Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 76839
Local Private and Public Cell Names
Last modified: 2013-08-07 15:12:27 UTC
A very useful feature would be to be able to have cells with the same names on multiple worksheets . A good example of this is where the worksheets have a common variable that changes from month to month such as an exchange rate that is local ( private ) only to the individual worksheets . Another feature would be a hierachical structure for public names such that they can be refered to , externally , by their worksheet name followed by their name in the worksheet . These features would allow a single worksheet design to be used in multiple instances - for example a single month worksheet design being used for all 12+ months .
An alternate solution to this would be - to be able to lock cell references such that when cells - formulas - are copied the locked cells do not have their references updated for the pasting position .
Hi, for compatibility reasons the do not implement the ability to name two or more ranges with the same name. About your latest comment, it sounds to me like you're searching for absolute refereences. Pleases have a look at the Help system about them. Frank
closed wontfix. Feel free to re-open this Issue if you think I'm wrong. In this case describe the problem as precise as possible. Maybe an example document can help. Frank
In theory absolute references will work . But in practice - that linkage to the cell in question is not maintained - things go wrong during editing due to missinterpretations by the spreadsheet program . My experience with Excel is that it quite easily looses the correct linkages - even within individual worksheets - hence my concern with OpenOffice . As such the only reliable way of maintaining a link is to give the cells in question a name . The point I was making is that :- 1) the name needs to be either local to the worksheet or global throughout the file - that option needs to be present . 2) further - being able to give the cells a common local name that is differentiated out of the individual worksheets by the worksheet name being used as a prefix - would provide good flexibility - ie. would greatly reduce spreadsheet construction time . It's not a case of " can it be done " but " how well it can be done " - how easy it is - otherwise why not use a piece of paper , a pencil and an abacus ?
*** Issue 76863 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
one for requirements
Hi, let me add my own needs to the discussion. In engineering applications it is usual to deal with several sections (50+ being usual) of a given body (like a ship, airplane or other) for each of which a given (large) set of equal parameters must be defined (with different values, most often). Translating this to spreadsheet language, there is a need for identical cell names across several sheets of a given spreadsheet. Or, more technically, there is a need for names wich are local do the sheets. Just like Microsoft's Excel provides, although I am not sure if in Excel the names are genuinely local or globals faked as local just for the user's eye. Anyway, local or only apparently local, equal cell names for different sheets are essential for engineering applications. If implemented, such feature would almost certainly spread Calc's use to an even wider public (myself and co- workers included). In time. As already mentioned in Issue 76863, when duplicating an Excel sheet the local names are also duplicated. With huge time savings when you deal with 50+ sheets. Since Calc's naming scheme is global the duplication of a given sheet will (of course) not retain the cell names.