PlanMaker SIGN: Classify Positive, Negative and Zero Values
Classify signed values in PlanMaker, compare actuals with targets, apply an explicit tolerance and distinguish direction counts from net amounts.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =SIGN(-5) returns -1. SIGN returns 1 for a positive number, -1 for a negative number and 0 for zero. It reports direction relative to zero while discarding the original magnitude.
Availability and version history
- Introduced: Documented by the PlanMaker 2010 manual; the first introduction release is unknown.
- Availability: Listed in the 2026/NX English reference. No final supported-version endpoint is established.
- Scope: The checked desktop manuals do not establish identical behavior in every older, mobile or NX subscription build.
- Checked: October 14, 2026, against the official SIGN reference. Documentation and independent calculations; no native PlanMaker test.
Syntax and the three possible results
=SIGN(Number)
The single numeric argument is required. The official 2026 reference explicitly defines all three results. There is no optional precision argument or built-in “close enough to zero” threshold.
The result is a number, not a plus or minus text character. A positive value of 0.0004 and a positive value of 1200 both have sign 1, even though their sizes are very different.
Use ABS when you need the magnitude of a real value. SIGN and ABS answer complementary questions: for -5 they return -1 and 5 respectively.
Reproducible sign table
In a blank worksheet, set A1:D1 to Input, Sign, Absolute value, and Reconstructed input. Enter A2:A7:
| Row | A: Input | Expected B | Expected C | Expected D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | -5 | -1 | 5 | -5 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| 5 | -0.25 | -1 | 0.25 | -0.25 |
| 6 | 0.0004 | 1 | 0.0004 | 0.0004 |
| 7 | 1200 | 1 | 1200 | 1200 |
Enter =SIGN(A2) in B2, =ABS(A2) in C2 and =B2*C2 in D2. Fill B2:D2 through row 7. For these real numbers, multiplying the sign by the absolute value reconstructs the original input.
Do not interpret B3’s zero as an error. It is the documented result for an input equal to zero. The table uses an actual numeric zero; it does not establish how a blank cell or empty text would be coerced.
Advanced example: classify an actual-versus-target difference
On a separate blank worksheet, use A1:E1 for Actual, Target, Difference, Direction, and Label. Enter the following A:B pairs:
| Row | A: Actual | B: Target | Expected C | Expected D | Expected E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 95 | 100 | -5 | -1 | Below |
| 3 | 100 | 100 | 0 | 0 | Equal |
| 4 | 112 | 100 | 12 | 1 | Above |
Enter =A2-B2 in C2 and =SIGN(C2) in D2. In E2 enter:
=IF(D2<0,"Below",IF(D2>0,"Above","Equal"))
Fill C2:E2 through row 4. IF turns the numeric classification into a readable label while leaving the difference available.
“Above” is not automatically good, and “Below” is not automatically bad. Being above a sales target and being above a cost limit have different interpretations. SIGN classifies the arithmetic difference; your model supplies the meaning.
Define a tolerance separately when the model needs one
A displayed zero can conceal a small nonzero value. SIGN evaluates the stored number rather than the number of decimals shown in the cell.
Return to the first worksheet and put 0.001 in F1. In E2 enter:
=IF(ABS(A2)<=$F$1,0,SIGN(A2))
Fill through E7. The expected results are -1, 0, 1, -1, 0, 1. A6’s 0.0004 is now classified as zero by the explicitly chosen tolerance, while SIGN(A6) in B6 remains 1.
The <= includes values exactly at either tolerance boundary. This wrapper changes the decision rule; it does not change SIGN itself or round the source values. Choose a tolerance in the same units as the measured difference and justify it for the particular model.
Direction counts can hide a large amount
On another blank worksheet, enter -100, 1, 1 in A2:A4 and fill =SIGN(A2) from B2 through B4. =SUM(B2:B4) is 1, but =SUM(A2:A4) is -98. There are two positive observations and one negative observation, yet the total amount is negative.
A sum of signs is a balance of directions, not a net value. Keep amounts beside classifications when reporting both. SUM does not restore the magnitudes discarded by SIGN.
Errors and practical limits
The short reference does not specify every text, blank, Boolean or error-propagation case. Use numeric inputs for this workflow and inspect imported values rather than assuming their displayed appearance establishes their type.
Floating-point calculations can produce a tiny residual instead of exact zero. An explicit tolerance can be appropriate when the model defines one, but silently replacing all errors or small values with zero can hide faulty inputs.
English formulas here use commas between arguments. Follow PlanMaker’s formula-entry guidance for local settings. SIGN is a different function from SIN: the former classifies a sign, while the latter calculates a sine.