Excel Auditing

Excel Auditing The Toolbar and Menus Displaying Formulas Printing for Debugging

Excel Auditing Contents The Toolbar and Menus An Example of Tracing Precedents and Dependents

1. The Toolbar and Menus Turn on the Formula Auditing toolbar or access the same commands by choosing Tools, Formula Auditing from Excel's menus.

2. An Example of Tracing Precendents and Dependents Click the cell for which you want to trace precedents or dependents. Then click the appropriate Auditing toolbar button or menu option. To turn off auditing marks, click the eraser button or choose "Remove all arrows" from the menus.

Displaying Formulas Choose Tools, Options, select the "View" tab, and click on "Formulas" to see formulas displayed in a worksheet. It's often a good idea to make a COPY of the worksheet first, then display formulas in the copy. To easily copy a worksheet choose Edit, Move or Copy Sheet from Excel's menus. The worksheet displayed normally:

Actual September

Projected October

November

December

Totals

45,690.00 7,490.00 65,307.50 $118,488

47,974.50 7,864.50 68,572.88 $124,412

50,259.00 8,239.00 71,838.25 $130,336

54,828.00 8,988.00 78,369.00 $142,185

198,751.50 32,581.50 284,087.63 $515,421

6,500.00 2,000.00 490.00 900.00 350.00 $10,240

6,825.00 2,100.00 514.50 945.00 367.50 $10,752

6,825.00 2,100.00 514.50 945.00 367.50 $10,752

7,280.00 2,240.00 548.80 1,008.00 392.00 $11,469

27,430.00 8,440.00 2,067.80 3,798.00 1,477.00 $43,213

$108,248

$113,660

$119,584

$130,716

$472,208

Part of the worksheet with formulas displayed. Note that you may need to widen columns to see the entire contents of long formulas.

Printing for Debugging Along with viewing or printing a worksheet with formulas displayed, another useful technique is to print a worksheet with gridlines and row and column indicators shown. This can make it easier to examine relationships and discuss worksheet contents with others.

Actual September

Projected October

45,690.00 7,490.00 65,307.50 $118,488

47,974.50 7,864.50 68,572.88 $124,412

November 50,259.00 8,239.00 71,838.25 $130,336

December 54,828.00 8,988.00 78,369.00 $142,185

Totals 198,751.50 32,581.50 284,087.63 $515,421

A sample worksheet

Part of the sample printed with gridlines and row and column headers shown.

The Page Setup dialog box with the "Sheet" tab brought to the front. In the "Print" section choose "Gridlines" and "Row and column headings".