docs.sheetjs.com/docz/docs/07-csf/07-features/05-names.md

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Defined Names

File Format Support (click to show)

Defined names have evolved over the decades, with new features added over time:

• "English" refers to defined names with English letters and numbers (ASCII)
• "Unicode" refers to defined names with non-English characters.
• "Comment" refers to comments that can be attached to defined names.

Formats	English	Unicode	Comment
XLSX / XLSM	✔	✔	✔
XLSB	✔	✔	✔
XLS	✔	✔	✔
XLML	✔	✔
SYLK	✔	✕
ODS / FODS / UOS	✔	✔

X (✕) marks features that are not supported by the file formats. There is no way to specify a Unicode defined name in the SYLK format.

wb.Workbook.Names is an array of defined name objects which have the keys:

Key	Name in app	Description
Sheet	"Scope"	Sheet Index (0 = first sheet) or null (Workbook)
Name	"Name"	Case-sensitive name. Standard rules apply
Ref	"Refers To"	A1-Style Reference ("Sheet1!$A$1:$D$20")
Comment	"Comment"	Comment (for supported file formats)

Parsers do not always create the Names structure. Parsing and writing code should test for the existence of the defined names array before use:

/* ensure the workbook structure exists */
if(!wb.Workbook) wb.Workbook = {};
if(!wb.Workbook.Names) wb.Workbook.Names = [];

/* add a new defined name */
wb.Workbook.Names.push({ Name: "MyData", Ref: "Sheet1!$A$1:$A$2" });

Ranges

Defined name references in formulae are internally shifted to the cell address. For example, given the defined name

{ Name: "MyData", Ref: "Sheet1!A1:A2" } // no $ means relative reference

If D4 is set to =SUM(MyData):

ws["D4"].f = "SUM(MyData)";

Spreadsheet software will translate the defined name range down to the cell. Excel will try to calculate SUM(D4:D5) and assign to cell D4. This will elicit a circular reference error.

The recommended approach is to fix the rows and columns of the reference:

{ Name: "MyData", Ref: "Sheet1!$A$1:$A$2" } // absolute reference

Scoped Defined Names

Excel allows two sheet-scoped defined names to share the same name. However, a sheet-scoped name cannot collide with a workbook-scope name. Workbook writers may not enforce this constraint.

The following snippet creates a worksheet-level defined name "Global" and a local defined name "Local" with distinct values for first and second sheets:

/* "Global" workbook-level -> Sheet1 A1:A2 */
wb.Workbook.Names.push({ Name: "Global", Ref: "Sheet1!$A$1:$A$2" });

/* "Local" scoped to the first worksheet -> Sheet1 B1:B2 */
wb.Workbook.Names.push({ Name: "Local",  Ref: "Sheet1!$B$1:$B$2", Sheet: 0 });

/* "Local" scoped to the second worksheet -> Sheet1 C1:C2 */
wb.Workbook.Names.push({ Name: "Local",  Ref: "Sheet1!$C$1:$C$2", Sheet: 1 });

Live Demo

The following example creates 3 defined names:

• "Global" is a workbook-level name that references Sheet1!$A$1:$A$2
• "Local" in the first worksheet references Sheet1!$B$1:$B$2
• "Local" in the second worksheet references Sheet1!$C$1:$C$2

Both worksheets include formulae referencing "Local" and "Global". Since the referenced ranges are different, the expressions using "Local" will differ.

/* The live editor requires this function wrapper */
function DefinedNameExport() { return ( <button onClick={() => {
  /* Create empty workbook */
  var wb = XLSX.utils.book_new();

  /* Create worksheet Sheet1 */
  var ws1 = XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet([[1,2,3],[4,5,6],["Global",0],["Local",0]]);
  XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(wb, ws1, "Sheet1");

  /* Create worksheet Sheet2 */
  var ws2 = XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet([["Global",0],["Local",0]]);
  XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(wb, ws2, "Sheet2");

  /* Create defined names */
  if(!wb.Workbook) wb.Workbook = {};
  if(!wb.Workbook.Names) wb.Workbook.Names = [];
  /* "Global" workbook-level -> Sheet1 A1:A2 */
  wb.Workbook.Names.push({ Name: "Global", Ref: "Sheet1!$A$1:$A$2" });
  /* "Local" scoped to the first worksheet -> Sheet1 B1:B2 */
  wb.Workbook.Names.push({ Name: "Local", Sheet: 0, Ref: "Sheet1!$B$1:$B$2" });
  /* "Local" scoped to the second worksheet -> Sheet1 C1:C2 */
  wb.Workbook.Names.push({ Name: "Local", Sheet: 1, Ref: "Sheet1!$C$1:$C$2" });

  /* Create formulae */
  ws1["B3"].f = "SUM(Global)"; // Sheet1 B3 =SUM(Global)  1 + 4 = 5
  ws1["B4"].f = "SUM(Local)";  // Sheet1 B4 =SUM(Local)   2 + 5 = 7
  ws2["B1"].f = "SUM(Global)"; // Sheet2 B1 =SUM(Global)  1 + 4 = 5
  ws2["B2"].f = "SUM(Local)";  // Sheet2 B2 =SUM(Local)   3 + 6 = 9

  /* Export to file (start a download) */
  XLSX.writeFile(wb, "SheetJSDNExport.xlsx");
}}><b>Export XLSX!</b></button> ); }