#Invalid Operation when attempting to find difference between two cells

Dawn Jackson
Dawn Jackson ✭✭
inFormulas and Functions

Good afternoon!

I am trying to get the difference between two cells (both from formulas) but get the "Invalid Operation" instead. I know this is simple and I'm overlooking something!


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  • David Tutwiler
    David Tutwiler Overachievers Alumni

    First, pretty cool to see Decatur and Huntsville in your list as I live in Decatur.

    Onto your question, can you paste the formula you're using? I compare fields with formulas in them a lot and know that you can do it. I'm wondering if there is something being passed to a function that is returning your error.

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For your first one with the DISTINCT function, you just need to move one of the closing parenthesis from the very end to to after [PRODUCTS OTHER]@row. You need to close the DISTINCT function before you enter your delimiter for the JOIN function.<\/p>


<\/p>

For the second piece, you would \"add\" the INDEX\/COLLECT to the JOIN.<\/p>

=INDEX(...........) + \" , \" + JOIN(..........)<\/p>"},{"commentID":397706,"body":"

My suggestion would be to swap the comma out for a line break and convert the column into a multi-select dropdown column.<\/p>

=INDEX(COLLECT({PROFIT CENTRE}, {PRODUCT MATCH}, [PRIMARY PRODUCT]@row), 1) + CHAR(10)<\/strong> + JOIN(DISTINCT(COLLECT({PROFIT CENTRE}, {PRODUCT MATCH}, CONTAINS(@cell, [PRODUCTS OTHER]@row))), CHAR(10)<\/strong>)<\/p>"}]}},"status":{"statusID":3,"name":"Accepted","state":"closed","recordType":"discussion","recordSubType":"question"},"bookmarked":false,"unread":false,"category":{"categoryID":322,"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions","allowedDiscussionTypes":[]},"reactions":[{"tagID":3,"urlcode":"Promote","name":"Promote","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":5,"count":0},{"tagID":5,"urlcode":"Insightful","name":"Insightful","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":11,"urlcode":"Up","name":"Vote Up","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":13,"urlcode":"Awesome","name":"Awesome","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0}],"tags":[]},{"discussionID":111001,"type":"question","name":"If then formula help","excerpt":"Hi All! I have a column , Average Score, that has been calculated using other fields. I want to use the average score to determine if an initiative is a program or project. If the initiative’s average score is between: 5 and 9 it is considered a project and if the score is between 10 and 15, it is considered a program. I…","snippet":"Hi All! I have a column , Average Score, that has been calculated using other fields. I want to use the average score to determine if an initiative is a program or project. If the…","categoryID":322,"dateInserted":"2023-09-29T16:44:08+00:00","dateUpdated":null,"dateLastComment":"2023-09-29T16:50:42+00:00","insertUserID":83926,"insertUser":{"userID":83926,"name":"Brittany Graves","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Brittany%20Graves","photoUrl":"https:\/\/aws.smartsheet.com\/storageProxy\/image\/images\/u!1!u7_Cp_0Sp_w!g9FB3_V0hXw!s8EmBme9iOr","dateLastActive":"2023-09-29T17:36:04+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭✭"},"updateUserID":null,"lastUserID":45516,"lastUser":{"userID":45516,"name":"Paul Newcome","title":"","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Paul%20Newcome","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/userpics\/082\/nQPUTVFKKWDJ2.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-10-01T02:30:17+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭✭✭✭✭✭"},"pinned":false,"pinLocation":null,"closed":false,"sink":false,"countComments":3,"countViews":20,"score":null,"hot":3392013890,"url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/111001\/if-then-formula-help","canonicalUrl":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/111001\/if-then-formula-help","format":"Rich","lastPost":{"discussionID":111001,"commentID":397710,"name":"Re: If then formula help","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/comment\/397710#Comment_397710","dateInserted":"2023-09-29T16:50:42+00:00","insertUserID":45516,"insertUser":{"userID":45516,"name":"Paul Newcome","title":"","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Paul%20Newcome","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/userpics\/082\/nQPUTVFKKWDJ2.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-10-01T02:30:17+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭✭✭✭✭✭"}},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/"},{"name":"Get Help","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/get-help"},{"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions"}],"groupID":null,"statusID":3,"attributes":{"question":{"status":"accepted","dateAccepted":"2023-09-29T16:48:52+00:00","dateAnswered":"2023-09-29T16:47:45+00:00","acceptedAnswers":[{"commentID":397708,"body":"

