Chapter 28

LINKING AND
RESOLIDATING

WORKSHEET
In This Chapter we will learn about

1 Using
.
varians methode to link workbooks

2 Consolidating multiple worksheet

1 Linking Worksbook
S
2 Creating Eksternal Referens Formula
U
B
3 Working with eksternal referens formula C
H
A
4 Avoiding Potential Problems with P
Eksternal Referennce Formulas T
E
5 Consolidating Worksheet R
 1 Linking workbook
As you may know, Excel allows you to create formulas that contain references to other workbook
fi les. In such a case, the workbooks are linked in such a way that one depends on the other. The workbook that
contains the external reference formulas is the dependent workbook (because it contains formulas that depend on
another workbook). The workbook that contains the information used in the external reference formula is the
source workbook (because it’s the source of the information).
When you consider linking workbooks, you may ask yourself the following question: if Workbook A
needs to access data in another workbook (Workbook B), why not just enter the data into Workbook A in the first
place? In some cases, you can. But the real value of linking becomes apparent when the source workbook is being
continually updated by another person or group. Creating a link in Workbook A to Workbook B means that in
Workbook A, you always have access to the most recent information in Workbook B because Workbook A is updated
whenever Workbook B changes.
Linking has its downside, however. External reference formulas are somewhat fragile, and accidentally severing
the links that you create is relatively easy. You can prevent this mistake if you understand how linking works. Later in
the chapter, I discuss some problems that may arise and how to avoid them. (See “Avoiding Potential Problems with
External Reference Formulas.”)
 2 Creating Eksternal Referens Formula
You can create an external reference formula by using several different techniques:
 Type the cell references manually.
These references may be lengthy because they include workbook and sheet names and possibly even
drive and path information. These references can also point to workbooks stored on the Internet. The
advantage of manually typing the cell references is that the source workbook doesn’t have to be
open. The disadvantage is that it’s error prone. Mistyping a single character makes the formula return
an error (or possibly return a wrong value from the workbook).
 Point to the cell references.
If the source workbook is open, you can use the standard pointing techniques to create formulas that
use external references.
 Paste the links.
Copy your data to the Clipboard. Then, with the source workbook open, choose Home ➪ Clipboard ➪
Paste ➪ Paste Link (N). Excel pastes the copied data as external reference formulas.
 Choose Data ➪ Data Tools ➪ Consolidate.
For more on this method, see the section “Consolidating worksheets by using the Consolidate dialog
box,” later in this chapter.
Understanding link formula syntax.
The general syntax for an external reference formula is as follows:
=[WorkbookName]SheetName!CellAddress
Precede the cell address with the workbook name (in brackets), followed by the worksheet name and
an exclamation point. Here’s an example of a formula that uses cell A1 in the Sheet1 worksheet of a
workbook named Budget:
=[Budget.xlsx]Sheet1!A1
If the workbook name or the sheet name in the reference includes one or more spaces, you must
enclose the text in single quotation marks. For example, here’s a formula that refers to cell A1 on Sheet1
in a workbook named Annual Budget.xlsx:
='[Annual Budget.xlsx]Sheet1’!A1
When a formula links to a different workbook, you don’t need to open the other workbook. However,
if the workbook is closed and not in the current folder, you must add the complete path to the reference.
For example:
='C:\Data\Excel\Budget\[Annual Budget.xlsx]Sheet1'!A1
If the workbook is stored on the Internet, the formula will also include the URL. For example:
='C:\Data\Excel\Budget\[Annual Budget.xlsx]Sheet1’!A1
Creating a link formula by pointing
Entering external reference formulas manually usually isn’t the best approach because you
can easily make an error. Instead, have Excel build the formula for you, as follows:
Step by step
1 Open the source workbook.

