Microsoft KB Archive/25189

= XL: Order of Operations in Formulas =

Article ID: 25189

Article Last Modified on 8/16/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 2.01
 * Microsoft Excel 2.1 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 2.10c
 * Microsoft Excel 2.10d
 * Microsoft Excel 3.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 4.0a
 * Microsoft Excel 4.0c
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0c
 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 95a
 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 1.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 1.03 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 1.04 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 1.06 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 1.5 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 1.5a for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 2.2 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 2.2a
 * Microsoft Excel 3.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 4.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0a for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0a for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q25189





SUMMARY
When you combine several operators into a single formula, Microsoft Excel performs the operations in the following order:

  :                 Range space            Intersection ,                Union -                Negation %                Percentage ^                Exponentiation * or /           Multiplication or Division + or -           Addition or Subtraction &                Text Operator = < > <= >= <>   Comparison Operators



MORE INFORMATION
If you want to alter this order, use parentheses to group expressions in your formula. Microsoft Excel first calculates the expression in parentheses, then uses those results to calculate the formula.

For example, the following formula

  =(5*4+2)

returns a value of 22, while the formula

  =5*(4+2)

returns a value of 30.

NOTE: This order of operation is different from the order of operation in Lotus 1-2-3.

The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

