{ "category": "Information functions", "display_name": "ISREF", "entry_kind": "built_in_function", "eval_api": { "method": "POST", "url": "https://handbook.dnacalc.com/api/eval" }, "function_id": "FUNC.ISREF", "implementation_state": { "answer_bank": { "excel_builds": [ "20430" ], "larger_numeric": 0, "last_bit": 0, "matched": 1227, "other_mismatch": 0, "refused": 0, "rows": 1227, "unread": 0, "worst_ulp": 0 }, "detail": "Recorded: 1,227 in the answer bank and 25 workbook cells.", "dnacalc_commit": "9e1884369a678158dd82d3d74188daf986995e87", "in_catalogue": true, "state": "matches", "state_label": "Matches every recorded Excel answer", "summary": "Matches all 1,252 recorded answers", "workbook_corpus": { "cells": 31, "matched": 25, "pending": 6 } }, "implementations": [ { "commit": "9e1884369a678158dd82d3d74188daf986995e87", "flavour": "excel-compatibility-candidate", "language": "Rust", "name": "CalcFunc", "own_code": [ "https://github.com/DnaCalc/DnaCalc/blob/9e1884369a678158dd82d3d74188daf986995e87/crates/calc-func/src/catalogue/information.rs#L102-L102", "https://github.com/DnaCalc/DnaCalc/blob/9e1884369a678158dd82d3d74188daf986995e87/crates/calc-func/src/catalogue/information.rs#L240-L254" ], "repository": "https://github.com/DnaCalc/DnaCalc", "shared_code": [ "catalogue/aggregate::reader", "catalogue/aggregate::read_reference", "catalogue/information::unary", "catalogue/information::scalar", "catalogue/information::known", "catalogue/information::each", "catalogue/information::n", "catalogue/information::n_of", "catalogue/information::referenced" ], "source": "https://github.com/DnaCalc/DnaCalc/blob/9e1884369a678158dd82d3d74188daf986995e87/crates/calc-func/src/catalogue/information.rs#L102-L102", "state": "matches", "suite": null, "summary": "Matches all 1,252 recorded answers" } ], "json_url": "https://handbook.dnacalc.com/api/functions/FUNC.ISREF.json", "name": "ISREF", "notes": [], "schema": "efh.function-reference/v1", "section_order": [ "what-it-does", "try-it", "quirks", "how-to-implement", "version-differences", "alternatives" ], "sections": { "alternatives": "\n### Relationships\n\n\n- **`INDIRECT`** is `ISREF`'s usual companion: `INDIRECT` builds a reference from text at\n evaluation time (`eval_time_deref`) and `ISREF` reports whether the build succeeded.\n- **`OFFSET`, `INDEX` (reference form), `CHOOSE` over ranges** also produce references and can be\n tested the same way.\n- **`AREAS`** counts the areas in a reference; between them, `ISREF` and `AREAS` are the two\n functions that treat a reference as an object rather than as a source of values.\n- **`ROW`, `COLUMN`, `CELL`, `SHEET`, `ISFORMULA`, `FORMULATEXT`** are the other reference-aware\n functions in this Handbook's catalogue; they share `ISREF`'s argument-preparation deviation\n and none of its semantics.\n- **`ISERROR`** is what you want if the real question is \"did this expression break?\" — `ISREF`\n answers a narrower and different question.\n\n\n", "how-to-implement": "\n### Notes for implementers\n\n\n1. **`ISREF` cannot be implemented on a values-only pipeline.** If the dispatch layer resolves\n references before calling, `ISREF` will return `FALSE` for everything, silently. This is the\n function that proves an engine has a reference-aware argument path at all.\n2. **Do not dereference inside the function either.** `ISREF` must not touch the cells the\n reference designates; it inspects the designator. Dereferencing turns a cheap test into a\n potentially expensive one and can raise errors that `ISREF` should never produce.