I sometimes need to make a global change in a large group of formulas, and
need to reference a variable value in that formula as a place marker, but
leave that value in the result. Let's say I wanted to make the cell
references in a large group of formulas absolute. Every cell reference is
different of course. Assuming alpha column, numeric row, reference style, if
I just wanted to make the column letter absolute in a simple cell reference
(=C23) I could Find "=" and Replace with "=$" Resulting in "=$C23". But, as
the simplest example of this problem, what if I also want to make the row
number absolute? In that case I would want to be able to use a wildcard
character in the "Replace", with the wildcard serving as a place marker, and
with the intention being to leave the current value of that place marker.
Find "=" Replace with "=$?$" with the intended result "=$C$23", but this
formulation is not legal.
In other words, I simply need a wildcard that indicates a position in a
formula, but leaves the current value in that position unchanged in the
result.
In anything more complicated than the above example, I would need to use the
wildcard in the Find expression as well as the Replace expression, with the
same intent. I want the value represented by the wildcard to serve as an
indication of position in the formula, but I want to leave that value
unchanged in the result.
Is anyone familiar with this problem?

Thanks,
Eric

An alternative that could be useful in this situation, would be wildcards
that indicate either alpha or numeric values, but I find nothing in Excel
Help beside the generic "?" and "*".
Eric

"Eric" wrote:

I sometimes need to make a global change in a large group of formulas, and
need to reference a variable value in that formula as a place marker, but
leave that value in the result. Let's say I wanted to make the cell
references in a large group of formulas absolute. Every cell reference is
different of course. Assuming alpha column, numeric row, reference style, if
I just wanted to make the column letter absolute in a simple cell reference
(=C23) I could Find "=" and Replace with "=$" Resulting in "=$C23". But, as
the simplest example of this problem, what if I also want to make the row
number absolute? In that case I would want to be able to use a wildcard
character in the "Replace", with the wildcard serving as a place marker, and
with the intention being to leave the current value of that place marker.
Find "=" Replace with "=$?$" with the intended result "=$C$23", but this
formulation is not legal.
In other words, I simply need a wildcard that indicates a position in a
formula, but leaves the current value in that position unchanged in the
result.
In anything more complicated than the above example, I would need to use the
wildcard in the Find expression as well as the Replace expression, with the
same intent. I want the value represented by the wildcard to serve as an
indication of position in the formula, but I want to leave that value
unchanged in the result.
Is anyone familiar with this problem?

Thanks,
Eric