system, I've been looking around but so far not found anything where 246 refers to the ɸ character.

Hey. Alt + 0246 correctly returns ö in Excel (and, of course, in my browser).. However when I use CODE on it, it returns 63. It's seriously puzzling me.
I'm running Greek Windows but Office is in English. I guess I'll also try it tomorrow on my work's laptop (which is in English).

Originally Posted by jason.b75

Would you mind running a test on the full ANSI character set? I'm curious to see what else occurs.

On a blank sheet, enter this formula into A1, then drag it right to column Z and down to row 10. (Z6:Z10 should show #VALUE! errors, the rest should show characters).

In A11, enter =CODE(A1) then drag right to column Z and down to row 20, this should show the codes for the characters returned by the first formula.

The numbers should run consecutive, 1 to 10 in column A, 11 to 20 in column B, etc. up to 255 in Z15 (Z16:Z20 should show errors again).

If you autofit the columns, it should fit into a screen capture.

I'll look into this some more tomorrow, hopefully shg, or other members, will notice something obvious that I have missed.

Hi, you didn't write the formula but I think this is what you are asking for (hope the image gets uploaded this time)
aBp0YZ5.png

Urgh, sorry for the double post but I still can't figure out how to upload an image, anyway here's a direct imgur link
http://i.imgur.com/aBp0YZ5.png
It would appear that the second half of the ASCII set is made up of Greek characters...

Thanks a million guys. The problem has been solved. For the record, using UNICHAR and UNICODE instead of CHAR and CODE fixes the problem. Appreciate the answers.