Comments on: Global Defined Names

By: Charles Williams

Charles Williams — Tue, 03 May 2005 08:08:00 +0000

You can create global relative names using INDIRECT with R1C1 mode reference, but personally I would prefer not to use such a construction!

=INDIRECT(R[-1]C1,False)

By: jkpieterse

jkpieterse — Sat, 30 Apr 2005 15:16:00 +0000

We are saying: don't use the !A1 construct (without sheetname) in a defined name if you want a global name that always refers to a range on the sheet you are using the name in.

Better to use =INDIRECT("A1?), which has the desired effect too, without the VBA recalc bug.

Only drawback is that the reference is fixed, but I guess that is no problem because there is no way to know when the reference needs to change, unless all sheets are selected.

By: doco

doco — Sat, 30 Apr 2005 01:23:00 +0000

So what are we saying here? Don’t use globals at all? Or use Offset(…) or SheetName!GlobalRange only?

By: Stephen Bullen

Stephen Bullen — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 21:37:00 +0000

DON'T DO THAT!!

It's even worse than Jan Karel suggests. If, for example, you have calculation set to automatic, you can trigger a recalc in VBA by setting a cell's value in any worksheet. If you do, the 'global' name will refer to the worksheet in which the recalc was triggered.

By: jkpieterse

jkpieterse — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 20:49:00 +0000

Hi Juan Pablo,

You are right on the dot.

If you use names like that, as long as Excel itself is firing the recalculation of the worksheet, all is well.

BUT.

As soon as VBA fires a recalc (e.g. Application.Calculate)

Any cell that uses this global sheet-independent name will get the value of cell A1 ON THE ACTIVE SHEET!

This may lead to wrong results as I need not explain.

By: doco

doco — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 20:41:00 +0000

Never mind… I figured it out. What a chump I AM

By: doco

doco — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 20:37:00 +0000

How does this differ from just entering myCell in the name box for Sheet1!$A$1 and hitting enter? No matter where I am in the workbool =myCell would return the value of "Sheet1!$A$1?

What am I missing?

By: Juan Pablo González

Juan Pablo González — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 20:34:00 +0000

I thought that this names weren't recommended...

http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?p=462059#462059

http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?p=496013#496013

http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?p=586711#586711

I'd like to hear what Jan Karel has to say on that too :-)