About Cell References

You can create interdependencies among formulas by means of ShapeSheet cell references. Cell references give you the power to calculate a value for one cell based on another cell's value. For example, a shape's Width cell might contain a formula that calculates the shape's width by referring to the value of its Height cell, so that when a user resizes the shape vertically, its width stays in proportion.

In a cell's formula, you can refer to a cell of the same shape or another object, such as a document or page, so that Microsoft Visio calculates a value for one cell based on another cell's value.

What cell references can include

Cell references can include shape identifiers (IDs) or names. You can always refer to any shape on the page by its ID, whether the shape is named or not. If a shape hasn't been named, its default name is Sheet.i, where i is the shape ID. The ID is assigned when the shape is created and does not change unless you move the shape to another page or document. If more than one shape on a page has the same name, you must include the assigned ID.

Cell reference syntax and examples

The syntax you use and whether you can refer to a shape by name depend on the relationship between the two objects. These general rules apply:

• If a shape is a peer of the shape whose formula you are editing, you can refer to the peer shape by name. If the peer shape is a group, you can refer by name to the group, but not its members. Neither can you refer by name to a shape's parent or its parent's peers.

• You can use Sheet.ID syntax to refer to any shape on the page, whether the shape is in a group or is a parent of a shape.

• Names that contain nonstandard characters must be enclosed in single quotation marks. Single quotation mark characters in a nonstandard name must be prefixed by a single quotation mark.

To reference a cell of	Use this syntax	Example
The same shape	CellName	Width
A shape, group, or guide	Shapename!CellName	Star!Angle
A shape, group, or guide in which more than one shape at the same level has the same name	Shapename.ID!CellName	Executive.2!Height
A named column with indexed rows	Section.Column[index]	Char.Font[3]
An unnamed column with indexed rows	Section.ColumnIndex	Scratch.A5
Any shape, page, master, or style	Sheet.ID!CellName	Sheet.8!FillForegnd
A master	Masters[MasterName]!SheetName!CellReference	Masters[Gear]!Shaft!Geometry1.X1
The page or master page on which the object is located	ThePage!CellReference	ThePage!User.Vanishing_Point
Another page in the document	Pages[PageName]!SheetName!CellReference	Pages[Page-3]!Sheet.4!BeginX
A style	Styles!SheetName!CellReference	Styles!Manager!LineColor
The document	TheDoc!CellReference	TheDoc!PreviewQuality
A shape, page, master, document, or style with a nonstandard name.	'Sheetname'!CellName	'1-D'!LineColor