Tracing dependents

2022

Board Regular
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
74
Office Version
  1. 2016
Platform
  1. Windows
Is there way to trace formula dependents and precedents across different tabs in a file?

I tried the Inquire plug-in, but it didn't work.

There must be a way to do it without a plug-in, surely?

At present, the tracing only appears possible within the same tab.....
 

Excel Facts

How can you turn a range sideways?
Copy the range. Select a blank cell. Right-click, Paste Special, then choose Transpose.
Isn't it under Formula tab?

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Upvote 1
You can trace dependents and precedents across tabs. When the reference is from another tab it shows that it comes from another worksheet. Double click on the line and it will bring up a reference box showing where that reference is located.
 
Upvote 1
I had a spare few moments so I put this together.

It may be helpful in the absence of anything else.

Copy the code onto a standard code module and run the 'subRecordPrecedentsAndDependents' procedure.

Test it first on a copy of your worksheet.

It uses populates three worksheets which it creates.
Dependents
Precedents
Formulas

If you already have worksheets with any of these names then either rename them or change the code.

Let me know what you think.

VBA Code:
Option Explicit

Public Sub subRecordPrecedentsAndDependents()
Dim Ws As Worksheet
Dim rng As Range
Dim strCellRefs  As String
Dim WsDependents As Worksheet
Dim WsPrecedents As Worksheet
Dim WsFormulas As Worksheet
Dim strWorksheets As String
Dim arrWorksheets() As String
Dim i As Integer

    ActiveWorkbook.Save
    
    Set WsDependents = fncCreateWorksheet("Dependents")
    Set WsPrecedents = fncCreateWorksheet("Precedents")
    Set WsFormulas = fncCreateWorksheet("Formulas")
    
    WsDependents.Range("A1:F1").Value = Array("Worksheet", "Cell Ref", "Formula", "Worksheet In Formula", _
        "Range In Formula", "Dependent Cell")
    
    WsPrecedents.Range("A1:F1").Value = Array("Worksheet", "Cell Ref", "Formula", "Worksheet In Formula", _
        "Range In Formula", "Precedent Cell")
    
    WsFormulas.Range("A1:C1").Value = Array("Worksheet", "Cell Ref", "Formula")
    
    For Each Ws In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
        If Ws.Name <> "Dependents" And Ws.Name <> "Precedents" And Ws.Name <> "Formulas" Then
            For Each rng In Ws.UsedRange.Cells
                strCellRefs = fncExtractCellRefs(rng)
                If strCellRefs <> "" Then
                    Call subSplitRanges(Ws.Name, rng, fncExtractCellRefs(rng))
                ElseIf rng.HasFormula = True Then
                    With WsFormulas.Cells(WsFormulas.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Offset(1, 0).Resize(1, 3)
                        .Value = Array(Ws.Name, rng.Address, Mid(rng.Formula, 2))
                    End With
                End If
            Next rng
        End If
    Next Ws
        
    arrWorksheets = Split("Dependents,Precedents,Formulas", ",")
    For i = LBound(arrWorksheets) To UBound(arrWorksheets)
        Set Ws = Worksheets(arrWorksheets(i))
        Call subFormatWorksheet(Ws)
        Ws.Range("C1").EntireColumn.ColumnWidth = 55
        Call subReconcileTextWrapping(Ws, "Formula", 30, 10)
    Next i
    
    Worksheets("Precedents").Activate
    
    MsgBox "Precedents, Dependents and Formulas recorded.", vbInformation, "Confirmation"
    
    ActiveWorkbook.Save
    
End Sub

Public Sub subReconcileTextWrapping(Ws As Worksheet, strHeader As String, intRowHeight As Integer, intSpacing As Integer)
Dim rng As Range
Dim intMax As Integer
Dim rngFound As Range
Dim rngToWrap As Range
Dim intCurrentHeight As Integer

    Set rngFound = Ws.Rows(1).Find(strHeader, LookIn:=xlValues)
    
    If Not rngFound Is Nothing Then
        Set rngToWrap = rngFound.Offset(1, 0).Resize(Ws.Cells(Ws.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row - 1, 1)
    Else
        Exit Sub
    End If
    
    For Each rng In rngToWrap
    
        rng.WrapText = False
        intCurrentHeight = rng.RowHeight
        rng.WrapText = True
        rng.EntireRow.AutoFit
        intMax = rng.RowHeight
        
