# Solved: Plus/Minus Symbols in Excel



## kaktus

I need to be able to use the plus + and the minus - symbol in excel. Every time I try, it turns it into some sort of formula. How can I make it so that I can actually SEE the symbol and use it as I need it.
It's for a chart for some special learning students and I need to mark whether or not they are improving or not, and I'd like those two symbols to represent their growth.
Any help would be appreciated.


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## jimr381

Welcome to the forum. How do you want it to deduce if they need one plus or multiple pluses? How do you want to do the same for minuses? This is kind of vague so you will have to fill you in.


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## kaktus

I don't want it to deduce or add or anything. I just want to view the ACTUAL plus and minus symbol. 
My only other option, which will look kind of lousy, is to just print the darned thing out and WRITE the plus and minus symbol.
Sorry it was vague.


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## kaktus

Here's a sorta, kinda example:

Student Growth
Bob +
Chuck +
Sally -
Susie +
Billy -


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## jimr381

Are there values that it is comparing so that it places a plus or minus in the cell? This should be easy to do with an If function.


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## kaktus

I agree. It SHOULD be easy. But it is not. I can find nobody who has any idea what I mean, although, I mean something so, very simple. I just want to see the ACTUAL plus or minus symbol. 
There are only words on this paper. There are no values. Even when I try to type a plus or a minus into a blank worksheet, it tells me I'm going to add up some cells.

I do not want to add. I do not want to subtract. This has nothing whatsoever to do with arithmetic.

I have found that I can type the symbols into a text document and then copy and paste them into the cells. I suppose that is what I'll have to do.

Thank you for your attempts to help me.
Guess I will just have to do it in a word document.


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## MRdNk

All you need to do is add ' before any value in your cell. This is a comment symbol, it won't show but anything after it will exactly as is.

*Welcome to the forum*.


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## Zack Barresse

Or you can format the cell(s) as text, then enter your data. Other than that MRdNk is right, and it will interpret everything as a formula.


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## jimr381

It should not be interpreting them as a formula unless she types an = beforehand. I just went and verified it and I can indeed type a + without it trying to add anything up. The = sign is what tells Excel to be aware that some sort of computation is about to happen. If for some reason yours is automatically trying to make a formula which it should not then you can comment it out like Mrdnk said.


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## Zack Barresse

Yes, it indeed does interpret that as a formula. It's Excel trying to auto-correct what it _thinks_ you are entering. Try entering this in a cell...

-Jim

Notice that #NAME! error? Text as formula, without entering an = sign. Ugh.


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## slurpee55

kaktus said:


> Here's a sorta, kinda example:
> 
> Student Growth
> Bob +
> Chuck +
> Sally -
> Susie +
> Billy -


Sorry, but even in General format a "+" or a "-" (without the quotes) just sits there. You can't enter -Zack or +Jim without an error, but your example, in which you start out with text identifies the whole cell as a text item.
So, how are your cells formatted that you are doing this???


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## slurpee55

=Bob+ gives and error (as does =Bob+1 or whatever, unless you have a list named Bob).


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## jimr381

I thought Kaktus was trying to have the name in one cell and the plus in another. If you try typing this out it sits as plain text unless you use a leading = to designate it as a fomrula. The standard format is general so it should indeed not be changing it unless she has changed her options.


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## slurpee55

Well, as I do it, whether it is |Bob+| or |Bob|+|, I get no problems.
So, unless Kaktus is deriving the name and the outcome (+ or -) from a formula, I don't see a problem either.


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## MRdNk

slurpee55 said:


> Well, as I do it, whether it is |Bob+| or |Bob|+|, I get no problems.
> So, unless Kaktus is deriving the name and the outcome (+ or -) from a formula, I don't see a problem either.


Agreed. That's funny I tested it with Bob, too.


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## slurpee55

Stouffer the cat would have something to say about that, I would presume....


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## kaktus

"All you need to do is add ' before any value in your cell. This is a comment symbol, it won't show but anything after it will exactly as is. "

MRdNk!!! *Thank you*! This worked great! It is *EXACTLY* the information that I needed. I am so glad you were able to understand what I meant!
You're AWESOME!
It looks great!

"Sorry, but even in General format a "+" or a "-" (without the quotes) just sits there. You can't enter -Zack or +Jim without an error, but your example, in which you start out with text identifies the whole cell as a text item.
"
That is exactly what I wanted it to do...just sit there. I want the kids name in one cell and the plus or minus in another. I don't want it to calculate, or anything.

Thanks everyone!!!


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## Zack Barresse

.. then format prior to entry, as text. Will save lots of headaches if your spreadsheet is setup beforehand.


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## slurpee55

Zack is right - and formatting as text is a lot easier than entering a " ' " before everything you type.


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## Zack Barresse

Less typing! Go Team Lazy!


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## slurpee55

Rah, Rah, Rah!!!


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## MRdNk

kaktus said:


> "All you need to do is add ' before any value in your cell. This is a comment symbol, it won't show but anything after it will exactly as is. "
> 
> MRdNk!!! *Thank you*! This worked great! It is *EXACTLY* the information that I needed. I am so glad you were able to understand what I meant!
> You're AWESOME!
> It looks great!


 Thanks.

You should probably format as text rather then this, but sometimes you just want a simple solutions, and its a good thing to know anyway.


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## jimr381

I would probably put the + or - in a separate column so you can sort and group them as well.  You should not have issues whatsoever if they are in a separate column.


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