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356 Formula Auditing
✦ Numbers Formatted as Text or Preceded by an Apostrophe check box: Has Excel flag all numbers entered as text as errors by adding an error indicator and alert options button to their cells.
✦ Formulas Inconsistent with Other Formulas in Region check box: Has Excel flag any formula that differs from the others in the same area of the worksheet as an error by adding an error indicator and alert options button to its cell.
✦ Formulas Which Omit Cells in a Region check box: Has Excel flag any formula that omits cells from the range that it refers to as an error by adding an error indicator and alert options button to its cell.
✦ Unlocked Cells Containing Formulas check box: Has Excel flag any formula whose cell is unlocked when the worksheet is protected as an error by adding an error indicator and alert options button to its cell. (See Book IV, Chapter 1 for information on protecting worksheets.)
✦ Formulas Referring to Empty Cells check box: Has Excel flag any for- mula that refers to blank cells as an error by adding an error indicator and alert options button to its cell.
✦ Data Entered in a Table Is Invalid check box: Has Excel flag any formu- las for which you’ve set up Data Validation (see Book II, Chapter 1 for details) and that contain values outside of those defined as valid.
Error tracing
Tracing a formula’s family tree, so to speak, with the Trace Precedents and Trace Dependents command buttons on the Ribbon’s Formulas tab is fine, as far as it goes. However, when it comes to a formula that returns a hideous error value, such as #VALUE! or #NAME!, you need to turn to Excel’s trusty Trace Error option.
Excel gives you a real choice when it comes to accessing the Trace Error option. To select this option in the current cell containing an untraced error value, you can do any of the following:
✦ Choose the Trace Error option from the cell’s alert options drop-down menu.
✦ Click the Error Checking command button on the Formulas tab of the Ribbon and then click the Trace Error button in the Error Checking dialog box. (Refer to Figure 2-8.)
✦ Choose the Trace Error option from the Error Checking command but- ton’s drop-down menu or press Alt+MKE.