Microsoft KB Archive/272897

= XL2001: R1C1 Notation Listed in Column Settings Incorrectly =

Article ID: 272897

Article Last Modified on 1/29/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac

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This article was previously published under Q272897



SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac, when you use the R1C1 reference style, and you create a list containing a calculated column, you may find that although the formula in the calculated column works correctly, when you look at way the formula is listed in the Column Settings dialog box, the formula appears to be listed incorrectly.

For example, if you type the following formula into your list:

=RC[-2]

the formula may actually appear in the Column Settings dialog box as the following:

=R[14]C[4]



WORKAROUND
To work around this behavior, use A1 notation rather than R1C1. To do this, follow these steps:


 * 1) On the Edit menu, click Preferences.
 * 2) In the Preferences dialog box, click the General tab, and then click to clear R1C1 reference style.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel X for Mac.



A1 vs. R1C1 Reference Style
By default, Excel uses the A1 reference style, which refers to columns with letters (A through IV, for a total of 256 columns) and refers to rows with numbers (1 through 65536). These letters and numbers are called row and column headings. To refer to a cell, enter the column letter followed by the row number. For example, D50 refers to the cell at the intersection of column D and row 50.

In the R1C1 reference style, both the rows and the columns on the worksheet are numbered. In the R1C1 style, Excel indicates the location of a cell with an &quot;R&quot; followed by a row number and a &quot;C&quot; followed by a column number. For example, the absolute cell reference R1C1 is equivalent to the absolute reference $A$1 in A1 reference style.

