Microsoft Excel Tutorial: XOR function does not do what most would expect.

Welcome back to the MrExcel Netcast, where we dive into all things Excel. In this episode, we're discussing the XOR function, also known as exclusive or, which was introduced in Excel 2013. While we've always had the AND and OR functions, XOR brings a new level of logic to our Excel formulas. But how does it work? Let's find out.

First, let's clarify what XOR means. It stands for exclusive or, meaning that it's looking for exactly one item to be true in order for the formula to return true. If both items are false, then XOR will return false. If one item is true and the other is false, XOR will return true. But here's where it gets interesting - if both items are true, XOR will return false. This is different from the OR function, which would return true in this scenario.

So why is XOR useful? Well, imagine you're on a scheduling committee and you need to assign shifts to volunteers. With XOR, you can easily find all the shifts where exactly one person has requested that shift. This eliminates the need for seniority rules and makes the scheduling process much smoother. However, there is a catch. XOR doesn't always work as expected, as we'll see in the examples in this video.

In this video, we'll explore the different scenarios where XOR may not give us the desired result. We'll also see how electrical engineers have a different perspective on XOR and why it's important for Excel to work the same way as computer chips. But don't worry, we'll also show you a better alternative to XOR that will give you the correct result every time. Plus, we'll share some behind-the-scenes tips on how to use icons and dynamic arrays in your Excel formulas. So sit back, relax, and let's dive into the world of XOR in Excel. And don't forget to vote for this video in the 2019 Excel Hash competition - the link is in the description below. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next netcast from MrExcel.

Buy Bill Jelen's latest Excel book: https://www.mrexcel.com/products/latest/

You can help my channel by clicking Like or commenting below: https://www.mrexcel.com/like-mrexcel-on-youtube/

This is my entry in the Excel 2019 Excel Hash Competition. Vote for your favorite video here: https://mrx.cl/2Lzu18A
Watch the other entries here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmHVyfmcRKyxfOLvOtx76xw8bbKgDvUwp
Covered in this video: Why does the XOR function return "wrong" results with more than two inputs.
Comparing XOR to ISODD
How to use icons in Excel
Linked Picture with a conditional selection of which icon to use.

#excel
#microsoft
#exceltutorial
#exceltips
#microsoftexcel
#excelchallenge
#excelformula
#excelformulasandfunctions
#exceldynamicarray

How to use XOR function in Excel
Exclusive OR in Excel
Why does XOR count if odd number of True?
Is there a bug in XOR in Excel
count if exactly one True in Excel
excel how to insert icons
how to format excel with icons
how to insert icons in excel
how to use condtional formating with icons on excel
how to use icons formatting in excel?
how to add camera in excel
how to use camera function in excel
how to use camera tool in excel
ways to use excel camera tool
where is camera in excel
can you use offset in an excel formula
excel named range with offset
dynamic named range with offset in excel

Table of Contents
(0:00) Walkthrough: Exclusive OR in Excel with XOR
(0:50) Use in Scheduling Committee
(1:13) XOR says 3 True values are True which is buggy
(1:42) Electical Engineers want XOR to behave like the chip
(2:13) Evaluating XOR two cells at a time
(3:00) ISODD function can do what XOR does
(3:22) Alternate formula to count if exactly one is true
(3:41) Excel Hash 2019 competition
(4:03) Two icons as linked conditional picture
(4:30) Inserting Icons in Excel
(5:25) Linked Picture in Excel
(6:15) Define a name with the OFFSET formula
(7:27) Use of Dynamic Arrays in the Hash competition

Join the MrExcel Message Board discussion about this video at https://www.mrexcel.com/board/threads/1154131/