[Solved] How to trigger a formula using text

[RusselB]

I am very new to spreadsheets and not much of a computer person.

I have a column that is either 'yes' or 'no'.

Depending on which condition there is two different formulas.

So very roughly:

D3 is either 'yes' or 'no'

If 'yes' then F3 = C3/B3
If ' no' then G3 = G3 + C3
All help greatly appreciated.

[FJCC]

In F3 you can use the formula

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=IF(D3 = "yes";C3/B3;"")

You cannot have a cell containing a reference to itself. Do you really mean for G3 to contain

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G3 + C3

What are you trying to accomplish?

[Tinear]

Thanks for replying.

So looking at this again, there are two things that matter:

Is D3 "yes" or "no" and what happens with the value in C3.
As to G3 I could create another column deal with it,

So this would become:
If D3 = "no" then H3=G3+C3


I sort of had something similar to your IF formula, but I admit to being a bit lost with all the quotation marks.

=IF(D3 = "yes";C3/B3;"")


Effectively at the heart of the matter is, can you have two formulas in the same cell (D3) and use only one of them based on the text condition (yes or no) of that cell?

Pardon if I'm a bit scattered here. I have not had to think this way in several decades.

[Zizi64]

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=IF(D3 = "yes";C3/B3;"")

The "yes" is a string of the condition. The "" is an empty string. This will be the result when the condition is false. You can replace it with an another result.

How to use the IF:
=IF(Condition ; Result for the True ; Result for the False)

[Tinear]

Thank You for the reply.

Not sure I have grasped this entirely, but can I do:

D3 =IF(D3 = "yes";C3/B3; "no";H3 = G3+C3)

[FJCC]

If the only possible entries in D3 are yes and no, you can use

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D3 =IF(D3 = "yes";C3/B3; G3+C3)

That means that if D3 contains yes, the cell will display C3/B3 otherwise it will display G3 + C3

[Tinear]

Thanks for your reply.

And I got slightly off track a bit.
Ok, well I'm learning a little here and still not quite where I wish to be.

I think I may not be expressing my desire correctly.

What I am trying to do is have D3 = "yes" cause the formula F3 = C3/B3 to display in F3
and when D3 = "no" cause the formula H3 = G3 + C3 to display in H3

[RusselB]

In F3 enter the formula

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if(D3="yes";C3/B3;"")

In H3 enter the formula

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if(D3="no";G3+H3;"")

Please note that if you enter something other than yes or no in D3, then both F3 and H3 will appear empty.

[Tinear]

Thank you for your reply.

Think I learned a little something else with this answer, regarding how to look at the problem and from my own field, which can involve a lot of troubleshooting, this is huge part of the issue. Also learning some new, for me, lingo.

I won't have chance to try this out tonight, but all being well sometime tomorrow.

All greatly appreciated.

Stay Safe

[Tinear]

Thanks to all whom answered. I have learned a few things and ultimately this is what you want. This situation has been resolved.