Use the workbook
Before sharing a four-field worksheet, decide which cells still need input. Use Calc to compare a true blank, numeric zero, a formula returning empty text and the text "0". Zero is permitted in this exercise; numeric input is required only where the field rule says so.
| Cell | Stored content | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| B5 | Blank | No entry |
| B6 | Numeric 0 | A real zero |
| B7 | ="" | Formula with no visible text |
| B8 | Text "0" | Not a numeric cell |
Change the inputs
COUNT(B5:B8)=1, COUNTA(B5:B8)=3 and COUNTBLANK(B5:B8)=2. If the task is to find visibly missing answers, COUNTBLANK includes the formula-empty cell. Enter numeric 5 in B5: the counts become 2, 4 and 1. Inspect B7 in the formula bar so its blank display is not mistaken for a cell without a formula.
Check the misleading result
4−COUNTA gives 1, so it misses the formula-empty answer. COUNTA includes text "0" too: three nonempty cells do not mean three numeric entries. Do not replace missing entries with zero to improve a completeness total.
After entering 5, does COUNTBLANK=1 mean there is one cell with no formula or value?
Show the worked answer
No. B7 still contains ="". The count describes a blank result, not absence of a formula.