Knowledge Base

XL97: Name Box Functionality Has Changed

Article ID: 169397

Article Last Modified on 11/26/2001

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q169397

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 97, the functionality of this box changed; it is no longer possible to select a defined name from the list. In Microsoft Excel 97, this box is the Function box, which stores the most recently used functions.

MORE INFORMATION

Although there is no way to change the functionality of the Name box to the way it works in earlier versions, you can replicate the earlier functionality. You can use the Go To dialog box to place a defined name in a formula.

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

  1. Save and close any open files, 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:

168437 XL: Unable to Select Defined Names by Using Function Wizard

REFERENCES

For more information about defining names for use in formulas, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

names, in formulas

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Name cells in a workbook" topic.

Additional query words: XL97

Keywords: kbhowto kbui KB169397


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