Detective

This command activates the Spreadsheet Detective. With the Detective, you can trace the dependencies from the current formula cell to the cells in the spreadsheet.

To access this command...

Choose Tools - Detective


Once you have defined a trace, you can point with the mouse cursor to the trace. The mouse cursor will change its shape. Double-click the trace with this cursor to select the referenced cell at the end of the trace.

Trace Precedents

This function shows the relationship between the current cell containing a formula and the cells used in the formula.

Remove Precedents

Deletes one level of the trace arrows that were inserted with the Trace Precedents command.

Trace Dependents

Draws tracer arrows to the active cell from formulas that depend on values in the active cell.

Remove Dependents

Deletes one level of tracer arrows created with Trace Dependents.

Remove All Traces

Removes all tracer arrows from the spreadsheet.

Trace Error

Draws tracer arrows to all precedent cells which cause an error value in a selected cell.

Mark Invalid Data

Marks all cells in the sheet that contain values outside the validation rules.

Refresh Traces

Redraws all traces in the sheet. Formulas modified when traces are redrawn are taken into account.

AutoRefresh

Automatically refreshes all the traces in the sheet whenever you modify a formula.

Fill Mode

Activates the Fill Mode in the Detective. The mouse pointer changes to a special symbol, and you can click any cell to see a trace to the precedent cell. To exit this mode, press Escape or click the End Fill Mode command in the context menu.