Naming cells and clicking cells to retrieve cell name in formula

[rbhatia]

Naming cells and clicking cells to retrieve cell name in formula

Hi,

I like using libreoffice’s Calc but one feature that is in Excel but not in Calc is that you can name a cell and enter a formula in another cell by clicking on the named cell.

For example:

A1 contains 5
B1 contains 10
A1 named five
B1 named ten

You click on C1, type =, and click on A1, press +, click on B1

In Excel it will display:

=five+ten

In Calc it will display:

=A1+B1

I want to keep it with the named cells. I can do so if I manually type it out but it would be easier if I could click on the cell and have it retrieve the cell’s name instead of the cell’s original reference.

How do I do this? Is there an option?

R

[mariosv]

I think the only one, is writing directly the name range in the formula.

[mmohrhard]

Please open a bug report with status enhancement for it. I might take a look at it after the 4.0 feature freeze.

Sadly it is not as easy as it sounds because range names are actually named expressions and we handle them internally like that. But we might be able to store a flag with them that provide us an easy and fast access when looking up addresses.

[openone]

This would be a great feature as you could then ‘read’ your formula in ‘English’.

Example:

No. Cell Name

---

1. A1 Earnings
2. A2 Deductions
3. A3 Net Earnings
4. A4 Tax on Net Earnings

in Cell A3 you could insert the formual =A1 - A2 but it would display as ‘Earnings - Deductions’

Likewise elsewhere when A1 is referenced the formula displays the Cell Named Reference. Having to type it out the name works but is not productive, as you could easily mis-type the name, then have to correct it …

[mariosv]

In the LibreOffice help:
"
If you type the name in a formula, after the first few characters entered you will see the entire name as a tip.
Press the Enter key in order to accept the name from the tip.
If more than one name starts with the same characters, you can scroll through all the names using the Tab key.
"

One trouble is how to edit mixed absolute/relative references. Maybe only apply the name when it has the exact absolute/relative reference.
i.e.: Defining tax = A$1
=A1 => =A1
=$A1 => =$A1
=A$1 => =tax
=$A$1=> =$A$1

In lotus 123 is solved:
=A1 => =tax
=$A1 => =$A1
=A$1 => =A$1
=$A$1=> =$tax
but in 123 the named range always have relative address, and there is no named formulas.