Use F9 to evaluate a formula

If you have a formula that you want to see how it is calculating, the F9 key is a great help.

Select the cell with the formula. The formula will appear in the Formula Bar. Click in the formula past the opening bracket following a function where the cell references start. You will see a dialogue box that shows the elements that the function uses. The active part of the formula is in BOLD. If you click on the bold text, that part of the formula will be selected. Hit F9 and the selected part of the formula will be changed to what that selection really is. This can be values, TRUE AND FALSE, and it can also show errors.

To return the formula to its proper form hit Ctrl + Z. If you don't, those values will replace the elements of the formula.....not what you want.

At this point, you can click on another element of the formula to select it and hit F9 to see what is going on in that part.

Hit Ctrl + Z to return the formula to its proper form. DON'T FORGET TO DO THIS.

Doing this will help you to evaluate why a formula doesn't work or it can help to understand how the formula actually does what it does, which is a great learning tool because you can go back in the formula using the same procedure to make sure that you understand correctly what is happening.

I use the crap out of this, both for proofing my own work, and for reverse engineering complex formulas I don't quite understand.

This is an amazing tool that everyone can use.

Me too. My F9 key is almost worn out.

I probably learned more by using the F9 key than from the help files. At least one can see how things work in the context that the formula is being used.

F9 is a really helpful feature, I put it right up there with the fx feature that shows function syntax

I had no idea f(x) was a clickable button. Oh my god..

hahaha I can just see you Fx'ing through a bunch of different functions, daffodil - it's a really cool feature huh?

Yeah! Mind = blown. I always thought I had to type out the full function and put in that first parenthesis to see the parameters.

Really makes the inserting each argument quite a bit easier while they are all visible. What else have I been missing?

hmm lets see now...1st contact with the martians?

It's all coming to together now..

Oh my, what have I started

hahahaha good 1