Article ID: 138619
Article Last Modified on 10/11/2006
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q138619
SUMMARY
In Microsoft Excel, workbooks can have two kinds of links: internal or external. Internal links are references to objects within (or internal to) the document (for example, another cell on a given sheet or another cell on another sheet in the same workbook). The following examples demonstrate how an internal link may appear on your sheet:
=C2
-or-
=Sheet1!C2
External links are references to objects outside the document (for example a cell on a sheet in another file). The following example demonstrates how an external link may appear on your sheet:
='C:\EXCEL\[BOOK1.XLS]Sheet1'!$C$2
The macro in the "More Information" section of this article displays all the defined names in the active workbook that has an external reference to a defined name in a different workbook. External links not referenced by a defined name are unaffected. After a defined name is deleted by the macro, the error value "#NAME" is displayed in the cell(s) that use the defined name.
MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.
Visual Basic Code Example
Option Explicit
Sub delete_external_names()
'variable declarations
Dim response As Integer
Dim msg As String
Dim flag As Boolean
Dim defined_name As Object
flag = True ' check if external links were found
' loop through each defined name in workbook
For Each defined_name In ActiveWorkbook.Names
' if a [ was found, then the name has a link
If InStr(defined_name.RefersTo, "[") > 0 Then
flag = False ' set flag to False indicating a link was found
' Message displayed to ask if you want to delete name
msg = "Do you want to delete the defined name " & "'" & _
defined_name.Name & "'" & Chr(13) & " that refers to '" & _
defined_name & "' ?"
' delete the defined name
If MsgBox(msg, 292) = vbYes Then defined_name.Delete
End If
Next defined_name ' get the next defined name
If flag = True Then ' if flag was not set, display message below
MsgBox "No defined names with external were links found."
End If
End Sub
REFERENCES
For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
136314 XL: Copying Sheets Between Workbooks Can Create Unexpected Links
188449 XL97: Delete Links Wizard Available
For more information about Visual Basic for Applications in Excel 7, select Excel's On-line Help menu, choose "Microsoft Excel Help Topics," click on the Contents tab and choose "Getting Started with Visual Basic".
For more information about Visual Basic for Applications in Excel 5, choose Excel's On-line Help menu, select "Contents" then "Programming with Visual Basic."
Additional query words: XL
Keywords: kbdtacode kbhowto kbmacro kbprogramming KB138619
