The external links work OK from one spreadsheet to another when I first open the two spreadsheets, but when I change the value in one spreadsheet it does NOT update the linked spreadsheet value. This is of course important to ensure the data is updated in all spreadsheets correctly and automatically. Tx for helping - Dave
To get prompted for updating the links you only need to open the spreadsheet document containing the links. The source document will then be processed in the background to get the data. Even if it is also opened at the time the data will be taken from the file, not from the open document.
Hi, I do see the prompt to update the Links when I open both spreadsheets, and I click on the Yes buttons and I also save each file, but the Link does not update the value. I looked at Edit / Links and although the Manual button in both spreadsheets is checked - both the Automatic and Manual buttons are greyed out. I click on the Update button but the value does not update.
It worked for me as I described it under Win 10 with LibO V5.3.3.2 Calc.
A few seconds ago I tested again with LibO V5.3.4.2 and the update also worked from the open source document not yet saved back to the file. (I don’t feel sure about the question if this is a good idea.)
This is the way spreadsheets work. You need to save the changed source file and subsequently update the links. If the file containing the links was not changed otherwise you can ‘Reload’ it to get prompted for the update.
(See also ‘Edit’ > ‘Links’.)
(Editing)
If you want to bypass the menu you may also read this post in “the other forum”.
(Editing 2 with respect to recent comments to the question:)
OQ may want to test with my example. It’s attached here.
I had to fake the extension to be allowed to upload. Replace “.ods” with “.zip” and unzip to any folder.
Thanks a lot, I can see that the Links work. I think I can see what my issue is. I saved my spreadsheets in Microsoft format (xlsx) and not the ods format. Can I save my spreadsheets in ods format and if so how? And secondly, if I need to open the ods formatted spreadsheets in the future in Excel will Excel open the ods spreadsheets? Thanks for your time. Dave
I cannot judge generally. I didn’t (and cannot) use Excel for a long time now.
MS once pretended to go to support odf formats, but users seem to not be satisfied with the progress insofar.
LibO-BASIC and all the api (in specific uno) of LibreOffice are not parts of odf specifications anyway. MS will surely never support LibreOffice BASIC, api, uno. They may be subtle (and even malicious, as some say), but they are not crazy.
The only way to be (to some degree!) compatible with more than one version of Excel is to use the most recent version of Excel. That is the raison d’etre of MS Excel.
A superficial campatibility between LibO Calc and Excel you can only get if you thoroughly omit user programming, and generally any complicated solutions. Simple solutions based on standard functions will work and give the same results with both softwares. (There are even subtle exceptions concerning SUM e.g. as I am told.)