Name cells in a workbook

Microsoft Office Excel 2003

This option must be set when you first create a workbook, or you will need to re-enter the formulas that use labels.

  1. Click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Calculation tab.
  2. Under Workbook options, select the Accept labels in formulas check box.
  3. To re-enter a formula that used a label before setting this option, select the cell that contains the formula, press F2, and then press ENTER.

Note  To have this option recognized by default for all new workbooks, create a new workbook, follow the procedure above, and save the setting in the template book.xlt.

ShowHow?

  1. Decide which type of template you want:

    Workbook template

    Create a workbook that contains the sheets, default text (such as page headers and column and row labels), formulas, macros, styles, and other formatting you want in new workbooks based on the template.

    Worksheet template

    Create a workbook that contains one worksheet. On the worksheet, include the formatting, styles, text, and other information you want to appear on all new sheets of the same type.

  2. To display a picture of the first page of a template in the Preview box of the Templates dialog box (General Templates..., New Workbook task pane), click Properties on the File menu, click the Summary tab, and then select the Save preview picture check box.

  3. On the File menu, click Save As.

  4. In the Save as type box, click Template.

  5. In the Save in box, select the folder where you want to store the template.

    • To create the default workbook template or default worksheet template, select either the XLStart folder or the alternate startup folder. The XLStart folder is usually

      C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\XLStart

    • To create a custom workbook or worksheet template, select the Templates folder, which is usually

      C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

  6. Enter the name of the template in the File name box. Do one of the following:

    Workbook template

    • Type book to create the default workbook template.

      To create a custom workbook template, type any valid file name.

    Worksheet template

    • Type sheet to create a template for default worksheets.

      To create a custom sheet template, type any valid file name.

  7. Click Save, and then click Close on the File menu.

ShowName a cell or a range of cells

  1. Select the cell, range of cells, or nonadjacent selections that you want to name.
  2. Click the Name box at the left end of the formula bar Formula bar.

    Name box

    Callout 1 Name box

  3. Type the name for the cells.
  4. Press ENTER.

Note  You cannot name a cell while you are changing the contents of the cell.

ShowConvert existing row and column labels to names

  1. Select the range you want to name, including the row or column labels.
  2. On the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Create.
  3. In the Create names in box, designate the location that contains the labels by selecting the Top row, Left column, Bottom row, or Right column check box.

Note  A name created by using this procedure refers only to the cells that contain values and does not include the existing row and column labels.

Specifying labels    When you select cells in labeled ranges to create formulas, Microsoft Excel can insert the labels in place of the cell references in your formulas. Using labels can make it easier to see how a formula is constructed. You can use the Label Ranges dialog box (Insert menu, Name submenu, Label command) to specify the ranges that contain column and row labels on your worksheet.

ShowName cells on more than one worksheet by using a 3-D reference

This is also called a 3-D reference.

  1. On the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define.
  2. In the Names in workbook box, type the name.
  3. If the Refers to box contains a reference, select the equal sign (=) and the reference and press BACKSPACE.
  4. In the Refers to box, type = (equal sign).
  5. Click the tab for the first worksheet to be referenced.
  6. Hold down SHIFT and click the tab for the last worksheet to be referenced.
  7. Select the cell or range of cells to be referenced.