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resolvedResolved · Medium Priority · Version 2007

Rachel has attended:
Excel Intermediate course
Excel Advanced course

Excel

How do you link spreadsheet data?

RE: Excel

Hello Rachel

Thank you for your question and welcome to the forum.

To create a link between one cell and another:

1. Select the cell you want to create the link in.
2. Type = into the cell.
3. Select the cell you wish to link to.
4. Press Enter. The link is created.

Kind regards
Amanda

RE: Excel

Thanks Amanda, however I need to link 'spreadsheets' not cells. One spreadsheet has certain information which I would like to draw from to use in another. Rachel

RE: Excel

Hello Rachel

Links are created on a cell by cell basis, unless you are using something like VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP to be able to pull through certain bits of information.

Kind regards
Amanda

RE: Excel - formulae linking to other spreadsheets

For example:

='[Workbook name.xls]sheet name'!(absolute)cell reference

The worksheet name is in square brackets, it is immediately followed by the sheet name. The two of these are within one set of apostrophies. This is followed by an exclamation mark, then the cell reference, which will be absolute if you create the link as suggested above.

Thus... ='[Example_Workbook.xls]Sheet1'!$A$1
would return the contents of cell A1 of Sheet 1 of the linked Example_Workbook.xls.

You can use this as part of a larger formula, with more links if desired. I would guard against linking too much. In my experience, links have a tendency to break when linked spreadsheets are subsequently saved under new names and/or in new locations. Also, if you send a spreadsheet with links to someone else, it is very likely that the links will not work.

As far as possible it is better to copy the required data in to a new spreadsheet and work it up from there (although I appreciate the links can be more efficient and effective in some circumstances).

I hope that this helps.

RE: Excel - formulae linking to other spreadsheets

For example:

='[Workbook name.xls]sheet name'!(absolute)cell reference

The worksheet name is in square brackets, it is immediately followed by the sheet name. The two of these are within one set of apostrophies. This is followed by an exclamation mark, then the cell reference, which will be absolute if you create the link as suggested above.

Thus... ='[Example_Workbook.xls]Sheet1'!$A$1
would return the contents of cell A1 of Sheet 1 of the linked Example_Workbook.xls.

You can use this as part of a larger formula, with more links if desired. I would guard against linking too much. In my experience, links have a tendency to break when linked spreadsheets are subsequently saved under new names and/or in new locations. Also, if you send a spreadsheet with links to someone else, it is very likely that the links will not work.

As far as possible it is better to copy the required data in to a new spreadsheet and work it up from there (although I appreciate the links can be more efficient and effective in some circumstances).

I hope that this helps.

 

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