Are Error-Checking rules (in Excel Options) workbook-specific?

[JoeM]

Hello,

I have created a spreadsheet that has numerous cells that have a little
green triangle in the upper left corner, indicating that Excel thinks there
may be an error. In this case there is no error. Everything is functioning
the way i want it to.

I know how to tell Excel to ignore the error, and I could even modify the
error checking options under "Excel Options." Well enough.

But I am going to be emailing this spreadsheet to other people, and I would
like to make sure that the little green triangles do not appear when they
open the spreadsheet. I am using Excel 2007 in Compatibility Mode (saving
as .xls), but I have no idea what version(s) of Excel the other people may
be using.

I would think that if Error Checking rules are workbook-specific that I
could just change them, save the workbook, and I'd be all set. So my
question is: are Error Checking rules workbook-specific? And, if not, is
there anything else I can do to accomplish my objective of preventing other
users from seeing the little green triangles?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[Gord Dibben]

It is not Workbook specific, but is a global setting.

Error-checking is a misnomer in my opinion.

The green triangles indicate more than errors.

See Tools>Options>Error-checking for the list.

Why don't you fix the worksheet so's the triangles are not triggered by whatever
anomaly you have created?

Failing that, you could add Workbook_Open code to disable error-checking then
re-enable when your workbook is closed.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[BoniM]

Just FYI - may not be applicable, but if you are using sheet protection and
hide the formulas, they are not displayed.

 

[JoeM]

Thanks for the advice, Gord. I will use the Workbook_Open code.

If I may be permitted to vent a little, though. This is really an annoying
situation. The worksheet is not broken - it doesn't need to be fixed. The
error message is "The formula in this cell refers to a range that has
additional numbers adjacent to it." If I had never written a spreadsheet
before this message might be helpful. Frankly, though, I find it annoying
that I have to deal with this message at all. It would be like if every
time you went to walk across the street someone came up to you and said
"it's a good idea to look both ways before crossing the street so you don't
get hit by a car." Wouldn't you want to punch that person after a while?

Are we now supposed to design all spreadsheets so that all range references
in formulas include all adjacent numbers? What a huge inconvenience! I
specifically put every formula and every cell exactly where I want it, and
that should be good enough for Excel. There ought to be a
worksheet/workbook specific setting to suppress this "error message" in my
opinion.

I hope you don't mind my venting a little frustration here. It's not you
that I'm frustrated with, it's Excel. Perhaps someone from Microsoft is
lurking here and will do something about this in the next version.

Thanks again,
Joe

 

[Gord Dibben]

No problem venting as long as you realize that you are just displaying a
childish temper tantrum for the whole world to witness.

Talk of being annoyed by a user-preventable condition and punching people on the
street is not healthy Joe.

Excel allows you disable error-checking completely or disable cerain rules so
you are not forced into anything you find not to your liking.

The people at MS who develop Office and Excel are not aware of each user's
proficiency with Excel so develop for the LCD among users.


Gord

 

[T. Valko]

One of the first things I do when I get a new copy of Excel is turn off all
that error checking stuff. I also turn off Show paste options and Show
insert options.

 

[JoeM]

For the record: I do not go around punching people on the street, or
anywhere else for that matter.

You say that this is a user-preventable condition, but I'm not sure if you
understand what I am trying to accomplish. I understand that I can disable
certain error-checking rules so that I don't see the little green triangles,
but if I distribute the spreadsheet to other people my understanding is that
they _will_ see the little green triangles if they have not disabled the
relevant error-checking rules. I would prefer to not get phone calls asking
why there are little green triangles with error messages on the spreadsheet.

Your suggestion to use Workbook_Open code is a work-around, sort of. But
depending on how the other users have their macro security set I could wind
up getting calls about that too.

I don't want to get the phone calls, and it just seems that it would be much
easier if it were possible to suppress error messages for a given worksheet.
That's all.

Thanks,

Joe

 

[JoeM]

Thanks Boni. I may be able to use that approach.