Search Overview

Excel provides two commands that help you to locate cells with specific attributes in a workbook.

•	The Excel Edit \| Find command searches the selection for either cell formulas or cell values that contain a user specified text string. This command selects a single cell at a time and is made to step through those cells that meet the criterion by pressing the Find Next button.

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The Excel Edit | Go To command allows you to jump directly either to a named range or to one of the most recently visited cells. However, if you press the ‘Special’ button, this command displays a further dialog that allows you to jump to those cells in the selection that belong to a subgroup of the available cell types. These subgroups include, among other things, cells which contain constants or cells which contain formulas; both of these subgroups can be refined to return any combination of number cells, text cells, logical cells and error cells. The Excel Edit | Go To | Special command selects all of the cells that meet the specified criteria at once; you can then step through those cells using the TAB key.

The OAK4 | Search functions have been designed to extend the range of cell attributes that can be located. For example, it is very interesting to know which cells are not being referenced as these must be outputs from the model (or they are surplus to requirements and should be deleted). Alternatively, you might have a workbook that is full of error cells simply because a single error value has propagated through all dependent formulas; Excel provides no tool to help you locate the original error value- this feature is added by OAK.

The OAK commands that are used to locate cells with certain attributes are grouped together on a single menu.

These commands select all cells that have the required attributes at once; you can step through the cells using the TAB key. Alternatively, the cells can be colored by using the Excel Format | Cells | Patterns command (or paint-pot icon on toolbar). This latter approach has the advantage that you can examine the individual cells without having to worry about losing the selection.

All of the OAK4 | Search commands follow the One-Cell Rule. None of them work when applied to protected worksheets.