XL98: Problems Linking/Saving Files with Brackets in File Name (192368)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q192368 SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, if you open a file with a name
that contains brackets ("[" and "]"), the brackets are converted to
parentheses for as long as the file is open in Excel. This behavior may
produce unexpected results when you create a link to the file or when you
attempt to save it.
CAUSE
Microsoft Excel uses brackets to signify a workbook file name in a
reference. For example, in the following formula
=[TestWorkbook]Sheet1!$A$1
the brackets surround the name of the workbook (TestWorkbook). The
remainder of the formula to the left of the exclamation point is the name
of the worksheet in the workbook.
If you open a file with a name that contains brackets, the brackets are
converted to parentheses. For example, if you open a file with this name
the file name appears as
in the title bar. Also, if you create a formula in another workbook that
refers to the workbook, the formula resembles the following:
='[This(IsA)Test]Sheet1'!$A$1
This reference will work as long as the "This[IsA]Test" workbook is open.
However, if the "This[IsA]Test" workbook is closed, the links to that
workbook will not function correctly, because Excel will not recognize the
file name.
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, do not use brackets in your workbook file
names and do not rename Excel files in the Macintosh Finder so that they
contain brackets.
MORE INFORMATION
Note that when you save a new file in Microsoft Excel 98, you cannot
include brackets in the file name. The only way that brackets appear in the
file name is if the file was originally created either in an earlier
version of Excel or in another program, or if the file was renamed in the
Macintosh Finder.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 9/11/2002 |
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| Keywords: | kbprb KB192368 |
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