SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026 (desktop) · Formula auditing · Intermediate
Trace a Wrong Formula Result in PlanMaker 2026
Use predecessors, successors, syntax highlighting and the watch list to find a wrong reference and verify its repair.
Official documentation reviewed; examples independently checked; not tested in the application. · Editorial standards
Start from the wrong result and use Formula → Traces → Trace predecessors to inspect its inputs. Then use Trace successors on a suspect input to see what it affects. A valid-looking number can still come from the wrong cells, so error hunting alone is not enough.
Build a deliberately wrong example
These steps use the English PlanMaker 2026 desktop controls. Other products may call similar tools “Detective”; PlanMaker’s documented commands are in Formula → Traces. FreeOffice and older/mobile releases were not verified. Work on a practice copy.
Enter the following synthetic model. Labels go in column A and the values/formulas in column B:
| Row | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metric | Value |
| 2 | Units | 12 |
| 3 | Unit price | 5 |
| 4 | Shipping | 8 |
| 5 | Revenue | =B2*B4 |
| 6 | Revenue including shipping | =SUM(B5,B4) |
B5 deliberately uses Shipping instead of Unit price, so it returns 96; B6 returns 104. The intended results are 60 and 68. Use your installed function name and argument separator if the English SUM spelling/syntax differs. The arithmetic goal is simply 12 Ă— 5, then add 8.
Identify the incorrect dependency
- Select B5 and choose Formula → Traces → Trace predecessors.
- Look for arrows connecting B2 and B4 to B5. B4 is Shipping; the intended second input is B3.
- Select B4 and choose Trace successors. Its direct dependents include B5 and B6 in this deliberately incorrect model.
- Use View → Show formulas to compare the displayed expressions with the labels, then switch it off to see results again.
The relationship-tracing documentation distinguishes predecessors (inputs) from successors (users of the current cell). Repeating a trace command reveals another dependency level. Click an arrow to jump to the other cell. A cross-sheet reference has a small corner arrow instead of a full line across worksheets.
In classic menus use Tools → Formula auditing → Trace predecessors/Trace successors. SoftMaker’s command mapping confirms these names.
Watch the repair
- Choose Formula → Watch → Show watch list; the classic command is View → Watch window.
- In the watch window choose Add cell, enter B5:B6, then click Add.
- Change B5 to
=B2*B3. After recalculation, the watch values should be 60 and 68. - Change B2 temporarily from 12 to 10. The values should become 50 and 58. Restore B2 to 12.
The watch list displays current cell values whenever the worksheet recalculates; it does not calculate an independent answer. See Watch window. If the results do not change, inspect File → Properties → Calculate and use Formula → Update → Recalculate to recalculate the workbook. Do not overwrite result cells with the expected numbers to make the check pass.
Distinguish an error value from a wrong number
For a second, reversible experiment, put 0 in B8 and =B5/B8 in B9. This introduces division by zero. Select B9 and use Trace to error. Previous error and Next error navigate cells with error values; they do not identify B5’s earlier plausible-but-wrong 96 as a mathematical mistake.
Set B8 to 2 and confirm B9 becomes 30 with the repaired revenue of 60. Remove the experiment afterward if it is not part of your model. See Detecting errors.
View → Syntax highlighting can help distinguish formula cells, text/numbers and errors. It shows cell-content categories, not proof that a business calculation is correct. Analyzing sheets describes this distinction. If a number was pasted as text, investigate the input rather than treating its formatting as proof of numeric type.
Finish cleanly
Recheck formulas and totals after the repair, then choose Remove all traces before printing: trace arrows can appear in printouts. They are not saved when the workbook is closed and reopened, and editing a cell can remove its arrows. Capture your own diagnostic notes separately if you need an audit trail. For the two-value total in B6, see the SUM reference.
Testing note: All numerical checkpoints were independently calculated. The tracing and watch-list instructions were checked against official documentation but were not tested in the application. No native screenshots are supplied.