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How can you change positive/negative numbers and negative/positive numbers?

  • December 10, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 294 views

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Hi I am looking for a way to change negative amounts to positives and visa versa. Am currently doing in excel and moving over but wondering if possible in Airtable?

Can anyone help please?

Thanks, Maria

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4 replies

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Use a formula to multiply by -1?


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  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • December 10, 2018

Use a formula to multiply by -1?


Thanks David - works a treat just like excel! Did kinda try with formula before but couldn’t get it to work. Thanks again


  • Participating Frequently
  • November 23, 2019

I came across the same problem when calculating travel time using ‘duration’ instead of date. Since we do not travel backwards in time, I created this formula using * -1 to end up with a positive number (i.e. leaving Brussels at 21:00 and arriving in a German city at 08:15 next morning.

IF({End Timed}-{Start Time} < 0, (({End Timed}-{Start Time})*-1), {End Timed}-{Start Time})

I hope it helps a bit for anyone who is trying to solve a comparable problem.


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  • New Participant
  • November 26, 2021

I have a strange way of accomplishing this, but because I tend to upload with CSV, I wanted something that would stick. I primarily deal with costs, so I’ll speak in those terms.

I create two columns: Import Cost and Actual Cost.
Imported Cost is a straight currency number which allows for negative numbers.
Actual Cost is a function >> Import Cost *-1
Then, I hide the Import Cost column.

When I import my CSV, I connect the data to the Import Cost.
After it imports, the Actual Cost column populates correctly, and I don’t even see the Import Cost because I’ve hidden it. This way, it’ll hold the import selection and bring in all new CSVs correctly.

Hope this helps.