Microsoft Office

Part IV
Using Advanced Excel Features
Identifying dependents
You can identify formula cells that use a particular cell in a number of ways:
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Display the Go To Special dialog box. Select the Dependents option and then select either
Direct Only (for direct dependents only) or All Levels (for direct and indirect dependents). Click
OK. Excel selects the cells that depend on the active cell. This technique is limited to identifying
cells on the active sheet only.
Press Ctrl+] to select all direct dependent cells on the active sheet.
Press Ctrl+Shift+} to select all dependent cells (direct and indirect) on the active sheet.
Choose Formulas ➪ Formula Auditing ➪ Trace Dependents, and Excel will draw arrows to
indicate the cell’s dependents. Click this button multiple times to see additional levels of dependents.
Choose Formulas ➪ Formula Auditing ➪ Remove Arrows to hide the arrows.
Tracing error values
If a formula displays an error value, Excel can help you identify the cell that is causing that error value. An
error in one cell is often the result of an error in a precedent cell. Activate a cell that contains an error value
and choose Formulas ➪ Formula Auditing ➪ Error Checking ➪ Trace Error. Excel draws arrows to indicate
the error source.
Fixing circular reference errors
If you accidentally create a circular reference formula, Excel displays a warning message, Circular
Reference (with the cell address) in the status bar, and draws arrows on the worksheet to help you identify
the problem. If you can’t figure out the source of the problem, use Formulas ➪ Formula Auditing ➪
Error Checking ➪ Circular References. This command displays a list of all cells that are involved in the circular
references. Start by selecting the first cell listed and then work your way down the list until you figure
out the problem.
Using background error-checking feature
Some people may find it helpful to take advantage of Excel’s automatic error-checking feature. This feature
is enabled or disabled by using the check box labeled Enable Background Error Checking, on the Formulas
tab in the Excel Options dialog box shown in Figure 32.9. In addition, you can specify which types of
errors to check for by using the check boxes in the Error Checking Rules section.
When error checking is turned on, Excel continually evaluates your worksheet, including its formulas. If a
potential error is identified, Excel places a small triangle in the upper-left corner of the cell. When the cell is
activated, a Smart Tag appears. Clicking this Smart Tag provides you with options. Figure 32.10 shows the
options that appear when you click the Smart Tag in a cell that contains a #DIV/0 error. The options vary,
depending on the type of error.
In many cases, you will choose to ignore an error by selecting the Ignore Error option. Selecting this option
eliminates the cell from subsequent error checks. However, all previously ignored errors can be reset so that
they appear again. (Use the Reset Ignored Errors button in the Formulas tab of the Excel Options dialog box.)
You can choose Formulas ➪ Formula Auditing ➪ Error Checking to display a dialog box that describes
each potential error cell in sequence, much like using a spell-checking command. This command is available
even if you disable background error checking. Figure 32.11 shows the Error Checking dialog box.
Note that this dialog box is modeless, so that you can still access your worksheet when the Error Checking
dialog box is displayed.
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