Can you imagine building a complex worksheet without formulas? I can’t. While no one can dispute the usability of formulas, we all know how painful it is when an excel formula returns a mysterious error and we don’t know what is causing it.
When I learned IF() formula for the first time, I have spent a whole Sunday morning debugging a stupid error in a grade calculation formula.
So as part of our spreadcheats series, we will learn a handy trick you can use to debug formulas and fix the errors quickly.
Assuming we have a moderately lengthy formula like this
=IF(AVERAGE(B2:B6)<=AVERAGE(C2:C6),MAX(B2:B6),MAX(C2:C6))
and we want to know where the error is occurring
- Select the cell with formula.
- Now click on the formula bar
- Just select the parts the formula and press F9 (for eg: the first average() formula)
- This will evaluate only the selected part and replaces it with the result. Like this:
- Using this technique you can narrow down the errors to particular range or values causing it.
- Now that you know where the error is occurring you can wrap that part of formula with an ISERROR() formula to avoid unpleasant surprises.
What is your favorite way of handling errors?
PS: If you have mailed me or commented here and waiting for a response, please give me some more time. I am having trouble getting internet connection in Chennai and visiting browsing center to respond to mails is not a pleasant experience either. I really appreciate your patience. Meanwhile if you know any free wi-fi hot spots in Chennai do let me know through comments. 🙂
13 Responses to “Data Validation using an Unsorted column with Duplicate Entries as a Source List”
Pivot Table will involve manual intervention; hence I prefer to use the 'countif remove duplicate trick' along with 'text sorting formula trick; then using the offset with len to name the final range for validation.
if using the pivot table, set the sort to Ascending, so the list in the validation cell comes back alphabetically.
Hui: Brillant neat idea.
Vipul: I am intrigued by what you are saying. Please is it possible to show us how it can be done, because as u said Hui's method requires user intervention.
Thks to PHD and all
K
Table names dont work directly inside Data validation.
You will have to define a name and point it to the table name and then use the name inside validation
Eg MyClient : Refers to :=Table1[Client]
And then in the list validation say = MyClient
Kieranz,
Pls download the sample here http://cid-e98339d969073094.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/data-validation-unsorted-list-example.xls
Off course there are many other ways of doing the same and integrating the formulae in multiple columns into one.
Pls refer to column FGHI in that file. Cell G4 is where my validation is.
Vipul:
Many thks, will study it latter.
Rgds
K
[...] to chandoo for the idea of getting unique list using Pivot tables. What we do is that create a pivot table [...]
@Vipul:
Thanks, that was awesome! 🙂
@Playercharlie Happy to hear that 🙂
Great contribution, Hui. Solved a problem of many years!
Thanks to you, A LOT
Hi Hui,
Greeting
hope you are doing well.
I'm interested to send you a private vba excel file which i need to show detail of pivot in new workbook instead of showing in same workbook as new sheet.
Please contact me on muhammed.ye@gmail.com
Best Regards