With this little function you can "read" formulas

Function ShowFormula(a As Range) As String
ShowFormula = a.Formula
End Function

In your case, to get the R1C1 version, use a.FormulaR1C1 in the second line

To be able to use the function:

Open the VB Editor (ALT+F11)
InsertModule
Paste the function in the code window

You can use the function in a cell, like in =ShowFormula(R1C1) or in a
formula

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Kind regards,

Niek Otten

"Fred Holmes" wrote in message
...
The IF() function is generally used to test the value in a cell. Is
there any way to get the IF() function (or some other function) to
test the formula in a cell?

For example, the formula in Cell E1 might be:

IF((The formula in Range("A1")="=+B1+C1"),"OK","Error")

Everything I've tried produces "Error" when the condition is in fact
true, i.e., the formula in Cell A1 is correct.

The purpose of this is to produce cells that are flags that alert when
a formula has been modified by some spreadsheet editing process and I
don't want the formula to change. Even "absolute" references seem to
change under some edits such as the insertion of a row.

And, oh by the way, I'm actually running the workbook with R1C1
Reference Style (because the formulae I'm interested in are literally,
character for character, identical in R1C1 reference style, and it's
easier to determine that they haven't changed by "visual" inspection.

Yes, I could just re-propagate the formulae any time there's a
question, but that's a "chore."

Excel 2000

Thanks for any help.

Fred Holmes