You would use something like this:<\/p>

=IF(AND([Average Score]@row>= 5, [Average Score]@row<= 9), \"Project\", IF(AND([Average Score]@row>= 10, [Average Score]@row<= 15), \"Program\"))<\/p>"}]}},"status":{"statusID":3,"name":"Accepted","state":"closed","recordType":"discussion","recordSubType":"question"},"bookmarked":false,"unread":false,"category":{"categoryID":322,"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions","allowedDiscussionTypes":[]},"reactions":[{"tagID":3,"urlcode":"Promote","name":"Promote","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":5,"count":0},{"tagID":5,"urlcode":"Insightful","name":"Insightful","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":11,"urlcode":"Up","name":"Vote Up","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":13,"urlcode":"Awesome","name":"Awesome","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0}],"tags":[]},{"discussionID":110985,"type":"question","name":"Dashboard Last Updated Date","excerpt":"I would like to display the last time the dashboard was updated. My approach was adding a date field in the summary data that automatically pulls the last saved date of the sheet. I don't think I can do a formula in the date field type. Any other suggestions?","snippet":"I would like to display the last time the dashboard was updated. My approach was adding a date field in the summary data that automatically pulls the last saved date of the sheet.…","categoryID":322,"dateInserted":"2023-09-29T12:56:38+00:00","dateUpdated":"2023-09-29T23:58:27+00:00","dateLastComment":"2023-09-29T16:19:19+00:00","insertUserID":167704,"insertUser":{"userID":167704,"name":"Jenn Moffett","title":"Director, PMO","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Jenn%20Moffett","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/defaultavatar\/nWRMFRX6I99I6.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-09-29T15:38:19+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭"},"updateUserID":166028,"lastUserID":167704,"lastUser":{"userID":167704,"name":"Jenn Moffett","title":"Director, PMO","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Jenn%20Moffett","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/defaultavatar\/nWRMFRX6I99I6.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-09-29T15:38:19+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭"},"pinned":false,"pinLocation":null,"closed":false,"sink":false,"countComments":2,"countViews":35,"score":null,"hot":3391997757,"url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/110985\/dashboard-last-updated-date","canonicalUrl":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/110985\/dashboard-last-updated-date","format":"Rich","tagIDs":[292,335],"lastPost":{"discussionID":110985,"commentID":397701,"name":"Re: Dashboard Last Updated Date","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/comment\/397701#Comment_397701","dateInserted":"2023-09-29T16:19:19+00:00","insertUserID":167704,"insertUser":{"userID":167704,"name":"Jenn Moffett","title":"Director, PMO","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Jenn%20Moffett","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/defaultavatar\/nWRMFRX6I99I6.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-09-29T15:38:19+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭"}},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/"},{"name":"Get Help","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/get-help"},{"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions"}],"groupID":null,"statusID":3,"attributes":{"question":{"status":"accepted","dateAccepted":"2023-09-29T15:39:37+00:00","dateAnswered":"2023-09-29T14:10:25+00:00","acceptedAnswers":[{"commentID":397662,"body":"

Hi @Jenn Moffett<\/a>,<\/p>

One approach is as follows.<\/p>

  1. Create a helper column. Name it \"Modified\", and select \"Modified Date\" as the column type. You can optionally hide this column.<\/li>
  2. Create a Sheet Summary field. Name is \"Last Updated\", and select \"Date\" as the column type.<\/li>
  3. Type the following formula into the \"Last Updated\" Sheet Summary field: =MAX(Modified:Modified)<\/li><\/ol>

    Hope that helps! I just tested it before recommending, and it worked like a charm! :)<\/p>

    BRgds,<\/p>

    -Ray<\/p>"}]}},"status":{"statusID":3,"name":"Accepted","state":"closed","recordType":"discussion","recordSubType":"question"},"bookmarked":false,"unread":false,"category":{"categoryID":322,"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions","allowedDiscussionTypes":[]},"reactions":[{"tagID":3,"urlcode":"Promote","name":"Promote","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":5,"count":0},{"tagID":5,"urlcode":"Insightful","name":"Insightful","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":11,"urlcode":"Up","name":"Vote Up","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":13,"urlcode":"Awesome","name":"Awesome","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0}],"tags":[{"tagID":292,"urlcode":"dashboards","name":"Dashboards"},{"tagID":335,"urlcode":"sheet-summary","name":"Sheet Summary"}]}],"initialPaging":{"nextURL":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/api\/v2\/discussions?page=2&categoryID=322&includeChildCategories=1&type%5B0%5D=Question&excludeHiddenCategories=1&sort=-hot&limit=3&expand%5B0%5D=all&expand%5B1%5D=-body&expand%5B2%5D=insertUser&expand%5B3%5D=lastUser&status=accepted","prevURL":null,"currentPage":1,"total":10000,"limit":3},"title":"Trending in Formulas and Functions ","subtitle":null,"description":null,"noCheckboxes":true,"containerOptions":[],"discussionOptions":[]}">

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