If blank, populate cell, if not blank then ignore.

Nate Ensor

Can't quite complete this formula. I want the formula cell to copy the "Company name" if true (the box is checked), but I want it to remain what it is, if false (not checked). But I get an "Invalid column value" error. Maybe an IF and IsBlank combination? I can't get that to work either.

=IF([Ship to info the same as Bill to?]@row, [Company Name]@row, [Ship to info the same as Bill to?]1)

Jeff Reisman

A formula can't reference the cell it is in. You can't put a formula into a cell telling it not to change value, because no value has been set yet. So you need to tell the formula what the value should be if the Ship to info the same as Bill to? box is checked, and what it should be if it's unchecked (whether that's a static value, another formula, a value from another cell, or just left blank.

The syntax for IF is: =IF(logical expression, value if true, value if false)

It would be structured something like this:

=IF([Ship to info the same as Bill to?]@row = 1, [Company Name]@row, include a value, formula, or cell reference here)

In English, if the "Ship to info the same as Bill to?" box on this row is checked, put the Company Name value from this row in this cell, otherwise, put this other value in this cell.

Nate Ensor

ok that makes sense, but I need the "other value" to be whatever is already in the cell. Sounds like that would be a different formula if there isn't an option to have an IF essentially stop after "true" or a code to retain current info?

Jeff Reisman

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/332121#Comment_332121

Let me see if I can make this clear. You're looking for a formula that cannot exist in Smartsheet. If you have any value in a cell already, you can't have a formula in that same field. If you have a formula in a field, you can't say if the expression is false, leave this the value it was before... because it never was a value in the first place.

Nate Ensor

right, so I'd need the data in another column...which would then easily work with the IF formulas. thanks

Jeff Reisman

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/332126#Comment_332126

Bingo!