How to Show Formulas in Excel
Using the Formula Bar to Display Formulas
The formula bar is a convenient way to view and edit formulas in Excel. By default, Excel displays the calculated result of a formula in a cell. However, you can use the formula bar to view the actual formula that was used to calculate that result.
To display the formula bar in Excel, go to the View tab and check the Formula Bar checkbox. Once the formula bar is displayed, you can click on any cell containing a formula and the formula will be displayed in the formula bar.
If the formula bar is too small to display the entire formula, you can drag the bottom of the formula bar down to expand it. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the cursor within the formula bar to view different parts of the formula.
Using the formula bar to display formulas can be particularly useful when troubleshooting complex formulas or when you want to check the accuracy of a formula. It can also help you to understand how a formula is working and to learn more about Excel’s formula syntax.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Toggle Formulas On and Off
In addition to using the formula bar to display formulas, you can also use keyboard shortcuts to toggle formulas on and off. This can be particularly useful when you want to quickly view the calculated results of your formulas without displaying the actual formulas themselves.
To toggle formulas on and off using a keyboard shortcut, press the Ctrl + ~ keys. When you press these keys, Excel will switch between displaying the calculated results of your formulas and displaying the actual formulas themselves.
Note that this keyboard shortcut will toggle formulas on and off for the entire worksheet. If you only want to toggle formulas on and off for a specific range of cells, you can first select those cells before pressing the keyboard shortcut.
Using keyboard shortcuts to toggle formulas on and off can help you to quickly switch between viewing calculated results and viewing formulas themselves, without having to go through the menu options or use the formula bar.
Displaying Formulas with the Show Formulas Command
Excel’s Show Formulas command is another way to display formulas in your worksheet. This command allows you to toggle between displaying the calculated results of your formulas and displaying the actual formulas themselves, just like the keyboard shortcut discussed in the previous section.
To use the Show Formulas command, go to the Formulas tab in the ribbon and click on the Show Formulas button. This will toggle between displaying calculated results and displaying formulas themselves. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + “ (backtick) to toggle the Show Formulas command on and off.
When the Show Formulas command is enabled, all formulas in the worksheet will be displayed, not just the ones in the currently selected cell or range of cells. This can be useful when you want to quickly check all of the formulas in your worksheet for accuracy.
Note that the Show Formulas command is a worksheet-level setting, which means that it will be applied to the entire worksheet. If you only want to display formulas in a specific range of cells, you should use one of the other methods discussed in this article.
Displaying Formulas with the Show Formulas Command
Excel’s Show Formulas command is another way to display formulas in your worksheet. This command allows you to toggle between displaying the calculated results of your formulas and displaying the actual formulas themselves, just like the keyboard shortcut discussed in the previous section.
To use the Show Formulas command, go to the Formulas tab in the ribbon and click on the Show Formulas button. This will toggle between displaying calculated results and displaying formulas themselves. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + “ (backtick) to toggle the Show Formulas command on and off.
When the Show Formulas command is enabled, all formulas in the worksheet will be displayed, not just the ones in the currently selected cell or range of cells. This can be useful when you want to quickly check all of the formulas in your worksheet for accuracy.
Note that the Show Formulas command is a worksheet-level setting, which means that it will be applied to the entire worksheet. If you only want to display formulas in a specific range of cells, you should use one of the other methods discussed in this article.
Printing Formulas in Excel
In addition to displaying formulas on the screen, you can also print formulas in your Excel worksheet. This can be useful when you want to provide a hard copy of your formulas for reference or when you want to check the accuracy of your formulas on paper.
To print formulas in Excel, go to the File tab in the ribbon and select Print. In the Print dialog box, click on the Page Setup link and then click on the Sheet tab. In the Sheet tab, check the box next to “Formulas” under the “Print” section.
Once you have selected the “Formulas” option, click on the Print button to print your worksheet with formulas. Note that the formulas will be printed in place of the calculated results, so make sure that this is what you want before printing.
Printing formulas in Excel can be useful when you want to review and check the accuracy of your formulas on paper. It can also be a helpful way to provide a hard copy of your formulas for others to review or use.
