Computer Learning Zone CLZ Access Excel Word Windows

As long as you live, keep learning how to live.

-Seneca
 
Home   Courses   TechHelp   Forums   Help   Contact   Merch   Join   Order   Logon  
 
Back to Excel Forum    Comments List
Upload Images   @Reply   Bookmark    Link   Email   Next Unseen 
Formula Management
James Allen 
    
4 years ago
I Have many worksheets that have huge formulas in them. When I come back in after a few months or years I look at the formula and in my head hear Doc Brown Yell "1.21 Gigawatts !!, Tom what was I thinking , How could I have been So Careless?"--
I wrote the formula and it still took  me an hour or more to figure out what I did.. I recently found out that you can use alt-Enter to add linefeeds to the formulas in the cell to make them more readable... are there Other controls to allow formatting of the actual formula itself in the cell to make it more readable, specifically it would be great to be able to indent formula also... ?? any ideas?

Alex Hedley  @Reply  
            
4 years ago
fx: The formula bar also stretches to more than one line
James Allen OP  @Reply  
    
4 years ago
Thank you Alex,
My problem is even with the extra lines the formula is so complex that it very hard to parse in my head... the alt-ent linefeed allows the syntax to be separated and more easily viewed without affecting the  operation... but still I was hoping for additional formula management like indents... I did also just today found where folks are using +N() as a pseudo comment field in the formula...
for example here is a normal formulas for my sheets..
=IFERROR(IF(T(C3)<>"",VLOOKUP(C3,'Y:\Main\Telcomm\SPPC Ckts\a). Indexes\[CIRUIT MASTER LIST.xls]Sheet1'!$A$2:$B$50002,2,0),IF(T(K3)<>"000000", "Crossed to Port "&LEFT(K3,LEN(K3)-2)&" Ch "&RIGHT(K3,2)&" - "&VLOOKUP(VALUE(LEFT(K3,LEN(K3)-2)),'Y:\Main\Telcomm\SPPC Ckts\a). Indexes\[DSX.xls]GOB'!$F$2:$G$50028,2,0)&"  ("&VLOOKUP(VALUE(LEFT(K3,LEN(K3)-2)),'Y:\Main\Telcomm\SPPC Ckts\a). Indexes\[DSX.xls]GOB'!$F$2:$J$50028,3,0)&")",VLOOKUP(C3,'Y:\Main\Telcomm\SPPC Ckts\a). Indexes\[CIRUIT MASTER LIST.xls]Sheet1'!$A$2:$B$50002,2,0))),""

Alex Hedley  @Reply  
            
4 years ago
There's also the formula stepper, does it run through each function?
James Allen OP  @Reply  
    
4 years ago
I have used the fx box to show the outcomes of what Excel does with the formula and the "stepper" that walks you through the formula as you walk across it - The stepper jumps between the sub-functions in the formula and showing the terms, but when it gets too deep it sometimes adds to the confusion. I am trying to use formatting within the cell to separate terms and make the formula look more like a C or VBA function with the main pieces of the formula separated on separate lines not all smashed together. The alt-ent control does that BUT I was hoping for an indent or other control or  // comment  that may help further clarify a formula for the future reader- I am not trying to decipher the example I gave .. that was just to show the shear size of the formulas. I see I can help shrink the size by using names areas/cells but that is a little different from what i was looking for  . If there isn't any other way Thats fine ... I was trying to ask the Experts what they knew to help.
Alex Hedley  @Reply  
            
4 years ago
Could you not just make a UDF in VBA and just replicate the formula but add your own comments?

Or add a Note/Comment on the cell with an explanation
Or a notes tab with explanations
James Allen OP  @Reply  
    
4 years ago
Those are all good suggestions for work arounds... I am trying to make the formula in the cell itself more readable.. Thank you for the help... if I figure it out I'll let you know.
Thx
Richard Rost  @Reply  
          
4 years ago
Yeah super complex formulas in Excel are a pain. That's why I try to teach to break things up into multiple cells / steps.
James Allen OP  @Reply  
    
4 years ago
Richard,
I understand "Helper" cells, and I even use hidden "Helper" Sheets in my workbooks filled with helper cells when necessary to keep eyes and fingers from the fragile innards of my Spreadsheet. I even found that you can perform functions vertically through a stack of sheets, copy/pasting/editing and calculations across them alike, very handy if you can keep it straight in your head.  Like  for example =SUM(FirstSht:LastSht!A1), sums A1 for all sheets between FirstSht and LastSht. You may have covered that?
Sorry I digress, the sheets I generally create are for equipment connection/details that have 10's of thousand of inter related data referred to in the cells, I can't manage a bunch of helper cells per cell at that level.. It does work beautifully as single celled formulas BUT I'm just trying to reformat these formulas using tools available for that in the cell to make reading and trouble shooting later easier. I use Alt-Enter but still is difficult to decipher sometimes.  
James Allen OP  @Reply  
    
4 years ago
Alex wrote earlier "Could you not just make a UDF in VBA and just replicate the formula but add your own comments?"

Can you point me to a video I can purchase on this?
My sheets work 100% without VBA now ,  but I may have to concede and add "code" to these in the future.....
May I can write a comment function/formatting  or something.

To date the client has not allowed Access for this work and insisted on plain vanilla Excel to track this data. Code and Macros trigger the Cyber controls in their systems
Alex Hedley  @Reply  
            
4 years ago
Are you not allowed .xlsm either then?
Richard Rost  @Reply  
          
4 years ago
Hi James. What you're talking about is called a Multi-Sheet Range. I covered that way back in Excel 230. It will be one of the topics I'll be getting to when I re-record my Excel series VERY soon. That plus I haven't done much with Excel VBA. My focus has been so much on Access over the past few years.

This thread is now CLOSED. If you wish to comment, start a NEW discussion in Excel Forum.
 

Next Unseen

 
New Feature: Comment Live View
 
 

The following is a paid advertisement
Computer Learning Zone is not responsible for any content shown or offers made by these ads.
 

Learn
 
Access - index
Excel - index
Word - index
Windows - index
PowerPoint - index
Photoshop - index
Visual Basic - index
ASP - index
Seminars
More...
Customers
 
Login
My Account
My Courses
Lost Password
Memberships
Student Databases
Change Email
Info
 
Latest News
New Releases
User Forums
Topic Glossary
Tips & Tricks
Search The Site
Code Vault
Collapse Menus
Help
 
Customer Support
Web Site Tour
FAQs
TechHelp
Consulting Services
About
 
Background
Testimonials
Jobs
Affiliate Program
Richard Rost
Free Lessons
Mailing List
PCResale.NET
Order
 
Video Tutorials
Handbooks
Memberships
Learning Connection
Idiot's Guide to Excel
Volume Discounts
Payment Info
Shipping
Terms of Sale
Contact
 
Contact Info
Support Policy
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Fax Number
Course Survey
Email Richard
[email protected]
Blog RSS Feed    YouTube Channel

LinkedIn
Copyright 2026 by Computer Learning Zone, Amicron, and Richard Rost. All Rights Reserved. Current Time: 5/1/2026 7:21:42 PM. PLT: 1s