ITC

On Errors

Fixing Common Excel Entry Errors

Syntax Error
• when Excel identifies that you haven't typed a
formula correctly
– missed a parenthesis,
– failed to use a required argument for a function, or
– misspelled the function name.
• Check your typing, and select the Insert > Function
command if needed to get some help in argument
entry.

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 Fixing Common Excel Entry Errors
Syntax Error
• when Excel identifies that you haven't typed a formula
correctly.
– missed a parenthesis, failed to use a required argument for a
function, or misspelled the function name.
– Check your typing, and select the Insert -> Function command if
needed to get some help in argument entry.

Cells filled with #####

• when the column isn't wide enough.
– Widen the column to correct the problem.
– If widening the column doesn't work, the mistake is
probably an invalid date or time.
» Excel doesn't support dates earlier than 1900 or negative time
values

Inaccurate counts of blank or nonblank cells

You can get inaccurate counts when a cell that
looks blank isn't actually blank.
• If you cleared the cell by selecting it and pressing
the spacebar, you replaced the cell's content with a
space.
– You don't see the space, so the cell looks blank, but for
counting purposes it isn't.
• To clear a cell, select it and press Delete, or select
Edit > Clear > All or Edit > Clear > Contents.

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 #DIV/0! error in cell
When the formula attempts to divide by zero or
divide by a blank cell.
• If the error happens simply because you haven't yet
entered the necessary data in the referenced cell,
you can ignore it

#DIV/0! error in cell

When the formula attempts to divide by zero or divide
by a blank cell.
• If the error happens simply because you haven't yet entered
the necessary data in the referenced cell, you can ignore it

If it bothers you to see the error, use an IF function to

check for a blank cell, and perform the calculation only
if the cell isn't blank.
• For example, if you want cell C1 to show A1/B1, but only if
B1 isn't blank, use this IF function:
=IF(B1=0,"",A1/B1)

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 #NAME? error in cell
If you refer to a range name that doesn't exist
• referencing a range that was deleted

#NAME? error in cell

If you refer to a range name that doesn't exist.
• referencing a range that was deleted

If you misspell a function or use text for an

argument that should be a number.
• Check your typing
– it's usually a data entry problem

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 #VALUE! error in cell
When you use the wrong type of data for an
argument.
="Cat"+"Dog"
– you can't sum text entries

Error Codes in Excel

#VALUE!
• Most frequent. It occurs when the wrong type of argument is used in a
formula.
– if you try to multiply cells A1 and A2, and either of these cells contains text,
you will get this error.

#REF!
• when you have a reference in a formula to a cell or range that has been
deleted. Or it can occur if you have a formula like =SUM(Costs) and
then you delete the range name Costs.

#NAME?
• when you use a cell reference, a range name, or a function name that is
not recognized by Excel.
– if you have the formula =SUM(Costs), and there is no range name Costs,
you will get the #NAME? error

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 Error Codes in Excel
#NUM!
• When you provide a non-valid number as an argument to a function.
– =SQRT(-3) will produce this error because the square root is defined only for
nonnegative numbers.

#N/A
• typically occurs in a VLOOKUP formula, when it is looking for an exact match
and there is none.
– Check out the site http://www.ozgrid.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27083&page=1
for ways, to deal with this issue.

#NULL!
• when two or more cell references are not separated correctly in a formula.
– =SUM(A1 A2) would give this error because A1 and A2 should be separated by a
comma or a colon, not a space.

#DIV/0!
• the easiest one to remember: division by 0 is never allowed.

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Error What to Do
####### Widen the column or ensure that dates and times are not negative
(i.e., prior to January 1, 1900).
#DIV/0 The formula is trying to divide by 0-check that you have entered the
correct cell reference or that you have not deleted data by mistake.

#N/A The formula is referring to a cell containing the NA function-check

that you have entered the correct cell reference. If you are using a
lookup function, check that there is a match for the lookup value and
that you have sorted the table correctly. If you are using an array
formula, make sure that any arguments have the same number of
rows and columns as the range holding the array formula. If the
formula is a custom formula, it may not be available or you may have
omitted an argument.

#NAME? Check your spelling-you may have spelled a function or defined

name incorrectly or you may have forgotten to enclose text in double
quotation marks. Also check that you have not omitted the colon in a
range reference or the single quotation marks around a sheet name.

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 Error What to Do
#NULL! Make sure that you have entered references to cell ranges
correctly-the formula may be referring to a nonexistent intersection
between two ranges. Also check that you are using the correct
range operator and that you have not entered a space instead of a
comma.

#NUM! Check that the arguments in the function are numbers or cells
containing numbers. If you are using an iteration function like IRR or
RATE, Excel may not be able to find a result; you can try increasing
the number of iterations in Excel Options. A #NUM! error will also
appear if a number is too large or too small for Excel to calculate.

#REF! Check the cell references-you may have deleted a cell or cut or
copied the formula, rendering any references invalid. If you are
using an OLE link, make sure that the program is running or you
may be linking to a DDE topic that is not available

#VALUE! Check that the arguments in the function are the correct data type,
that you have used the correct operands, or that you have entered
an array formula properly
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 IS Functions
ISBLANK: ISNA:
• returns TRUE if the argument is blank; • returns TRUE if the argument is #N/A;
returns FALSE otherwise returns FALSE otherwise
ISERR: ISNONTEXT:
• returns TRUE if the argument contains • returns TRUE if the argument is non-text
any error code except #N/A; returns (or is blank); returns FALSE otherwise
FALSE otherwise (where non-text could be numbers,
dates, or error codes)
ISERROR:
• returns TRUE if the argument contains ISNUMBER:
any error code, including #N/A; returns • returns TRUE if the argument is a
FALSE otherwise numeric value; returns FALSE otherwise
ISEVEN: ISODD:
• returns TRUE if the argument is an even • returns TRUE if the argument is an odd
integer (after deleting the decimal part if integer (after deleting the decimal part if
there is one); returns FALSE otherwise there is one); returns FALSE otherwise
ISLOGICAL: ISREF:
• returns TRUE if the argument is one of • returns TRUE if the argument is a valid
the logical values TRUE or FALSE; range address or range name; returns
returns FALSE otherwise FALSE otherwise
ISTEXT:
• returns TRUE if the argument is text;
returns FALSE otherwise

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Array Formulas
Array = List
• typically a list of cells in a range
– The range could include a single row or multiple rows, and it could
include a single column or multiple column

Special kind of Excel formula

• performing multiple calculations on one or more items in an
array
– The result of an array formula can fill a single cell or multiple cells

Two rules
• First select the entire range where the results will be placed
• After entering the formula, press Ctrl+Shift+Enter (all three
keys at once), not just Enter.
– So some people call these CSE formulas
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