WD: Negative Numbers Miscalculated in Word Table

ID: Q95407

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

Word miscalculates negative numbers in a table in the following cases.

Case 1 (Word 2.x and Word 6.x)

When you use the SUM function, and the negative marking (such as a minus sign or parentheses) is to the right of the dollar sign

   $ -300.0
   $ (300.0)

Word adds the number instead of subtracting it.

NOTE: If you bookmark the values, Word reads the minus sign or parentheses as a string character, which causes the bookmarked number to have a value of 0 (zero) when you use the bookmark name in a calculation.

Case 2 (Word 6.x and Later)

Numbers enclosed within parentheses are ignored if they are more than one column away from the formula. In the following table, the result of the calculation is 7, instead of the expected result of 6:

   1  (2)  3  4  {=SUM(LEFT)}

When Word encounters the parentheses, it treats the number as text and disregards any other numbers to the left of it.

WORKAROUND

Case 1

Move the dollar sign to the immediate left of the number. For example, change this

     $ -300.0
     $ (300.0)

to this:

     - $300.0
     ( $300.0)

Case 2

Method 1:

Use negative signs instead of parentheses.

Method 2:

Change the formula to refer to the cell range. Change the formula in this table

             1  (2)  3  4  {=SUM(LEFT)}

to this:

             1  (2)  3  4  {=SUM(A1:D1)}

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: above right below

Keywords          : winword macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a,98; WINDOWS:2.0,2.0a,2.0a- CD,2.0b,2.0c,6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a,97
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: February 3, 1998