Inequality operator (<>)

Returns whether the first value is not equal to the second value. 2 <> 32 <> 3 returns TRUE, but 2 <> 22 <> 2 and "a" <> "A""a" <> "A" return FALSE. Text string comparisons are case-insensitive.

This operator also works with arrays. { 5, 7 } <> 7{ 5; 7 } <> 7 returns the array { TRUE, FALSE }{ TRUE; FALSE } (equivalent to { 5 <> 7, 7 <> 7 }{ 5 <> 7; 7 <> 7 }) and { 5, 7 } <> { 5, 10 }{ 5; 7 } <> { 5; 10 } returns the array { FALSE, TRUE }{ FALSE; TRUE } (equivalent to { 5 <> 5, 7 <> 10 }{ 5 <> 5; 7 <> 10 }).

Related operators and functions

The != operator is similar to this operator, but is case-sensitive and returns a single logical value when applied to arrays (see below for an example).

The EXACT function may be used to compare to text strings in a case-sensitive manner, like the != operator.

The first formula below returns FALSE and the remaining three formulas return TRUE:

"Test" <> "test""Test" <> "test"

"Test" != "test""Test" != "test"

NOT(EXACT("Test", "test"))NOT(EXACT("Test"; "test"))

!EXACT("Test", "test")!EXACT("Test"; "test")

FILTER, arrays and <>

The logical arrays returned by this operator are especially useful with functions like FILTER, which takes an array and returns another array only containing certain elements.

This formula returns the array { 4 }{ 4 }:

FILTER({ 2, 4 }, { 2, 4 } <> 2)FILTER({ 2; 4 }; { 2; 4 } <> 2)

2 is left out, because it is equal to itself.

The formula above works because { 2, 4 } <> 2{ 2; 4 } <> 2 is expanded to the array { FALSE, TRUE }{ FALSE; TRUE } by the <> operator. As such, the formula above is equivalent to this formula:

FILTER({ 2, 4 }, { FALSE, TRUE })FILTER({ 2; 4 }; { FALSE; TRUE })

Determining if two arrays differ from one another

To determine if two arrays differ from one another, <> can be used together with the OR function. This formula returns TRUE:

OR({ 2, 3 } <> { 2, 2 })OR({ 2; 3 } <> { 2; 2 })

The formula above works because { 2, 3 } <> { 2, 2 }{ 2; 3 } <> { 2; 2 } is expanded to the array { FALSE, TRUE }{ FALSE; TRUE } by the <> operator. As such, the formula above is equivalent to this formula:

OR({ FALSE, TRUE })OR({ FALSE; TRUE })

The != operator can also be used to determine if two arrays differ from one another. This formula returns TRUE:

{ 2, 3 } != { 2, 2 }{ 2; 3 } != { 2; 2 }

Examples

2 <> 32 <> 3

Returns TRUE.

2 <> 22 <> 2

Returns FALSE.

"a" <> "A""a" <> "A"

Returns FALSE. Text string comparisons are case-insensitive.

NOT(EXACT("a", "A"))NOT(EXACT("a"; "A"))

Returns TRUE, as EXACT compares text strings in a case-sensitive manner.

"a" != "A""a" != "A"

Returns TRUE, as the != operator compares text strings in a case-sensitive manner.

{ 5, 7 } <> 7{ 5; 7 } <> 7

Returns the array { TRUE, FALSE }{ TRUE; FALSE }, equivalent to { 5 <> 7, 7 <> 7 }{ 5 <> 7; 7 <> 7 }.

{ 5, 7 } <> { 5, 10 }{ 5; 7 } <> { 5; 10 }

Returns the array { FALSE, TRUE }{ FALSE; TRUE }, equivalent to { 5 <> 5, 7 <> 10 }{ 5 <> 5; 7 <> 10 }.

FILTER({ 2, 4 }, { 2, 4 } <> 2)FILTER({ 2; 4 }; { 2; 4 } <> 2)

Returns the array { 4 }{ 4 }. 2 is left out, because it is equal to itself.