Datasheet

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CHAPTER 4
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WORKING DATA MAGIC WITH CALCULATIONS
No matter what method you use to name cells, names must follow cer-
tain rules:
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Names must start with a letter or an underscore character (_).
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No spaces are allowed. For multiword names, use an underscore or,
better yet, use initial capital letters to separate words, as in LastName.
Names are not case sensitive, so if you type the name in a formula,
you don’t have to type the capital letters; however, the initial capitals
make the name easier to read.
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Don’t use periods. They’re allowed, but they may interfere with VBA
programming code.
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Keep names shorter than 255 characters (which is too long to be
practical, anyway).
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Do not use hyphens or other punctuations marks (if Excel doesn’t
let you create a name, a punctuation mark may be the problem).
The Name box
The Name box, located on the left end of the Formula bar, is the fastest
way to name a range or a single cell.
To name a cell or range with the Name box, select the cell or range
you want to name, click in the Name box (see Figure 4.17), type the
name, and press Enter.
Figure 4.17. Click in the Name box, type a name, and press Enter.
Using the Name box, you can name cells and ranges that have no
identifying headings on the worksheet.
No matter what method you use to name cells and ranges, the names
appear in the Name box list when you click the arrow next to the Name
box. Click the arrow and click a name to select the named range.
Name box
Selected cell being named
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