Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Determining a Value of a Cell.
You already know that a cell in a worksheet can contain any number of different items: numbers, dates, formulas, and so on. There may be times when you want to determine the underlying value in a cell, without regard to the way the cell is formatted. For this need, Excel provides the N worksheet function. For instance, let's assume that cell F17 contains a date. If you use = N(F17) as your formula, the value returned by the formula is the underlying serial number used for the date.
Besides returning date serial numbers, the N worksheet function returns a number if the referenced value or cell can be resolved to a number, a 1 if the value or cell can be resolved to the logical value True, and a 0 for anything else. The following provides a few examples of how the N worksheet function works:
| Value in F17 | Returned by = N(F17) | |
|---|---|---|
| 3/17/19 | 43541 | |
| 37.14 | 37.14 | |
| TRUE | 1 | |
| Quarter 1 | 0 | |
| 5:40 | 0.236111 |
There is another rather unique (and very esoteric) use for the N function—you can use it to add comments to formulas. For instance, consider the following:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: 
=SUM(A2:A267) + N("sales for northwest region")
Because N returns a value of 0 for the text (as indicated in the table above), adding 0 to the result of the SUM doesn't affect the return value at all. It may look a little strange in the Formula bar, but the result is that you are able to handily document what the formula does.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11552) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Determining a Value of a Cell.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
If you need to insert into a cell the name of the workbook in which a worksheet is contained, you can use the CELL ...
Discover MoreWhen working with data taken from the real world, you often have to determine which certain conditions were met, such as ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to easily convert values from decimal to other numbering systems, such as hexadecimal. This tip explains ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-02-01 17:17:36
Preston
The comment trick is new to me--thanks for sharing! Now where to use it first... :)
2019-01-30 09:30:17
Mechie
I came across the +N("some text") usage many years ago as a way to comment directly within the cell / cell's formula. I can't recall what led me to stumble upon it. I use it occasionally. I've never encountered anyone else who even knows of it. Esoteric is right!
2019-01-27 07:29:14
JMJ
Very nifty, the "comment" trick!
2019-01-26 16:21:17
Andrew
That's really cool
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2022 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments