TYPE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
What is TYPE function in Excel?
TYPE function is one of the Information functions in Microsoft Excel that returns the type of value. Use TYPE when the behavior of another function depends on the type of value in a particular cell.
Syntax of TYPE function
TYPE(value)
The TYPE function syntax has the following arguments:
- Value: Can be any Microsoft Excel value, such as a number, text, logical value, and so on.
| If value is | TYPE returns |
| Number | 1 |
| Text | 2 |
| Logical value | 4 |
| Error value | 16 |
| Array | 64 |
TYPE formula explanation
- TYPE is most useful when you are using functions that can accept different types of data, such as ARGUMENT and INPUT. Use TYPE to find out what type of data is returned by a function or formula.
- You cannot use TYPE to determine whether a cell contains a formula. TYPE only determines the type of the resulting, or displayed, value. If value is a cell reference to a cell that contains a formula, TYPE returns the type of the formula’s resulting value.
Example of TYPE function
Steps to follow:
1. Open a new Excel worksheet.
2. Copy data in the following table below and paste it in cell A1
Note: For formulas to show results, select them, press F2 key on your keyboard and then press Enter.
You can adjust the column widths to see all the data, if need be.
| Data | ||
| Smith | ||
| Formula | Description | Result |
| =TYPE(A2) | Returns the type of the value in A2. The Text type is indicated by 2. | 2 |
| =TYPE(“Mr. “&A2) | Returns the type of “Mr. Smith, which is Text. | 2 |
| =TYPE(2+A2) | Returns the type of the formula in C6, which returns 16, the type for the error message #VALUE! The error message #VALUE! is shown in C7. | 16 |
| =(2+A2) | The error value returned by the formula =(2+A2), which is used in C2. | #VALUE! |
| =TYPE({1,2;3,4}) | Returns the type of an array constant, which is 64. | 64 |