| Formula Overview > Operators in a Formula |
The following table lists the available operators. For each operator, an example is given of the syntax of using a literal value as well as a cell reference. The type of value returned is given for each type of operator.
| Type of Operator | Example Syntax | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Description | Literal & Literal | Cell Ref & Literal | Type Returned |
| Binary Operators | ||||
| + | Add | 5 + 3 | A1 + 3 | double |
| – | Subtract | 5 – 3 | A1 – 3 | double |
| * | Multiply | 5 * 3 | A1 * 3 | double |
| / | Divide | 5 / 3 | A1 / 3 | double |
| ^ | Exponent | 5 ^ 3 | A1 ^ 3 | double |
| & | Concatenate | "F" & "p" | A1 & "p" | string |
| = | Equal | A1 <> 3 | boolean | |
| < > | Not Equal | A1 = 3 | boolean | |
| < | Less Than | A1 <3 | boolean | |
| > | Greater Than | A1 > 3 | boolean | |
| <= | Less Than Or Equal | A1 <= 3 | boolean | |
| >= | Greater Than Or Equal | A1 >= 3 | boolean | |
| Unary Operators | ||||
| - | Negate | -(5/3) | -(A1/3) | double |
| + | Plus | +(5/3) | +(A1/3) | double |
| % | Percent | (5/3)% | (A1/3)% | double |
Operators specify the type of calculation that you want to perform on the elements of a formula. Most of the operators return double-precision floating point values for mathematical operations and boolean (or logical) values for comparison operators.
In Spread, all arithmetic operators (including the unary +) check their arguments and return a #VALUE error if any of the arguments are strings that can not be converted to a number. This is mathematically correct behavior and can not be overridden. For example, the three formulas +B5 and 0+B5 and --B5 should all produce the same result and, in Spread, they do.
Because more than one operator may be used in a formula, so be sure you understand the Order of Precedence.
The mathematical operators and unary operators may also be used with date-time and time-span values, as summarized in Using Operators with Dates and Times.
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