need help combining multiple documents

[Pete]

hi i sue osx 10.3.3 and office 2004 excel 11.1.1 on a g4. i have a
problem involving comibing spread sheets.

as a freelancer, i created an expense report form with excel. the way
it is now set up, each report is a seprate excel file with a title: New
York Times January 05; Daily News January 05, High Times January 05.
Each sheet is made from the same template, so each has the same
columns: mileage, accomodation, meals, gratuities, etc., but they are
not linked in any way.

My accountant wants me to combine these individual spread sheet files
into one document, or to create a master document listing the column
totals from each individual expense report. in other words the master
would have one row: Daily news january 2004 and then the totals from
that daily news january 2004 spread sheet. this way the main file would
be dynamically linked to all the others, and would contain the current
totals of expenses in each category and the reimbursements. unless
there's a simple program out there to do this that i can buy off the
shelf. (but not QUICKEN. it's a major headache). thanks - peter

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Pete-

Here are a few thoughts... although its a bit difficult without seeing the
actual files.

You can use the Edit>Move or Copy Sheet feature to do exactly that from any
open workbook to any other open workbook. That will enable you to get all
sheets into a single file.

A separate sheet in that workbook could then be used to compile your totals
using simple formulas that refer to the cells on other sheets that need to
be totaled. There is also a useful Consolidate feature in the Data Menu that
could be exactly what you need, especially if each sheet is set up
identically.

There is also the capability of creating links from one workbook to another,
but that approach might be more complex & fragile than what you seem to
need.

Continue to monitor the ng, though, as I'm sure there will be more
suggestions offered.

HTH |:>)