2 Select the cell in the dependent workbook that will hold the formula.

3 Type an equal sign (=)

4 Activate the source workbook and select the cell or range and press Enter.
The dependent workbook is reactivated.
Pasting links
Pasting links provides another way to create external reference formulas. This method
is applicable when you want to create formulas that simply reference other cells.
Step by step
1 Open the source workbook.
2 Select the cell or range that you want to link, and then copy it to the
Clipboard. Ctrl+C is the quickest way.
3 Activate the dependent workbook and select the cell in which you want the link
formula to appear. If you’re pasting a copied range, just select the upper-left cell.
4 Choose Home ➪ Clipboard ➪ Paste ➪ Paste Link (N).
 3 Working with External Reference Formulas
This section discusses some key points that you need to know about when working with
links. Understanding these details can help prevent some common errors.
Creating links to unsaved workbooks
Excel enables you to create link formulas to unsaved workbooks (and even to nonexistent
workbooks). Assume that you have two workbooks open (Book1 and Book2) and you haven’t saved either of them.
If you create a link formula to Book1 in Book2 and then save Book2, Excel displays a confi rmation dialog box like the
one shown in Figure.

When the source workbook becomes available, you can choose Data ➪ Connections ➪ Edit Links to update the
link. (See “Updating links,” later in this chapter.) After doing so, the error goes away, and the formula displays its
proper value.
Opening a workbook with external reference formulas
When you open a workbook that contains links, Excel displays a dialog box that asks
you what to do. Your options are
Step by step
1 Update: The links are updated with the current information in the source file(s).

2 Don’t Update: The links are not updated, and the workbook displays the previous
values returned by the link formulas.
3 Help: The Excel Help screen displays so you can read about links.
 Excel enables you to create link formulas to unsaved workbooks (and even to nonexistent
workbooks). Assume that you have two workbooks open (Book1 and Book2) and you haven’t saved either of them.
If you create a link formula to Book1 in Book2 and then save Book2, Excel displays a confi rmation dialog box like the
one shown in Figure.

Step by step

1 Continue: Open the workbook, but don’t update the links.

2 Edit Links: Display the Edit Links dialog box, shown in Figure 28.3. Click the
Change Source button to specify a different workbook, or click the Break Link button
to destroy the link and keep the current values.
The Edit Links dialog box.

You can also access the Edit Links dialog box by choosing Data ➪ Connections ➪ Edit Links. The Edit Links dialog
box lists all source workbooks, plus other types of links to other documents.

Changing the startup prompt

When you open a workbook that contains one or more external reference formulas, Excel,by default, displays
the dialog box that asks how you want to handle the links. You can eliminate this prompt by changing a setting in the
Startup Prompt dialog box.
The Edit Links dialog box.
The Edit Links dialog box.

To display the Startup Prompt dialog box, choose Data ➪ Connections ➪ Edit Links. The Edit Links dialog box
(refer to Figure 28.3) appears. In the Edit Links dialog box, click the Startup Prompt button and then select the
option that describes how you want to handle the links.

Updating links
If you want to ensure that your link formulas have the latest values from their source workbooks, you can force
an update. For example, say that you just discovered that someone made changes to the source workbook and
saved the latest version to your network server. In such a case, you may want to update the links to display the
current data.

To update linked formulas with their current value, open the Edit Links dialog box (Data ➪ Connections ➪ Edit
Links), choose the appropriate source workbook in the list, and then click the Update Values button. Excel updates
the link formulas with the latest version of the source workbook.
 4 Avoiding Potential Problems with External
Reference Formulas

Changing the link source

Using external reference formulas can be quite useful, but the links may be unintentionally
severed. As long as the source fi le hasn’t been deleted, you can almost always reestablish ost links. If you open the
workbook and Excel can’t locate the file, you see a dialog box that enables you to specify the workbook and re-
create the links. You also can change the source fi le by clicking the Change Source button in the Edit Links dialog box
(choose Data➪ Connections ➪ Edit Links). The following sections discuss some pointers that you must
remember when you use external reference formulas.

Renaming or moving a source workbook

If you or someone else renames the source document or moves it to a different folder, Excel
won’t be able to update the links. You need to use the Edit Links dialog box and specify the
new source document. (See “Changing the link source,” earlier in this chapter.)
 Using the Save As command
If both the source workbook and the dependent workbook are open, Excel doesn’t display the full path to the
source fi le in the external reference formulas. If you use the File ➪ Save As command to give the source workbook a
new name, Excel modifi es the external references to use the new workbook name. In some cases, this change may
be what you want. But in other cases, it may not.

Here’s an example of how using File ➪ Save As can cause a problem. You fi nished working on a source workbook
and save the fi le. Then you decide to be safe and make a backup copy on a different drive, using File ➪ Save As. The
formulas in the dependent workbook now refer to the backup copy, not the original source fi le. This is not what you
want.

