Excel counts a blank as zero. Why not leave it as a blank?

[p45cal]

The below is a newly created sheet. Cell A5 hasn't been touched, let alone selected.
Why is B5 zero? The same applies to FILTER, UNIQUE for example. It messes up any later numerical processing, because that blank has now become numeric.
Why couldn't it just remain blank for goodness' sake?

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I can work around it by say in cell C1: =IF(A1:A9="","",A1:A9) but why should I have to?
Another attempt in cell D1, the formula =A1:A9 & "" but this stops any later numeric processing.
I tried playing with the display options for the sheet:

30255

but that hides all numeric zeroes, even in column A.

This introduction of a numerical zero is a pain.
Am I missing something blinking obvious?
Any ideas?

[georgiboy]

I Don't think you are missing anything - it is frustrating when working with formulae.

Another option although not really any different to your '=IF(A1:A9="","",A1:A9) '


=LET(r,A1:A9,IF(NOT(ISBLANK(r)),r,""))

[snb]

The result of a formula is never blank, unless you build that in in the formula: iferror, if