\n3. **Every reference shape needs an explicit decision.** Single cell, area, multi-area, 3-D,\n structured, spill anchor — six shapes, and an engine that models only the first two will\n quietly disagree with Excel on the rest.\n4. **No array lift.** `ISREF` is a single-argument inspection, not an elementwise classifier.\n Routing it through the family's lift helper would change its behaviour on array arguments.\n\n\n", "quirks": "\n### Result and edge cases\n\n- **`ISREF(#REF!)`** is the interesting case. `#REF!` is an `Error` value, not a reference — the\n reference it once designated is gone. The expected answer is therefore `FALSE`, which means\n `ISREF` is *not* a \"is this reference still valid?\" test in the way its name suggests; it is\n closer to one, because a broken reference degrades to an error rather than staying a\n reference. **This has not been measured here** and it is the first thing this page would probe.\n- **An array literal is `FALSE`.** `{1,2;3,4}` is an `Array`, a different kind entirely.\n- **A defined name** that names a range is expected `TRUE`; a defined name that names a constant\n or a formula is expected `FALSE`. Not measured here.\n- **A spill anchor `B1#`** designates a range and is expected `TRUE`. Not measured here.\n- **Numbers, text, logicals, errors and empties** are all `FALSE`.\n\n\n\n### Errors\n\nNote the asymmetry worth remembering: `ISREF` returns `FALSE` where you might expect an error,\nbecause \"not a reference\" is an answer, not a failure. `INDIRECT` of a bad address returns\n`#REF!`; `ISREF` of that `#REF!` returns `FALSE`. The error is produced by the inner function,\nnever by `ISREF`.\n\nMicrosoft's IS-functions page documents no error return for `ISREF`.\n\n\n", "sources": "- Microsoft, \"IS functions\" —\n .\n Read for this page: the `ISREF` row and the non-conversion remark.\n- Handbook, [the value universe](../model/01-value-universe.md) — the `Reference` kind and its\n six shapes.\n- Handbook, [coercion and lifting](../model/02-coercion-and-lifting.md) — reference resolution\n as an explicit step preceding conversion.\n\n\n", "version-differences": "The recorded environments below distinguish a reading from a same-input comparison. Counts describe captured inputs in each environment; overlapping captures and comparisons are not totals of unique worksheet calls.\n\n| Excel 16.0 build | Platform and CPU | Captured inputs |\n|---|---|---:|\n| 20430 | Windows, 64-bit, CPU not recorded | 1,227 |\n\nThe record contains no same-input comparison between these environments. Reading different inputs on different builds does not establish either a version change or cross-build agreement.\n\n[Recorded environments and comparison details](https://github.com/DnaCalc/ExcelFunctionsHandbook/blob/5dc75391aa5125ccc5abdb095da85950980d6fd8/content/evidence/environments/FUNC.ISREF.json).", "what-it-does": "\n`ISREF(value)` returns `TRUE` when the argument it receives is a **reference** — a designator\nfor one or more cell ranges — and `FALSE` when it is any other kind of value.\n\nMicrosoft's condition: \"Value refers to a reference.\"\n\nThe kinds it answers `TRUE` for are the reference shapes listed in\n[the value universe](../model/01-value-universe.md): single cell (`A1`), area (`A1:B10`),\nmulti-area union, three-dimensional (`Sheet1:Sheet3!A1`), structured (`Table1[Amount]`) and\nspill anchor (`B1#`). Whether every one of those shapes actually answers `TRUE` in Excel is\nlisted below as unmeasured.