The ISERROR function checks if the value is an error.
Returns TRUE if it is and FALSE if not.
This function is especially useful for processing errors in formulas, preventing errors from spreading throughout a spreadsheet, and creating error-resistant calculations.
Syntax
ISERROR
Argument |
Description |
Permitted values |
|---|---|---|
value |
Value that is checked for being an error |
Any value (number, text, formula, cell reference, and so forth) |
Examples of use
Checking the result of division
=ISERROR(A1/B1)
If B1 equals 0, the function returns TRUE, since division by zero causes a #DIV/0! error.
Checking search results
=ISERROR(VLOOKUP("Unknown value", A1:B10, 2, FALSE))
If the cell with the text “Unknown value” is not present in the range A1:A10, the function will return TRUE, as the VLOOKUP function will not be able to find the value and will return the #N/A error.
Use with the condition function
=IF(ISERROR(A1/B1), "Calculation error", A1/B1)
In this case, if the division causes an error, the message “Calculation error” will be displayed; otherwise, the result of the division will be shown.
Notes
–To handle specific types of errors, use specialized functions: IFERROR, ISNA, and others.
–This function is often used in conjunction with the IF function to create conditional formulas for processing errors.
–The ISERROR function differs from the IFERROR function in that it only checks for the presence of an error, but does not return an alternative value.