Circular references
Circular references are formulas that refer to themselves, like a snake trying to eat its own tail. Let’s say that you entered the formula =SUM(B3:B5) in cell B5 of the Circular References worksheet, as shown in Figure 9.15. Typically, circular references are created accidentally. Excel alerts you with the prompt shown in Figure 9.15.
Figure 9.15 – Circular reference
If you click OK on this prompt, the formula may return an amount, or it may return zero. Excel displays a Circular References message on the Status Bar informing you of the cell that contains a circular reference, as shown in Figure 9.16:
Figure 9.16 – Circular reference Status Bar message
Conversely, if a circular reference exists on another worksheet or even another open workbook, no cell reference will appear, and the status bar will simply report Circular References. Fortunately, there’s a hidden menu command that you...
