Microsoft KB Archive/103169

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Excel: Can't Define Names with Backslash and Single Character
Last reviewed: September 12, 1996

Article ID: Q103169

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
 * Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

In Microsoft Excel version 4.0, if you attempt to create a defined name in a worksheet and the defined name contains only a backslash character (\) and a single digit or letter, you will receive the following error message:

That name is not valid. Page 268 of "User's Guide 1" states that the first character in a defined name must be a letter or an underline character. This information is not entirely correct: names can also begin with the backslash character. For example, you can define a name such as "\totals".

However, if you attempt to define a name that consists of only a backslash character and a single digit or letter (such as \x or \5), you will receive an error message.

This error message is likely to appear when you import a Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet that contains Lotus macros. When a Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet containing macros is loaded in Microsoft Excel, the names of the macros often appear in the Define Name dialog box as a single letter preceded by a backslash. If you try to redefine the name of the macro, you will receive the above error message.

NOTE: This problem does not occur in macro sheets.