if a positive # subtract the 2 otherwise us an absolute and add the 2

[scalelm]

=IF((F13>0,D13-F13,""),(SUM(ABS(F13)+D13)))

I'm try to say if F13 is a positive number then take F13 from the larger number D13 OTHERWISE add the F13 and D13 together as an absolute number

D E F G
$95,214 -$22,358 -$2,236 $97,450 this formual is =SUM(ABS(F12)+D12) - which works fine until F is a positive number like below

$95,214 $134,076 $14,897 $110,111

[MrShorty]

Perhaps my algebra/arithmetic is a little rusty, but do you even need the IF() statement or the ABS() function? It seems to me that simple D12-F12 will do the job:

1) when F<0 D-(-F)=D+F just by rules of arithmetic around subtracting a negative number.
2) when F>0 D-(+F)=D-F again just based on basic rules of arithmetic.

[bebo021999]

Sorry, pls ignore this post.

[bebo021999]

I think:
=D13-F13
follow your both rules?

[scalelm]

I think I've been staring at it too long.

Do you know of a condictional format that will had the #VALUE! until a the number is present?

[MrShorty]

I don't know about using conditional formatting to return an error value, but you could nest the formula inside of an IF() function that uses something like the ISBLANK() function. =IF(ISBLANK(F2),"nothing to see here",D2-F2)