What happens with an IF formula with multiple TRUE conditions?

Question

I have a multi nested IF statement like below - what happens if a field meets more than one condition - is there a rule to determine which value gets returned?

IF(CONTAINS( Custom__Name__c , "/cs/"), "01u3800000NmuloAAB",
IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "/gergerg/"), "01u3800000NmuloAAB",
IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "popopopop"), "01u3800000NmulsAAB",
IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "programmatic"), "01u3800000MTR6BAAX",
IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "tototototot"), "01u3800000MSUqPAAX",
IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "new"), "01u3800000MSUqZAAX",
IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "old"), "01u3800000NmulnAAB",

IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "etc"), "01u3800000MSVhHAAX",
IF(CONTAINS(Custom__Name__c , "uno"), "01u3800000NmulqAAB",



“else result”)))))))))

Answer 1

Formulas are evaluated in order, which usually means from left to right. The net result is that the first condition to be met will win. For example:

IF(FALSE, 0, IF(FALSE, 1, IF(TRUE, 2, IF(FALSE, 3, IF(TRUE, 4, 5)))))

The answer will be 2, because it was the first condition to be met.

More abstractly, you can say that the conditions follow the "true path"; the value 4 is not on the true path, because it doesn't follow the path of Boolean values:

         T F
         0 T F
           1 T F
             2 T F
               3 T F
                 4 5

For example, F F F T would have a result of 3; you just need to follow the T and F columns on each row until you get a result. In this code, F F T F T results in a value of 2, because when you follow F F T, you get a value of 2; no further branches are evaluated.

Answer 2

IF statement basically works as IF and Else in the nested if statements of yours Conditions are evaluated into the further nests if they are the condition is true/false (your case it is false).

So, Basically, if CONTAINS( Custom__Name__c , "/cs/") is evaluated to True you will be returned (String) 01u3800000NmuloAAB. no further evaluations are carried out.

Answer 3

Alternately, use the CASE function. Here's the documentation: https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=customize_functions_a_h.htm&type=5#CASE Here's the syntax: CASE(expression,​value1, result1, value2,​result2,...,​else_result)