XL98: OFFSET May Accept Negative Values for Height and Width

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you use the OFFSET worksheet function and type a negative number for the Width argument or Height argument, you receive a result and not an error value. This behavior is incorrect.

If the Width argument or the Height argument is less than -1 (-2,-3,-4, and so on), the result of the OFFSET function is the error value #VALUE! unless you enter the formula as an array formula. When you enter the formula as an array, you receive a result and not an error value. This behavior is also incorrect.

NOTE: To enter a formula as an array formula in Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, type the formula and press COMMAND+ENTER.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use a positive integer number for the Width argument and the Height argument of the OFFSET worksheet function.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.

MORE INFORMATION

According to Microsoft Excel Help, the OFFSET worksheet function requires that the Width argument and the Height argument be a positive number.

REFERENCES

For more information about the OFFSET worksheet function, click Contents And Index on the Help menu (or on the Balloon Help menu if you are using a version of the Macintosh operating system earlier than 8.0), click the Index button in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

OFFSET worksheet function

Additional query words: XL98

Keywords : kbdta xlformula
Version : MACINTOSH:98
Platform : MACINTOSH
Issue type : kbbug