Microsoft KB Archive/181308

Knowledge Base

XL98: Name Box Functionality Has Changed

Article ID: 181308

Article Last Modified on 9/11/2002

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q181308

SUMMARY

In earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, you can click the Name box, which is located on the formula bar, and select a defined name to use in a formula. In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, the functionality of this box changed; it is no longer possible to select a defined name from the list. In Microsoft Excel 98, this box is the Function box, which stores the most recently used functions.

MORE INFORMATION

Although you cannot change the functionality of the Name box so that it works as it does in earlier versions, you can replicate the earlier functionality. To do this, use the Go To dialog box to place a defined name in a formula.

Example

The following example uses the Go To dialog box to place a defined name in a formula. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Save and close any open documents then create a new file in Microsoft Excel.

2. Enter the following values in Sheet1:

         A1: 1
         A2: 2
         A3: 3

3. Select cells A1:A3.
4. On the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define. Type TestRange in the Names In Workbook box, and then click OK.
   
   Cells A1:A3 are defined as TestRange.
5. Select cell A5.
6. Type the following:

   =SUM(

7. On the Edit menu, click Go To. Click TestRange in the Go To list, and then click OK.
8. Type ) to close the parentheses in the SUM formula, and then press ENTER.

The formula returns a value of 6.

This behavior also occurs when you use the Function Wizard. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

179035 XL98: Unable to Select Defined Names by Using Function Wizard

REFERENCES

For more information about defining names for use in formulas, click Contents And Index on the Help menu (or on the Balloon Help menu if you are using a version of the Macintosh operating system earlier than 8.0), click the Index button in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

names, cells

and then click Show Topics. Select the "Change cell references in formulas to names" topic, and click Go To. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

Additional query words: XL98

Keywords: kbhowto kbui KB181308

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