4 ms·

“1/2” is a string. So “1/2”+1 is either an error because of datetype mismatch (which is terrible UX for a spreadsheet or going to mean one of the following to s

“1/2” is a string. So “1/2”+1 is either an error because of datetype mismatch (which is terrible UX for a spreadsheet or going to mean one of the following to scenarios: Date plus a day “1/2” concatenates with “1” The latter is wrong, the former, while unexpected, does kind of make the most sense here.

SAI_Peregrinus 2y ago
Excel allows bare strings, so `"1/2" + 1` is a string with embedded quotation marks. So that's a third option for what to do.
- hnlmorg 2y ago
  True. And that would probably make the most sense too. A very good point you’ve made there :)
dmurray 2y ago
Why would you favour "date plus a day" rather than "number plus a number"? I agree Excel has to guess, and in isolation guessing that "1/2" should be parsed a date is not a terrible choice, and that parsing the individual components separately is simpler and more predictable than using the full context that it's about to be added to a number. But evaluating to 1.5 would raise few eyebrows.
- hnlmorg 2y ago
  > Why would you favour "date plus a day" rather than "number plus a number"? Date is a number though. It’s only when we print them in a human readable way that they become anything else. Whereas 1/2 is an expression.
fragmede 2y ago
Haven't seen "1/21" as an answer yet
- hnlmorg 2y ago
  An answer where? Not sure I follow
  - fragmede 2y ago
    I just wanted to introduce "1/21" as an answer
    - hnlmorg 2y ago
      Ahh I see the confusion now. I suggested it in the comment you were replying to: > “1/2” concatenates with “1” …and thought you’d spotted that and was saying others had disagreed with the concatenation way of handling + operators with strings.
      - fragmede 2y ago
        "“1/2” concatenates with “1”" != "1/21"
        hnlmorg 2y ago
        That’s literally what concatenation is.
        fragmede 2y ago
        > Concatenate is a process of combining two or more strings into a single larger string. It's an important function in programming and computing because it allows you to store and combine multiple pieces of data when needed. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/concatenate/#:~:text=Concatenate%20is%20a%20process%20of,pieces%20of%20data%20when%20needed. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/concatenate/#:~:text=C... That doesn't make those two strings equal, however.
        hnlmorg 2y ago

SAI_Peregrinus 2y ago

Excel allows bare strings, so `"1/2" + 1` is a string with embedded quotation marks. So that's a third option for what to do.

hnlmorg 2y ago
True. And that would probably make the most sense too. A very good point you’ve made there :)

dmurray 2y ago

Why would you favour "date plus a day" rather than "number plus a number"? I agree Excel has to guess, and in isolation guessing that "1/2" should be parsed a date is not a terrible choice, and that parsing the individual components separately is simpler and more predictable than using the full context that it's about to be added to a number. But evaluating to 1.5 would raise few eyebrows.

hnlmorg 2y ago
> Why would you favour "date plus a day" rather than "number plus a number"? Date is a number though. It’s only when we print them in a human readable way that they become anything else. Whereas 1/2 is an expression.

fragmede 2y ago

Haven't seen "1/21" as an answer yet

hnlmorg 2y ago
An answer where? Not sure I follow
- fragmede 2y ago
  I just wanted to introduce "1/21" as an answer
  - hnlmorg 2y ago
    Ahh I see the confusion now. I suggested it in the comment you were replying to: > “1/2” concatenates with “1” …and thought you’d spotted that and was saying others had disagreed with the concatenation way of handling + operators with strings.
    - fragmede 2y ago
      "“1/2” concatenates with “1”" != "1/21"
      - hnlmorg 2y ago
        That’s literally what concatenation is.
        fragmede 2y ago
        > Concatenate is a process of combining two or more strings into a single larger string. It's an important function in programming and computing because it allows you to store and combine multiple pieces of data when needed. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/concatenate/#:~:text=Concatenate%20is%20a%20process%20of,pieces%20of%20data%20when%20needed. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/concatenate/#:~:text=C... That doesn't make those two strings equal, however.
        hnlmorg 2y ago