IS Functions

This section describes the nine spreadsheet functions used for testing the type of a value or 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 a reference to an empty cell; otherwise it returns FALSE.

Syntax

ISBLANK(value)

ISERR(value)

ISERROR(value)

ISLOGICAL(value)

ISNA(value)

ISNONTEXT(value)

ISNUMBER(value)

ISREF(value)

ISTEXT(value)

Value is the value you want tested. Value can be a blank (empty cell), error, logical, text, number, or reference value, or a name referring to any of these, that you want to test.

Function	Returns TRUE if
ISBLANK	Value refers to an empty cell.
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 a 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 cell.)
ISNUMBER	Value refers to a number.
ISREF	Value refers to a reference.
ISTEXT	Value refers to text.

Function

Returns TRUE if

ISBLANK

Value refers to an empty cell.

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 a 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 cell.)

ISNUMBER

Value refers to a number.

ISREF

Value refers to a reference.

ISTEXT

Value refers to text.

Remarks

The value arguments 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).

Example 1

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank spreadsheet.

Create a blank spreadsheet.
Select the example in the Help topic.

Selecting an example from Help
Press CTRL+C.
In the spreadsheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
To switch between viewing the formula that returns the result and the result in the cell, select the cell and press F2 and then ENTER, or click Commands and Options on the spreadsheet toolbar, click the Formula tab, and look in the Formula in active cell (active cell) box.

Formula	Description (Result)
=ISLOGICAL(TRUE)	Checks whether TRUE is a logical value (TRUE)
=ISLOGICAL("TRUE")	Checks whether "TRUE" is a logical value (FALSE)
=ISNUMBER(4)	Checks whether 4 is a number (TRUE)

Formula

Description (Result)

=ISLOGICAL(TRUE)

Checks whether TRUE is a logical value (TRUE)

=ISLOGICAL("TRUE")

Checks whether "TRUE" is a logical value (FALSE)

=ISNUMBER(4)

Checks whether 4 is a number (TRUE)

Example 2

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank spreadsheet.

Create a blank spreadsheet.
Select the example in the Help topic.

Selecting an example from Help
Press CTRL+C.
In the spreadsheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
To switch between viewing the formula that returns the result and the result in the cell, select the cell and press F2 and then ENTER, or click Commands and Options on the spreadsheet toolbar, click the Formula tab, and look in the Formula in active cell (active cell) box.

Data
Gold
Region1
#REF!
330.92
#N/A
Formula	Description (Result)
=ISBLANK(A2)	Checks whether cell A2 is blank (FALSE)
=ISERROR(A4)	Checks whether #REF! is an error (TRUE)
=ISNA(A4)	Checks whether #REF! is the #N/A error (FALSE)
=ISNA(A6)	Checks whether #N/A is the #N/A error (TRUE)
=ISERR(A6)	Checks whether #N/A is an error (FALSE)
=ISNUMBER(A5)	Checks whether 330.92 is a number (TRUE)
=ISTEXT(A3)	Checks whether Region1 is text (TRUE)

Data

Gold

Region1

#REF!

330.92

#N/A

Formula

Description (Result)

=ISBLANK(A2)

Checks whether cell A2 is blank (FALSE)

=ISERROR(A4)

Checks whether #REF! is an error (TRUE)

=ISNA(A4)

Checks whether #REF! is the #N/A error (FALSE)

=ISNA(A6)

Checks whether #N/A is the #N/A error (TRUE)

=ISERR(A6)

Checks whether #N/A is an error (FALSE)

=ISNUMBER(A5)

Checks whether 330.92 is a number (TRUE)

=ISTEXT(A3)

Checks whether Region1 is text (TRUE)