Excel: Unknown yellow function icon

Question

I've written a custom function in VBA, and it is now giving me an error.

The function in question (PNC) returns a #REF error when I try to use it.  Even when I manually define the input (such as PNC(15,250)), the error still occurs.

I noticed that when I'm typing the function, one of the options is has a yellow tag beside it like this.  I'm wondering what this symbol means and if it has any relation to the error I'm having.

Answer 1

That yellow icon would suggest you have a named range called PNC.

Use the Name Manager on the Formula tab to check.

Answer 2

Give the functions PNC and PNC1 longer names.  PNC can be confused as a reference to a cell in column PNC and PNC1 can be misinterpreted as a reference to cell PNC1.  PNC is a valid column in Excel 2007/2010 and that may be the problem.

Try something like PNCA  and even PNCA1  for those; anything that might not be misinterpreted as a cell address.

Not sure this will cure your problem, if it does not (or if it does) definitely let us know.

But I think it's going to be the fix ;)

Answer 3

Thanks for the response, problem solved!

You were right about PNC1 referencing an actual cell, silly mistake.

PNC turned out to be a variable representing a range of cells somewhere else in the workbook.

Answer 4

Why not post the function code?