FORMULATEXT in WPS Spreadsheet: Display a Referenced Formula as Text

=FORMULATEXT(reference)

The required argument identifies the cell whose formula is to be returned. WPS describes the result as the expression shown in the formula bar. This guide uses one direct same-sheet reference and a short expression without spaces or localized function names.

The returned string is a description of a formula, not another execution of that formula. It can be displayed beside a result to make a worksheet easier to inspect. Do not assume that copying its appearance into another context preserves every reference or formatting choice automatically.

Enter these cells on a fresh sheet:

Enter =FORMULATEXT(A2) in B2 and copy down. The documentation-based expected text is =1+2, =2*3 and =3/0, respectively. The third example still has a formula to describe even though its arithmetic does not produce a finite number.

In A5 enter the literal number 3, then use =FORMULATEXT(A5) in B5. The official lesson specifies #N/A when the referenced cell contains no formula. This distinguishes the constant 3 from the formula =1+2, which can display the same numeric value.

A calculation sheet can keep an expression’s numeric result in one column and its formula text beside it. This lets a reviewer see whether a cell contains a fixed value, a simple arithmetic expression or a reference-based calculation without relying on the displayed result alone.

The text is still only one part of an explanation. A formula such as =A2+B2 does not describe the meaning, units or quality of A2 and B2. Retain meaningful labels and source data alongside the expression. Formula text does not certify that the calculation is appropriate.

For a teaching example, compare A2 and A5 above. Both can display 3, but FORMULATEXT exposes the construction difference. ISFORMULA can answer the simpler presence question without attempting to return the expression itself.

The controls use short formulas containing only ordinary arithmetic characters. They do not establish whether WPS preserves every whitespace choice, capitalization, localized separator or formula normalization in more complicated expressions.

The lesson mentions external workbooks, multi-cell references, protection and a historical formula-length limit. Those broader contracts are not needed for the worked examples and are not certified as universal current-version behavior here. The examples avoid external files, self-reference and protected cells.

The no-formula #N/A condition is directly documented. The source also lists circumstances where formula text is unavailable, but this guide does not present those circumstances as a complete tested error table for every edition.

If a formula cannot be displayed, check the referenced cell and its workbook context rather than assuming the result means the formula is wrong. A returned string beginning with an equals sign is still text from this function; it should not be confused with an independently recalculated result.

No automatic auditing, macro inspection or access to hidden/protected content is implied. FORMULATEXT exposes only the formula information available through its documented reference operation.

The official WPS Academy FORMULATEXT lesson, published 2019-05-30, has the applicability scope recorded below. It was reviewed on October 18, 2026. The applicability field explicitly names WPS Office for Windows Personal. The numeric build, introduction release and last supported version remain unknown. The source does not identify this function as deprecated or retired. Support in Linux, other editions and other platforms is not established by this lesson.

The worked examples are original documentation-based expectations, supported by independent reasoning and arithmetic where applicable. They were not executed in WPS. Historical vendor demonstrations are documentation, not our application tests; no screenshot or runtime precision guarantee is supplied. English names and comma separators follow the lesson. Localized entry, workbook interchange and exact output formatting require verification in the intended client.

• ISFORMULA: check formula presence without extracting the expression.
• CONCATENATE: combine explanatory text.