Spreadsheet Formula Change Auditor
Compare two XLSX versions for formulas replaced by values, formula-family drift, broken references, new cycles, and workbook-control changes.
What problem does Spreadsheet Formula Change Auditor solve?
A spreadsheet can still open and show plausible totals after a formula was pasted over, a relative reference drifted, a name changed, or calculation mode became manual.
Use it to
- Review an edited financial or operating model before client handoff
- Catch pasted-over formulas after bulk copy, import, or AI-assisted edits
- Compare recurring reporting workbooks before publication
- Create an evidence ledger for intentional and unexpected logic changes
What it returns
- Cell-level formula and workbook-control change ledger
- Sheet-level formula and severity summary
- JSON BLOCK, REVIEW, or CLEAR release gate
- Review memo tied to the exact before and after workbooks
A representative input and result
Access and approval boundaries
- Read access to two user-supplied local XLSX files.
- Write access only to the selected local audit output directory.
- No Excel automation, macro, browser, network, credential, or environment-variable access is required.
Known limitations
- Only unencrypted .xlsx files are supported in version 1; .xls, .xlsb, and password-protected files are not parsed.
- The helper does not recalculate cached values or execute macros, data connections, Power Query, or application-specific functions.
- Shared, array, table, dynamic-array, and external formulas can require manual Excel or LibreOffice review.
Questions
Does it need Microsoft Excel installed?
No. It reads the standard XLSX ZIP and XML structure locally with Python 3.
Will it change or recalculate my workbook?
No. Both workbooks remain read-only. The helper does not launch Excel, calculate formulas, run macros, or refresh connections.
What is a formula-family outlier?
It is a formula whose relative A1-reference pattern differs while the immediately adjacent formulas in the same column share one pattern.
Can a CLEAR result prove the workbook is correct?
No. CLEAR means no covered before-and-after difference was found. Unchanged formulas can still be wrong, and cached values can be stale.
Does it support password-protected or legacy Excel files?
No. Version 1 supports unencrypted .xlsx files. Convert or decrypt authorized files in the application of record first.
What should I do with an intentional formula change?
Tie it to an owner-approved requirement, recalculate in the application of record, verify representative results, and preserve the disposition with the audit.
Spreadsheet Formula Change Auditor keeps proof and approval boundaries visible.
The listing includes the tested package, realistic samples, declared permissions, and known limitations.
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