This article describes the nine functions used for testing the type of a value or column reference. Each of these functions, referred to collectively as the IS functions, checks the type of value and returns TRUE or FALSE depending on the outcome. For example, the ISBLANK function returns the logical value TRUE if value is empty; otherwise it returns FALSE.
Syntax
ISBLANK(value)
ISERR(value)
ISERROR(value)
ISLOGICAL(value)
ISNA(value)
ISNONTEXT(value)
ISNULL(value)
ISNUMBER(value)
ISTEXT(value)
Value is the value you are interested in. Value can be a blank, error, logical, text, number, or column reference.
| Function |
Returns TRUE if |
| ISBLANK |
Value refers to an empty column reference |
| ISERR |
Value refers to any error value except #N/A. |
| ISERROR |
Value refers to any error value (#N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!, #NAME?, or #NULL!). |
| ISLOGICAL |
Value refers to the logical value. |
| ISNA |
Value refers to the #N/A (value not available) error value |
| ISNONTEXT |
Value refers to any item that is not text. (Note that this function returns TRUE if value refers to a blank column reference.) |
| ISNULL |
Value refers to the #NULL! value |
| ISNUMBER |
Value refers to a number. |
| ISTEXT |
Value refers to a text. |
Remarks
- The value argument of the IS functions are not converted. For example, in most other functions where a number is required, the text value “19” is converted to the number 19. However, in the formula ISNUMBER(“19”). “19” is not converted from a text value, and the ISNUMBER function returns FALSE.
- The IS functions are useful in formulas for testing the outcome of a calculation. When combined with the IF function, they provide a method for locating errors in formulas. See the following examples for more information.
Example set 1
| Formula |
Description (Result) |
| =ISLOGICAL(TRUE) |
Checks whether TRUE is a logical value (Yes) |
| =ISLOGICAL(“TRUE”) |
Checks whether “TRUE” is a logical values (Yes) |
| =ISNUMBER(4) |
Checks whether 4 is a number (Yes) |
Example set 2
| Col1 |
Formula |
Description (Result) |
| “Gold” |
=ISBLANK([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col1 is blank (No) |
| #REF! |
=ISERROR([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col1 is an error (Yes) |
| #REF! |
=ISNA([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col1 is the #N/A error (No) |
| #N/A |
=ISNA([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col1is the #N/A error (Yes) |
| #N/A |
=ISERR([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col1 is an error (No) |
| #NULL! |
=ISNULL([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col 1 is #NULL! (Yes) |
| 330.92 |
=ISNUMBER([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col1 is a number (Yes) |
| “Region 1” |
=ISTEXT([Col1]) |
Checks whether the value in Col1 is text (Yes) |
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