Chapter 3

Troubleshooting formulas

In this chapter, you will:

  • Decipher the formula error values that Excel displays

  • Learn how to fix a few other common formula error types

  • Handle formula errors gracefully with the IFERROR() function

  • Diagnose formula problems using Excel’s Formula Error Checker

  • Learn how to use Excel’s worksheet auditing tools

Despite your best efforts, the odd error might appear in your formulas from time to time. Such errors can be mathematical (for example, dividing by zero), or Excel might simply be incapable of interpreting the formula. In the latter case, problems can be caught while you’re entering the formula. For example, if you try to enter a formula that has unbalanced parentheses, Excel doesn’t accept the entry, ...

Get Microsoft Excel 2019 Formulas and Functions, First Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.