The N function is provided for compatibility with other spreadsheet programs. In most cases, using the N function is unnecessary, because Excel automatically converts values when needed. However, the N function is a simple way to convert TRUE and FALSE to their numeric equivalents, 1 and 0, as mentioned below.
Examples
The N function converts text values to zero: Numeric values and errors are not affected: The N function converts TRUE to 1 and FALSE to zero: There are several ways to perform this conversion in Excel, which is useful in more advanced formulas. For example, the formula below will return a count of cells in a range that contain more than 100 characters: This article explains other ways to convert TRUE and FALSE to 1 and 0.
Notes
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
