Data Validation & Hygiene
Audit Non-Text Cells and Extract Text-Only Values (ISNONTEXT & T Function Patterns)
Distinguish numbers, booleans, and true blanks from text strings—including zero-length formula strings ""—using NOT(ISTEXT(...)) and IF(ISTEXT(...), cell, "").
Why true blanks and "" empty strings behave differently under non-text checks
In spreadsheet type inspection, NOT(ISTEXT(cell))—the exact definition of ISNONTEXT(cell)—returns TRUE for numbers, dates, booleans, errors, and genuinely empty cells, while returning FALSE for any string, including a zero-length formula string ="".
Conversely, IF(ISTEXT(cell), cell, "")—the exact behavior of legacy T(cell)—passes text strings through unchanged and collapses numbers, dates, booleans, and blanks to "" so text concatenation never pulls stray serial numbers into comment columns.
| Cell Content | ISTEXT(cell) | Non-Text Check: NOT(ISTEXT(cell)) | Text-Only Pass-Through: IF(ISTEXT(cell), cell, "") |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Priority Rush" (text) | TRUE | FALSE | "Priority Rush" |
| 480 (number) | FALSE | TRUE | "" |
| TRUE (boolean) | FALSE | TRUE | "" |
| ="" (formula empty string) | TRUE | FALSE | "" |
| Truly blank cell | FALSE | TRUE | "" |
Non-Text Cell Check (ISNONTEXT Equivalent)
Returns TRUE when A2 holds a number, boolean, error, or true blank, and FALSE when A2 holds text (even "").
=NOT(ISTEXT(A2))Safe Text-Only Pass-Through (T Function Equivalent)
Returns A2 when A2 is text and "" for every numeric, boolean, or blank cell.
=IF(ISTEXT(A2), A2, "")Try the example
Use the original values or change them to test your understanding.