        If intMax >= intCurrentHeight Then
            rng.EntireRow.RowHeight = intMax + intSpacing
        Else
            rng.EntireRow.RowHeight = intRowHeight
        End If
                
    Next rng

End Sub

Private Sub subSplitRanges(strWorksheet As String, rng As Range, strRanges As String)
Dim arrSplit() As String
Dim i As Integer
Dim r As Range
Dim strWorksheetInFormula As String

    arrSplit = Split(strRanges, ",")
    
    For i = LBound(arrSplit) To UBound(arrSplit)
    
        For Each r In Range(arrSplit(i)).Cells
        
            With Worksheets("Precedents").Cells(Worksheets("Precedents").Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Offset(1, 0).Resize(1, 6)
            
                strWorksheetInFormula = ""
                If InStr(1, Trim(arrSplit(i)), "!", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
                    strWorksheetInFormula = Left(Trim(arrSplit(i)), InStr(1, Trim(arrSplit(i)), "!", vbTextCompare) - 1)
                Else
                    strWorksheetInFormula = strWorksheet
                End If
                .Value = Array(strWorksheet, rng.Address, _
                    Mid(rng.Formula, 2), _
                    strWorksheetInFormula, _
                    Trim(arrSplit(i)), _
                    r.Address)
                
                With Worksheets("Dependents").Cells(Worksheets("Dependents").Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Offset(1, 0).Resize(1, 6)
                    .Value = Array(strWorksheetInFormula, _
                        r.Address, _
                        Mid(rng.Formula, 2), _
                        strWorksheetInFormula, _
                        Trim(arrSplit(i)), rng.Address)
                End With
            
            End With
            
        Next r
        
    Next i

End Sub

' Credit to https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/excel/4555-excel-extract-cell-reference-from-formula.html
Private Function fncExtractCellRefs(Rg As Range) As String
Dim xRetList As Object
Dim xRegEx As Object
Dim i As Long
Dim xRet As String

    Application.Volatile
    
    Set xRegEx = CreateObject("VBSCRIPT.REGEXP")
    
    With xRegEx
        .Pattern = "('?[a-zA-Z0-9\s\[\]\.]{1,99})?'?!?\$?[A-Z]{1,3}\$?[0-9]{1,7}(:\$?[A-Z]{1,3}\$?[0-9]{1,7})?"
        .Global = True
        .MultiLine = True
        .IgnoreCase = False
    End With
    
    Set xRetList = xRegEx.Execute(Rg.Formula)
    
    If xRetList.Count > 0 Then
        For i = 0 To xRetList.Count - 1
            xRet = xRet & xRetList.Item(i) & ", "
        Next
        fncExtractCellRefs = Left(xRet, Len(xRet) - 2)
    Else
        fncExtractCellRefs = ""
    End If
    
End Function

Private Function fncCreateWorksheet(strWorksheet As String) As Worksheet
Dim Ws As Worksheet
Dim blnCheck As Boolean

    For Each Ws In Worksheets
        If Ws.Name = strWorksheet Then
            blnCheck = True
            Ws.Cells.Clear
            Exit For
        End If
    Next
    
    If Not blnCheck = True Then
        Worksheets.Add after:=Sheets(Sheets.Count)
        ActiveSheet.Name = strWorksheet
    End If
    
    Worksheets(strWorksheet).Activate
    
    Range("A2").Select
    If ActiveWindow.FreezePanes Then
        ActiveWindow.FreezePanes = False
    End If
    
    Set fncCreateWorksheet = ActiveSheet

End Function

Private Sub subFormatWorksheet(Ws As Worksheet)

    Ws.Activate
    
    With Ws.Range("A1").CurrentRegion
        With .Rows(1)
            .Interior.Color = RGB(213, 213, 213)
            .Font.Bold = True
        End With
        .Font.Size = 14
        .Font.Name = "Arial"
        .RowHeight = 30
        .VerticalAlignment = xlCenter
        .IndentLevel = 1
        .EntireColumn.AutoFit
    End With
    
    With Ws.Range("A1").CurrentRegion.Borders
        .LineStyle = xlContinuous
        .Weight = xlThin
        .ColorIndex = vbBlack
    End With
    
    Range("A2").Select
    If Not ActiveWindow.FreezePanes Then
        ActiveWindow.FreezePanes = True
    End If
        
End Sub
 
Upvote 0

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