Create Named Range

CrossLinks use a Microsoft Excel named range to bring a group of cells into DM Word.

To create a new named range:

  1. Select the table in Excel. Include one blank row above your table with no merged cells. To minimize the appearance of this row, set the font size to 1 point and the row height to 1.5. Do not include any vertically merged cells in the table
  2. In the Name Box on the upper left, type a name for the named range, then select Enter

The Name Box can also be used to jump to different named ranges in Excel.

  • Names cannot include spaces or hyphens, but you can use underscores and capitalization
  • Names cannot begin with numbers, special characters, or the name of a cell (for example, B3)
  • If there are other named ranges in your Excel file, you might want to start the named ranges with "DM_"
  • Keep names short and use common abbreviations
  • Organize the name from the most general information to the most specific, with only as much information as necessary to identify the table
  • Use footnote titles, rather than footnote numbers, in the names
  • Create named ranges only for tables and values that will be linked into your report
  • Do not rename a linked named range. Changing the name breaks the link and orphans the XBRLExtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is an XML-based standard for defining and exchanging business and financial performance information. tags
  • Examples of table names:
    • DM_EPS
    • Commitments_Leases
    • DM_MDA_Results_YTD

To make it easy to select the named range in the future, create a hyperlink to the named range within the same sheet in Excel.

  1. Select an empty cell above the table
  2. Right-click and select Hyperlink
  3. On the left of the Hyperlink window, select Place in This Document
  4. Scroll down. Under Defined Names, select the named range

Added rows and columns that are added within the named range are automatically included in the range, and brought in when the link is updated.

To include an extra row or column on the edge of the range, edit the named range:

  1. On the Formulas ribbon, select Name Manager
  2. Select the named range, and click Edit
  3. Adjust the cell selection in the Refers to section, then press Enter
  4. Close the Name Manager window