You are learning Cell Referencing in MS Excel
Can named ranges be used across different worksheets?
Yes, named ranges can be used across different worksheets in an Excel workbook, but with some limitations:
* Default Scope: By default, a named range applies only to the worksheet where it's created. This means you can't directly reference a named range from another sheet by its name alone.
Here are two ways to use named ranges across worksheets:
1. Full Reference with Worksheet Name: You can include the worksheet name along with the named range in your formula. For example, if you have a named range called "TotalSales" on Sheet1, you can reference it in a formula on Sheet2 like this: `=Sheet1!TotalSales`.
2. Define Scope as Workbook: When creating the named range, you can set its scope to the entire workbook. Here's how:
- Select the cell range you want to name.
- Go to the "Formulas" tab.
- Click "Define Name" in the "Defined Names" group.
- In the "New Name" dialog box, enter a descriptive name for your range.
- Under "Scope," choose "Workbook" instead of the default "Worksheet."
- Click "OK" to create the named range with workbook scope.
Once you define the scope as a workbook, you can simply use the named range by its name in formulas on any worksheet within the same workbook.
Things to Consider:
* Using workbook-scoped named ranges can lead to confusion if you have multiple ranges with the same name across sheets. It's recommended to use descriptive and unique names.
* If you frequently reference named ranges from different worksheets, consider using a consistent naming convention that incorporates the sheet name for better readability (e.g., Sheet1_TotalSales, Sheet2_TotalSales).