How to determine difference?

If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to demonstrate
the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that at the moment if
I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is larger. What I want is
it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is 100 and B is 105, I would
like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 - then -5 - does this make sense? Any
help is MUCH appreciated.

one way:

=B1-A1

In article <10v0ggoi91s4c57@corp.supernews.com>,
"Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote:

> If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to demonstrate
> the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that at the moment if
> I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is larger. What I want is
> it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is 100 and B is 105, I would
> like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 - then -5 - does this make sense? Any
> help is MUCH appreciated.

Yeah I had thought of that, but what if @ the end of the annual cycle, it
ends up being negative, then I guess it will display skewered. I am
wondering if this might be an IF clause - but I have no idea how to set it
up. Though in the end I can use the logical one you have shared - so thanks!

"JE McGimpsey" <jemcgimpsey@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:jemcgimpsey-7DA6CF.16475820012005@msnews.microsoft.com...
> one way:
>
> =B1-A1
>
> In article <10v0ggoi91s4c57@corp.supernews.com>,
> "Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote:
>
>> If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to
>> demonstrate
>> the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that at the moment
>> if
>> I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is larger. What I want
>> is
>> it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is 100 and B is 105, I would
>> like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 - then -5 - does this make sense?
>> Any
>> help is MUCH appreciated.

Does this work for you?

=MAX(A1,B1)-MIN(A1,B1)
--

HTH,

RD
==============================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
==============================================

"Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote in message
news:10v0j33nrvrtb9a@corp.supernews.com...
Yeah I had thought of that, but what if @ the end of the annual cycle, it
ends up being negative, then I guess it will display skewered. I am
wondering if this might be an IF clause - but I have no idea how to set it
up. Though in the end I can use the logical one you have shared - so thanks!

"JE McGimpsey" <jemcgimpsey@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:jemcgimpsey-7DA6CF.16475820012005@msnews.microsoft.com...
> one way:
>
> =B1-A1
>
> In article <10v0ggoi91s4c57@corp.supernews.com>,
> "Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote:
>
>> If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to
>> demonstrate
>> the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that at the moment
>> if
>> I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is larger. What I want
>> is
>> it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is 100 and B is 105, I would
>> like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 - then -5 - does this make sense?
>> Any
>> help is MUCH appreciated.

=ABS(a1-b1)

Carlos

"Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote in message
news:10v0ggoi91s4c57@corp.supernews.com...
> If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to
> demonstrate the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that at
> the moment if I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is larger.
> What I want is it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is 100 and B is
> 105, I would like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 - then -5 - does this
> make sense? Any help is MUCH appreciated.
>

Thanks for the ideas! Both of those only work when the difference is an
increase - it does not register the negative correctly. Am I explaining this
clearly? I may just have to manually switch the number when I know it may be
a negative, unless there is a way to do this?
"CarlosAntenna" <carlos@antenna.com> wrote in message
news:%23kZQvQ2$EHA.2572@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> =ABS(a1-b1)
>
> Carlos
>
> "Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote in message
> news:10v0ggoi91s4c57@corp.supernews.com...
>> If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to
>> demonstrate the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that at
>> the moment if I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is
>> larger. What I want is it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is 100
>> and B is 105, I would like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 - then -5 -
>> does this make sense? Any help is MUCH appreciated.
>>
>
>

I think JE Mcgimpsey's answer was correct:
=B1-A1
When A1=100 and B1=105, B1-A1= 5;
when A1=100 and B1=95, B1-A1= -5,
exactly what you asked for.
Maybe there's more to your question?

(By the way, this is my first reply to a newsgroup. I hoped it works.)
Ray W

"Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote in message
news:10v10asfh6roo24@corp.supernews.com...
> Thanks for the ideas! Both of those only work when the difference is an
> increase - it does not register the negative correctly. Am I explaining
> this clearly? I may just have to manually switch the number when I know it
> may be a negative, unless there is a way to do this?
> "CarlosAntenna" <carlos@antenna.com> wrote in message
> news:%23kZQvQ2$EHA.2572@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> =ABS(a1-b1)
>>
>> Carlos
>>
>> "Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote in message
>> news:10v0ggoi91s4c57@corp.supernews.com...
>>> If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to
>>> demonstrate the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that
>>> at the moment if I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is
>>> larger. What I want is it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is
>>> 100 and B is 105, I would like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 -
>>> then -5 - does this make sense? Any help is MUCH appreciated.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Yep seems you are correct RW in pointing out that JE Mcgimpsey was correct!
Thanks to everyone for helping me!

"RW" <rw2rw@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ufMD%23k3$EHA.2076@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>I think JE Mcgimpsey's answer was correct:
> =B1-A1
> When A1=100 and B1=105, B1-A1= 5;
> when A1=100 and B1=95, B1-A1= -5,
> exactly what you asked for.
> Maybe there's more to your question?
>
> (By the way, this is my first reply to a newsgroup. I hoped it works.)
> Ray W
>
> "Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote in message
> news:10v10asfh6roo24@corp.supernews.com...
>> Thanks for the ideas! Both of those only work when the difference is an
>> increase - it does not register the negative correctly. Am I explaining
>> this clearly? I may just have to manually switch the number when I know
>> it may be a negative, unless there is a way to do this?
>> "CarlosAntenna" <carlos@antenna.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23kZQvQ2$EHA.2572@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>>> =ABS(a1-b1)
>>>
>>> Carlos
>>>
>>> "Fionavar" <fionavarXXX@perlucidus.XXX.net> wrote in message
>>> news:10v0ggoi91s4c57@corp.supernews.com...
>>>> If I have a cell that is 100 and another cell in which I want to
>>>> demonstrate the difference - how do I set this up? The problem is that
>>>> at the moment if I use a simple a1-b1 I get a negative number if b is
>>>> larger. What I want is it to indicate the change as a +/-. So if A is
>>>> 100 and B is 105, I would like to cell to indicate 5. If B is 95 -
>>>> then -5 - does this make sense? Any help is MUCH appreciated.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>