Copying Formula (Excel 2002 – XP)

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Why does Excel display the results of a formula and not the formula when copying? Whenever I attempt to copy a formula and paste (Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V) to another file (second instance not file open or file new), Excel displays the results but not the formula. I attempted to use the Paste Special Dialog Box however, that specific dialog box does not appear instead another dialog box appears that asks if I want to paste as

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I think this behavior is by design. It occurs in older versions of Excel too (I tested on Excel 97 and Excel 2002).

As long as you are within the same instance of Excel, information about the internal structure of the cell(s) is kept; Excel “knows” what to do with that when you paste.

As soon as you switch to another application – and switching to another instance of Excel counts as such – the clipboard entry is modified in such a way that it can be understood by any application, i.e. only the value is kept. The application switching is handled by Windows, not by Excel, so Excel Instance #1 doesn’t know it is handing over the clipboard to Excel Instance #2, it might as well have been Notepad.

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I guess I just have to keep the same instance when copying sheets.

thanks again

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