Microsoft KB Archive/119148

= TYPE Function Doesn't Return Value 8 for Formula =

Article ID: 119148

Article Last Modified on 8/15/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 4.0a
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0c
 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 95a
 * Microsoft Excel 4.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0a for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q119148





SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel, when you use the TYPE function on a worksheet to return the type of information in a cell, the value 8 is not returned when the cell contains a formula.



CAUSE
The TYPE function returns information about the type of value that is contained in a cell. Microsoft Excel Help indicates that the TYPE function returns 8 when the cell you are evaluating contains a formula. However, when the cell contains a formula, the TYPE function returns a number based on the value returned by the function, not the function itself.

Example
A1: =SUM(B1:C3) A2: =TYPE(A1) Because the function in cell A1 returns a number value, the TYPE function in cell A2 returns the value 1, for a number value, instead of the value 8 for a formula value.

Note that the return value 8 was introduced in the version 4.0a function reference. This value was not included in the documentation for the TYPE function in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel.