Modifying a source workbook

If you open a workbook that is a source workbook for another workbook, be extremely careful if the dependent
workbook isn’t open. For example, if you add a new row to the source workbook, all the cells move down one row.
When you open the dependent workbook, it continues to use the old cell references, which is probably not what
you want.
 You can avoid this problem by :
 Always opening the dependent workbook(s) when you modify the source workbook:
if you do so, Excel adjusts the external references in the dependent workbook when you make changes to
the source workbook.
 Using names rather than cell references in your link formula:
This approach is the safest.

Intermediary links
Excel doesn’t place many limitations on the complexity of your network of external references. For example,
Workbook A can contain external references that refer to Workbook B, which can contain an external reference that
refers to Workbook C. In this case, a value in Workbook A can ultimately depend on a value in Workbook C.
Workbook B is an intermediary link.
I don’t recommend using intermediary links, but if you must use them, be aware that Excel doesn’t update external
reference formulas if the dependent workbook isn’t open. In the preceding example, assume that Workbooks A and
C are open. If you change a value in Workbook C, Workbook A won’t refl ect the change because you didn’t open
Workbook B (the intermediary link).
 5 Consolidating Worksheets
The term consolidation, in the context of worksheets, refers to several operations that involve multiple
worksheets or multiple workbook fi les. In some cases, consolidation involves creating link formulas.
Here are two common examples of consolidation
 The budget for each department in your company is stored in a single workbook, with a separate
worksheet for each department.
You need to consolidate the data and create a company-wide budget on a single sheet.
 Each department head submits a budget to you in a separate workbook file.
Your job is to consolidate these fi les into a company-wide budget.
You can use any of the following techniques to consolidate information from multiple
workbooks:
 Use external reference formulas.
 Copy the data, and choose Home ➪ Clipboard ➪ Paste ➪ Paste Link (N).
 Use the Consolidate dialog box, which you get to by choosing Data ➪ Data Tools ➪
 Consolidate.
 Consolidating worksheets by using formulas
Consolidating with formulas simply involves creating formulas that use references to other worksheets or other
workbooks.
Here are the primary advantages to using this method of consolidation:
 If the values in the source worksheets change, the formulas are updated automatically.
 The source workbooks don’t need to be open when you create the consolidation formulas.

If you’re consolidating the worksheets in the same workbook and all the worksheets are laid out identically, the
consolidation task is simple. You can just use standard formulas to create the consolidations. For example, to
compute the total for cell A1 in worksheets named Sheet2 through Sheet10, enter the following formula:
=SUM(Sheet2:Sheet10!A1)
Consolidating worksheets by using Paste Special
Another method of consolidating information is to use the Paste Special dialog box. This technique takes advantage
of the fact that the Paste Special dialog box can perform a mathematical operation when it pastes data from the
Clipboard. For example, you can use the Add option to add the copied data to the selected range.
You can avoid this problem by :
Consolidating worksheets by using Paste Special
Another method of consolidating information is to use the Paste Special dialog box. This technique takes
advantage of the fact that the Paste Special dialog box can perform a mathematical operation when it pastes data
from the Clipboard. For example, you can use the Add option to add the copied data to the selected range.

This method is applicable only when all the worksheets that you’re consolidating are open. The disadvantage is
that the consolidation isn’t dynamic. In other words, it doesn’t generate formulas that refer to the original source
data. So, if any data that was consolidated changes, the consolidation is no longer accurate.
Step by step
1 Copy the data from the first source range.
2 Activate the dependent workbook and select a location for the consolidated
data
3 Choose Home ➪ Clipboard ➪ Paste ➪ Paste Special. The Paste Special dialog box
appears.
4 Choose the Values option and the Add operation, and then click OK

