Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Working with range names. You can make it easier to navigate excel worksheets and
build excel formulas by applying names to your ranges. A range name as a text label
that you apply to a single cell or to a range of cells. Once you have
defined a name for a range, you can use that name in place of the range
coordinates, which has several benefits. For example
range names are more intuitive than range coordinates
particularly in formulas
range names are more accurate than range coordinates
range names are easier to remember than range coordinates
and range names make it easier to navigate a worksheet
define a range name
before you can use a range name in your formulas or to navigate a worksheet, you
must first define the range name. You can define as many names as you need
and you can even define multiple names for the same range
you can create range names by hand
or you can get Excel to create the names for you automatically based on the
existing text labels in a worksheet. Select the range do you want to name
click the Insert tab
click Name
click to Define
the new Name dialog box appears. Type the name you want to use into the Name text box
The first character of the name must be a letter or an underscore.
The name cannot include spaces or cell references
and it cannot be any longer than 255 characters
click OK
excel assigns the name to the range
the new name appears in the Name box whenever the range is selected.
Use worksheet text to define arrange name. If you have several ranges to name, you can
speed up the process by getting excel to create the names for you automatically
based on the range's text labels
Text labels make a worksheet easier to read and understand
but in this section you see that they also make it easier to define range
names. For example,
if you have a column of sales data that has the label "Sales" on top
excel can automatically apply the names "Sales" to that range
You can create range names from worksheet text when the labels are in the top,
or bottom,
row of the range
for the left
or right, column of the range. Select the range or ranges you want to name
Be sure to include the text labels you want to use for the range names
Click the Insert tab
click Name
click Create
the create names from selection dialog box appears
select the setting or settings that correspond to where the text labels are
located in the selected range. If excel has activated a check box that does not
apply to your data, click it
click ok
excel assigns the text labels as range names
when you select one of the ranges, the range name assigned by excel appears in
the Name box.
Navigate a workbook using range names
One of the big advantages of defining range names is that they make it easier
to navigate a worksheet
You can choose a range name from a list and excel automatically selects the
associated range
This is much faster than scrolling through all workbook by hand
or by entering a cell or range reference into excel's Go To command
Excel offers two methods for navigating the workbook using range names:
The Name box and the Go To command. Navigate using the Name box.
Click the Name box
Click the name of the range you want to select
Excel selects the range
Navigate using the Go To command
Click the Edit tab
Click Go To
The Go To dialog box appears. Click the name of the range you want to select
Click OK
Excel selects the range
Delete a Range name
if you have a range name that you no longer need
you can use Excel's Name Manager to delete it
This is a good practice,
because you do not want to have unused range names in a workbook. Getting rid of
unneeded range names reduces clutter in the Name Manager dialog box, and it
also makes the Name box easier to navigate
It is also a good idea to delete unused range names because you may need to
reuse the names for different ranges later on. Click the Insert tab
Click Name
Click Define
The Name Manager dialog box appears. Click the name you want to delete
Click Delete. Excel deletes the range name. Click Close