Excel should have a "Copy absolute formulas " in Paste Special.

[PaleRider]

For those of us that sometimes don't want to add $ signs after our formulas
are written, how about a feature in Paste Special that let's you copy the
formula exactly how you wrote it. This would especially help if you want to
test formula changes. I don't understand why you can move the contents of a
cell without change, but you can't copy without change. It would be easy to
add a "Copy absolute formula" to the Paste Special commands so the relative
references aren't changed.

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...8-4892a38bc6f7&dg=microsoft.public.excel.misc

 

[Mike H]

I don't understand your 'Suggestion to Microsoft'

It would be easy to
add a "Copy absolute formula" to the Paste Special commands so the relative
references aren't changed.

When copying and pasting a formula the relative reference remains the same
i.e. the formula =A1 in B1 is copy/pasted to D1 and the relative reference
remains the same, it becomes =C1 or 1 cell to the left or relatively the same.

For those of us that sometimes don't want to add $ signs after our formulas
are written.

You don't add $ signs after the formula is written. Once a cell address is
entered in a formula tap F4 and you get the $ signs. repeat taps scrolls
through all the relative/absolute options.

Mike

 

[Dave Peterson]

You could
select the cell with the formula to copy
copy the formula from the formula bar
select the recipient cell
paste into the formula bar

 

[RagDyer]

It's already there ... if you do it this way:

Click in the cell with the formula,
Select the entire formula *in the formula bar*,
Right click and choose "Copy",
Hit *either* <Esc> or <Enter>,
Right click in the target cell and choose "Paste",
And you're done!

 

[Sean Timmons]

To copy a formula without absolute reference and retain the cell references,
merely copy the formula from the address bar...

 

[Gord Dibben]

Others have posted a solution for one cell at a time.

If you have a whole herd of formula cells to copy, those of us who are
waiting for MS to provide the "Copy absolute formula" employ VBA code.

I snagged this bit from these news groups long time past.

Sub CopyFormulasExact()
Dim rngCopyFrom As Range
Dim rngCopyTo As Range
Dim intColCount As Integer
Dim intRowCount As Integer

' Check that a range is selected
If Not TypeName(Selection) = "Range" Then End
' check that the range has only one area
If Not Selection.Areas.Count = 1 Then
MsgBox "Multiple Selections Not Allowed", vbExclamation
End
End If

' Assign selection to object variable
Set rngCopyFrom = Selection
If Not Selection.HasFormula Then
MsgBox "Cells do not contain formulas"
End
End If

' This is required in case cancel is clicked.
' Type 8 input box returns a range object if OK is
' clicked or False if cancel is clicked. I do not
' know of a way to test for both cases without
' using error trapping
On Error GoTo UserCancelled

' Assign object variable to user-selected cell
Set rngCopyTo = Application.InputBox( _
prompt:="Select the UPPER LEFT CELL of the " _
& "range to which you wish to paste", _
Title:="Copy Range Formulae", Type:=8).Cells(1, 1)

On Error GoTo 0

' Loop through source range assigning any formulae found
' to the equivalent cell of the destination range.
For intColCount = 1 To rngCopyFrom.Columns.Count
For intRowCount = 1 To rngCopyFrom.Rows.Count
If rngCopyFrom.Cells(intRowCount, _
intColCount).HasFormula Then
rngCopyTo.Offset(intRowCount - 1, _
intColCount - 1).Formula = _
rngCopyFrom.Cells(intRowCount, _
intColCount).Formula
End If
Next intRowCount
Next intColCount
Exit Sub
UserCancelled:
MsgBox "You cancelled. Try again"
End Sub

An alternative to this routine is to run a macro to change relatives to
absolutes in one go.

Sub Absolute()
Dim Cell As Range
For Each Cell In Selection
If Cell.HasFormula Then
Cell.Formula = Application.ConvertFormula _
(Cell.Formula, xlA1, xlA1, xlAbsolute)
End If
Next
End Sub


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP