Auto update text from one cell to another in a Word table

[whitman]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a doc with several tables, and I want to be able to make it so that when I change the text in a particular cell in one of the tables, a particular cell in another of the tables automatically updates with the new info. Can it be done?

 

[John McGhie]

It can be done, but it doesn't work very well (it doesn't update
automatically, and it's easy to break it by normal editing).

Far, far more reliable to embed an Excel spreadsheet in your document and
use that to produce the effect you want. That will update automatically and
instantly, it won't break, and you have much finer and more reliable control
over wheat happens.

To do it in a Word table, you put a bookmark around the content of the first
cell, and insert a cross-reference into the second cell. When you update
the content of the first bookmark, then update the cross-references, you
will see the new content in the second cell.

If you can accomplish your object using mathematical formulae, you can try
the technique explained in the Word Help topic " Perform calculations in a
table". This works only with calculations, and it's not very reliable.

Cheers

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a doc with several tables, and I want to be able to make it so that
when I change the text in a particular cell in one of the tables, a particular
cell in another of the tables automatically updates with the new info. Can it
be done?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[whitman]

Thanks John.

OK, I've had a look at the bookmark/x-ref method, and yes, it looks flakey and actually quite complicated.

I'd like to investigate the embedded Excel table. Is his easy to do? I rarely work in Excel, whereas I'm using Word all the time, so I'm a bit in the dark. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Whitman.

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Whitman:

It's really simple: Make your table up and format it in Excel, then select
the table part (can be just a single cell...) Copy, and Paste into Word.

For your application, you need to use Edit>Paste Special... And Choose
"Microsoft Excel Object" as your pasting format. That pastes the selection
as part of an Excel spreadsheet. If you simply Paste, you will past the
object as a Word table, which will break the linking.

Note: Keep the Excel File in case you want to make major changes.

To update it, double-click it. Excel will start and present you with an
editing window. Make your changes. When you close Excel, you will be back
in the Word document.

To link two cells in Excel, simply click in the destination cell and type
"=" then click in the source cell and hit Enter ‹ not that hard

Don't go overboard with fancy formatting: the formatting in use is from
Excel, not Word. Don't expect miracles And don't try to change the
formatting or the size after you paste into Word: Word can't do that. If
you want to make changes, double-click the thing and make the changes in
Excel.

You will find this is a stable and robust solution.

Cheers

Thanks John.

OK, I've had a look at the bookmark/x-ref method, and yes, it looks flakey and
actually quite complicated.

I'd like to investigate the embedded Excel table. Is his easy to do? I rarely
work in Excel, whereas I'm using Word all the time, so I'm a bit in the dark.
I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Whitman.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]