I've noticed strange behavior when using drag-and-drop to copy a formula that contains an absolute reference. Let's say I have a list of dollar values in Column A. I have a percentage value that I want to apply to all of them, and that percentage is in cell D1. So, next to the first dollar value, I enter the formula =A1*$D$1. Looks good.
I then use drag-and-drop to copy that formula down to all the other rows that contain my dollar values. What happens is that the result shown for each dollar value is simply the result from the first row. It hasn't calculated anything, it just copied the first value.
Now here's the weird part: if I go to my original formula in the first row, =A1*$D$1, and edit it (even not making any changes, just retyping it) and hit return, all the formulas in the subsequent rows are automatically recalculated correctly! I did this a few times because I couldn't believe it.
I couldn't get the mini-sheet add-in to work, so I'm including a simple image. The cell with the value 250 is a formula: =A2*$C$1 . Drag that cell down to copy the formula to the subsequent rows. For me, when I do that, they all say 250. Then, go back to the formula in B1 and edit it. Don't change anything, just type a 1 over the 1 just to do something, and enter it. Abracadabra: the values in the subsquent cells are automatically updated.
I then use drag-and-drop to copy that formula down to all the other rows that contain my dollar values. What happens is that the result shown for each dollar value is simply the result from the first row. It hasn't calculated anything, it just copied the first value.
Now here's the weird part: if I go to my original formula in the first row, =A1*$D$1, and edit it (even not making any changes, just retyping it) and hit return, all the formulas in the subsequent rows are automatically recalculated correctly! I did this a few times because I couldn't believe it.
I couldn't get the mini-sheet add-in to work, so I'm including a simple image. The cell with the value 250 is a formula: =A2*$C$1 . Drag that cell down to copy the formula to the subsequent rows. For me, when I do that, they all say 250. Then, go back to the formula in B1 and edit it. Don't change anything, just type a 1 over the 1 just to do something, and enter it. Abracadabra: the values in the subsquent cells are automatically updated.
