Editing formulas manually

Cell reference highlighting and highlighter frames assist when you manually edit and troubleshoot formulas in the spreadsheet. These features are not supported, or are partially supported in other places where formulas can be edited. For example, highlighting is not applied when you edit a formula in a text box.

When you edit a formula, its content is parsed. Different elements of the formula such as cell references and operators are highlighted with different colors.

While you edit a formula that references cells, a frame is displayed around each referenced cell or range of cells. You can drag the edges of the frame to update the formula. The highlighting is removed when you press Enter. To re-display it, click the formula in the formula editor in the toolbar, or press F2.

You cannot edit named ranges by manipulating highlighter frames.

Example

There are values in cells B3 to B9.

In a cell you specify =SUM(B3,B9).

On the spreadsheet, cells B3 and B9 are each highlighted with a frame.

You expand the frame around B3 so that it occupies cells B3 to B5.

The formula is adjusted to =SUM(B3:B5,B9).