\n\n\n\n### Arguments\n\n\n`value` — required, exactly one.\n\nThe argument is **not** a values position. It is the only IS-family argument that is not, and\nthat is the entire design of the function. Two consequences follow:\n\n1. **What you write in the call matters, not what it evaluates to.** `ISREF(A1)` asks about the\n expression `A1`, not about the number sitting in `A1`. `ISREF(1)` is `FALSE` because the\n literal `1` is not a reference, regardless of what `A1` contains.\n2. **Reference-producing functions can be tested.** `ISREF(INDIRECT(\"A1\"))` and\n `ISREF(OFFSET(A1,1,1))` ask whether those calls produced a usable reference, and that is the\n idiom the function exists for.\n\nThe classic use is validating a sheet name before building a reference from text:\n`ISREF(INDIRECT(\"'\"&name&\"'!A1\"))` is `TRUE` when the sheet exists and `FALSE` when it does not,\nwhich is how a workbook checks for a sheet without a macro.\n\n\n" }, "signature": { "display": "ISREF(value)", "parameters": [ { "description": null, "name": "value", "optional": false, "repeats": false } ], "trailing_repeats": false }, "sources": { "metadata": { "admission": { "label": "implemented", "reason": null }, "arity": { "max": 1, "min": 1 }, "category": "Information functions", "classification": { "arg_preparation_profile": "RefsVisibleInAdapter", "coercion_lift_profile": "None", "determinism_class": "Deterministic", "error_collapse_profile": "None", "fec_dependency_profile": "RefOnly", "host_interaction_class": "None", "kernel_signature_class": "Custom", "rich_value_usage": "RichBlind", "surface_fec_dependency_profile": "RefOnly", "thread_safety_class": "SafePure", "volatility_class": "NonVolatile" }, "descriptions": { "long": null, "short": "TRUE when the value is a reference", "short_source": "dna-calc-own" }, "docs": { "english_description": "Returns TRUE if the value is a reference", "microsoft_url": "https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/is-functions-0f2d7971-6019-40a0-a171-f2d869135665" }, "entry_kind": "built_in_function", "localized_family_names": [ { "locale": "ar-SA", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "bg-BG", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "cs-CZ", "names": [ "ISODD", "JE.CHYBA", "JE.CHYBHODN", "JE.ČISLO", "JE.LOGHODN", "JE.NEDEF", "JE.NETEXT", "JE.ODKAZ", "JE.PRÁZDNÉ", "JE.TEXT" ] }, { "locale": "da-DK", "names": [ "ER.FEJL", "ER.FJL", "ER.IKKE.TEKST", "ER.IKKE.TILGÆNGELIG", "ER.LOGISK", "ER.REFERENCE", "ER.TAL", "ER.TEKST", "ER.TOM", "ER.ULIGE" ] }, { "locale": "de-DE", "names": [ "ISODD", "ISTBEZUG", "ISTFEHL", "ISTFEHLER", "ISTKTEXT", "ISTLEER", "ISTLOG", "ISTNV", "ISTTEXT", "ISTZAHL" ] }, { "locale": "el-GR", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "en-AU", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "en-GB", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "en-US", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "es-ES", "names": [ "ES.IMPAR", "ESBLANCO", "ESERR", "ESERROR", "ESLOGICO", "ESNOD", "ESNOTEXTO", "ESNUMERO", "ESREF", "ESTEXTO" ] }, { "locale": "et-EE", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "fi-FI", "names": [ "ONEI_TEKSTI", "ONLUKU", "ONPARITON", "ONPUUTTUU", "ONTEKSTI", "ONTOTUUS", "ONTYHJÄ", "ONVIITT", "ONVIRH", "ONVIRHE" ] }, { "locale": "fr-FR", "names": [ "EST.IMPAIR", "ESTERR", "ESTERREUR", "ESTLOGIQUE", "ESTNA", "ESTNONTEXTE", "ESTNUM", "ESTREF", "ESTTEXTE", "ESTVIDE" ] }, { "locale": "he-IL", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "hr-HR", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "hu-HU", "names": [ "HIBA.E", "HIBÁS", "HIVATKOZÁS", "LOGIKAI", "NEM.SZÖVEG", "NINCS", "PÁRATLANE", "SZÁM", "SZÖVEG.E", "ÜRES" ] }, { "locale": "id-ID", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "it-IT", "names": [ "ISODD", "VAL.ERR", "VAL.ERRORE", "VAL.LOGICO", "VAL.NON.DISP", "VAL.NON.TESTO", "VAL.NUMERO", "VAL.RIF", "VAL.TESTO", "VAL.VUOTO" ] }, { "locale": "ja-JP", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "ko-KR", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "lt-LT", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "lv-LV", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "nb-NO", "names": [ "ERF", "ERFEIL", "ERIKKETEKST", "ERIT", "ERLOGISK", "ERREF", "ERTALL", "ERTEKST", "ERTOM", "ISODD" ] }, { "locale": "nl-NL", "names": [ "IS.ONEVEN", "ISFOUT", "ISFOUT2", "ISGEENTEKST", "ISGETAL", "ISLEEG", "ISLOGISCH", "ISNB", "ISTEKST", "ISVERWIJZING" ] }, { "locale": "pl-PL", "names": [ "CZY.ADR", "CZY.BŁ", "CZY.BŁĄD", "CZY.BRAK", "CZY.LICZBA", "CZY.LOGICZNA", "CZY.NIE.TEKST", "CZY.NIEPARZYSTE", "CZY.PUSTA", "CZY.TEKST" ] }, { "locale": "pt-BR", "names": [ "É.NÃO.DISP", "É.NÃO.TEXTO", "ÉCÉL.VAZIA", "ÉERRO", "ÉERROS", "ÉLÓGICO", "ÉNÚMERO", "ÉREF", "ÉTEXTO", "ISODD" ] }, { "locale": "pt-PT", "names": [ "É.CÉL.VAZIA", "É.ERRO", "É.ERROS", "É.LÓGICO", "É.NÃO.DISP", "É.NÃO.TEXTO", "É.NÚM", "É.REF", "É.TEXTO", "ÉÍMPAR" ] }, { "locale": "ro-RO", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "ru-RU", "names": [ "ЕЛОГИЧ", "ЕНД", "ЕНЕТЕКСТ", "ЕНЕЧЁТ", "ЕОШ", "ЕОШИБКА", "ЕПУСТО", "ЕССЫЛКА", "ЕТЕКСТ", "ЕЧИСЛО" ] }, { "locale": "sk-SK", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "sl-SI", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "sr-Latn-RS", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "sv-SE", "names": [ "ÄREJTEXT", "ÄRF", "ÄRFEL", "ÄRLOGISK", "ÄRSAKNAD", "ÄRTAL", "ÄRTEXT", "ÄRTOM", "ÄRTOM", "ÄRUDDA" ] }, { "locale": "th-TH", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "tr-TR", "names": [ "EBOŞSA", "EHATA", "EHATALIYSA", "EMANTIKSALSA", "EMETİNDEĞİLSE", "EMETİNSE", "EREFSE", "ESAYIYSA", "EYOKSA", "TEKMİ işlevi" ] }, { "locale": "uk-UA", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "vi-VN", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "zh-CN", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "zh-HK", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] }, { "locale": "zh-TW", "names": [ "ISBLANK", "ISERR", "ISERROR", "ISLOGICAL", "ISNA", "ISNONTEXT", "ISNUMBER", "ISODD", "ISREF", "ISTEXT" ] } ], "localized_names": [], "signature": { "display": "ISREF(value)", "parameters": [ { "description": null, "name": "value", "optional": false, "repeats": false } ], "trailing_repeats": false }, "surface_name": "ISREF", "version_marker": null, "xlcall": { "code": "105", "symbol": "xlfIsref" } }, "microsoft": "https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/is-functions-0f2d7971-6019-40a0-a171-f2d869135665" }, "try_it": { "formula": "=ISREF(1)" }, "url": "https://handbook.dnacalc.com/functions/ISREF.html", "variants": [], "versions": [ { "behaviour": "1,227 captured inputs are indexed for this environment. Capture dates: 2026-09-29 to 2026-09-29. This is a reading count, not a comparison with another build.", "excel_build": "16.0 build 20430", "platform": "Windows, 64-bit, CPU not recorded", "sources": [ "https://github.com/DnaCalc/ExcelFunctionsHandbook/blob/5dc75391aa5125ccc5abdb095da85950980d6fd8/content/evidence/environments/FUNC.ISREF.json" ] } ] }