Repeat these steps for each source range that you want to
consolidate. Make sure that the consolidation location in Step 2 is
the same for each paste operation.
 Consolidating worksheets by using the Consolidate dialog box
For the ultimate in data consolidation, use the Consolidate dialog box. This method is flexible, and in some cases, it
even works if the source worksheets aren’t laid out identically. This technique can create consolidations that are
static (no link formulas) or dynamic (with link formulas). The Data Consolidate feature supports the following
methods of consolidation:
 By position:
This method is accurate only if the worksheets are laid outidentically.
 By category:
Excel uses row and column labels to match data in the source worksheets. Use this option if the data is
laid out differently in the source worksheets or if some source worksheets are missing rows or columns..
The Consolidate dialog box enables you to specify ranges to consolidate.
 Following is a description of the controls in this dialog box:
 Function drop-down list:
Specify the type of consolidation. Sum is the most commonly used consolidation function, but you can also select
from ten other options.
 Reference box:
Specify a range from a source fi le that you want to consolidate. You can enter the range reference manually or
use any standard pointing technique (if the workbook is open). Named ranges are also acceptable. After you
enter the range in this box, click Add to add it to the All References list. If you consolidate by position, don’t
include labels in the range; if you consolidate by category, do include
labels in the range.
 All References list box:
This contains the list of references that you’ve added with the Add button..
 Use Labels In check boxes:
Use this to instruct Excel to perform the consolidation by examining the labels in the top row, the left column, or
both positions. Use these options when you consolidate by category.
 Create Links to Source Data check box:
When you select this option, Excel adds summary formulas for each label and creates an outline. If you don’t
select this option, the consolidation doesn’t use formulas, and an outline isn’t created..
 Browse button:
Click to display a dialog box that enables you to select a workbook to open. It inserts the fi lename in the
Reference box, but you have to supply the range reference. You’ll fi nd that your job is much easier if all the
workbooks to be consolidated are open.
 Following is a description of the controls in this dialog box:
 Function drop-down list:
Specify the type of consolidation. Sum is the most commonly used consolidation function, but you can also select
from ten other options.
 Reference box:
Specify a range from a source fi le that you want to consolidate. You can enter the range reference manually or
use any standard pointing technique (if the workbook is open). Named ranges are also acceptable. After you
enter the range in this box, click Add to add it to the All References list. If you consolidate by position, don’t
include labels in the range; if you consolidate by category, do include
labels in the range.
 All References list box:
This contains the list of references that you’ve added with the Add button..
 Use Labels In check boxes:
Use this to instruct Excel to perform the consolidation by examining the labels in the top row, the left column, or
both positions. Use these options when you consolidate by category.
 Create Links to Source Data check box:
When you select this option, Excel adds summary formulas for each label and creates an outline. If you don’t
select this option, the consolidation doesn’t use formulas, and an outline isn’t created..
 Browse button:
Click to display a dialog box that enables you to select a workbook to open. It inserts the fi lename in the
Reference box, but you have to supply the range reference. You’ll fi nd that your job is much easier if all the
workbooks to be consolidated are open.
 Refreshing a consolidation
When you choose the option to create formulas, the external references in the consolidation workbook are
created only for data that exists at the time of the consolidation.Therefore, if new rows are added to any of the
original workbooks, the consolidation must be redone. Fortunately, the consolidation parameters are stored with
the workbook, so it’s a simple matter to rerun the consolidation if necessary. That’s why specifying complete
columns and including extra columns (in Step 3 in the preceding section) is a good idea.

Excel remembers the references that you entered in the Consolidate dialog box and saves them with the
workbook. That way, if you want to refresh a consolidation, you won’t have to reenter the references. Just display
the Consolidate dialog box, verify that the ranges are correct, and then click OK..
 More about consolidation
Excel is flexible regarding the sources that you can consolidate. You can consolidate data
from the following
 Open workbooks:
 Closed workbooks.
You need to enter the reference manually, but you can use the Browse button to get the fi lename
part of the reference..
 The same workbook in which you’re creating the consolidation:
And, of course, you can mix and match any of the preceding choices in a single consolidation. If you perform the
consolidation by matching labels, be aware that the matches must be exact. For example, Jan doesn’t match
January. The matching is not case sensitive, however, so April does match APRIL. In addition, the labels can be in
any order, and they don’t need to be in the same order in all the source ranges.

If you don’t select the Create Links to Source Data check box, Excel generates a static consolidation. (It doesn’t
create formulas.) Therefore, if the data on any of the source worksheets changes, the consolidation won’t update
automatically. To update the summary information, you need to choose Data ➪ Data Tools ➪ Consolidate aga in.