Re-using spreadsheets

[Jkaen]

Hi guys hope you can help with a problem I have:

I have a number of spreadhseets written for various products / design conditions, some of them (i.e. pricing, sizing spreadsheets) I have worked into single sheet pages I put into the more complex spreadsheets and act almost as standalone programs just pulling say 6 numbers from the "parent" spreadsheet doing all their calcs on 1 sheet, then outputing say 3 numbers.

The problem I am running into is when I say change the base pricing spreadsheet I have to go through each of the larger spreadsheets updating the hidden price sheet in each of them.

Is there anyway (for example by making them add-ins?) that I can just have the 1 version of the small utility spreadsheets and have the larger spreadsheets call up the data from that?

One problem that may stop some answers is that these spreadsheets are not just used by my office but issued to other branches so remote linking to external sheets would cause major problems as obviously their exact locations may not be the same on other systems.

Any thoughts?

 

[alexit]

Using VB macro fill the hidden worksheet from the master workbook (by name.) Each time you open an existing utility sheet, have this macro that fills the hidden sheet run (auto refresh the data.)

 

[bpeirson]

I assume you are using a VLOOKUP or INDEX formula to extract the "6 numbers from the parent spreadsheet".

For the portability that you need you may have to use a VBA macro to extract the information from the main sheet. In this way you can have one master external reference workbook which the VBA will pull info from to fill in the specific values for the various spreadsheets which are issued to other branches. Using code can leave a number in each cell rather than an external link.

Since you can't link the other branches it is futile to try to automatically update values at the other branches. With that in mind only update one "database" spreadsheet.

To keep your local sreadsheets current you can have the spreadsheet update every time it is opened (or only if you want it to).

Having said that you can provide an option to remote users allowing them to update by choice. If a user chooses to do so then the can create a path to your main file via a LAN. If they are not part of your LAN then they can be updated by emailing the spreadsheet to you. It will automatically update values when you open it. Save and send it back to them.

I currently have this system in place on our LAN. We have a combination of values inserted by VBA from other spreadsheets as well as external links. The external links only work well if the Excel program used to view a spreadsheet has shared copies of the external link spreadsheets open. If you link to a closed spreadsheet the update of external links can be slow (1-5 minutes depending on quantity) during which Excel will do nothing else and multitasking is slow as well. I ensure that the required spreadsheets are open by putting shortcuts in the XLStart folder.

Hope some of this helps.