# MS Excel question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question/352264>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 11, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question/352264 "2006-04-11T19:50:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![username\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c0e974/32.png) [@username\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/username_taken)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question/352264/1 "2006-04-11T19:50:44Z")

</div>

I’m trying to set up a worksheet so that text entered into one cell appears in a cell in another worksheet (same file). I used to know on older programs, but can’t find it. And why does MS help suck so bad :mad: ?  
Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question/352264/2 "2006-04-11T19:57:04Z")

</div>

One way is just a straight formula in the form of:

=Sheet1!A1  
entered into the cell where you want to show the data. Sheet1 = Sheet Name and A1 = the cell reference.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question/352264/3 "2006-04-11T19:58:50Z")

</div>

=Sheet#![Cell]

eg. “=Sheet1!A3” displays the information from A3 on worksheet #1 in whatever cell “=Sheet1!A3” is entered into.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question/352264/4 "2006-04-12T03:45:38Z")

</div>

It also works if you rename the worksheet to, say, **username\_taken** :

=username\_taken!A1

One way to do it without remembering the format, is to type an equal sign (=) and then navigate to the cell you want to reference and hit [Enter].

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question/352264/5 "2006-04-12T03:56:28Z")

</div>

[Super Excel Tricks](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=super+excel+tricks&btnG=Google+Search)
