Microsoft® Excel® 2010 Formulas & Functions Inside Out

SIGN()

Syntax. SIGN(number)

Definition. This function returns the sign of a number. SIGN() returns the following values:

• 1 if the number is positive

• 0 if the number is 0

• –1 if the number is negative

Argument

• number (required) Any real number

Background. Numbers greater than zero are positive numbers and have the plus sign (+). Numbers less than zero are negative and have a minus sign (–). The plus sign can be omitted. The number 0 is neither positive nor negative.

With the SIGN() function, you can filter values based on their sign.

Example. Assume that you want to filter the subsidiaries that generate negative revenues in a sales list. First, you display the sum of the losses (see Figure 16-25).

Figure 16-25. Revenues with different signs.

You enter the ...