Crosssheet

Crosssheet refers to techniques and constructs that operate across multiple worksheets within a single spreadsheet workbook, or across related documents, to coordinate data, enable aggregation, or support cross-cutting comparisons.

In spreadsheet software, cross-sheet functionality is provided through cross-sheet references. These can take the form of 3D references, which apply the same cell or range across a contiguous sequence of sheets, for example =SUM(Sheet1:Sheet5!B2). Cross-sheet references can also be created with consolidation tools or with functions like INDIRECT to build dynamic references, though the latter can be volatile and harder to audit.

Applications of crosssheet techniques include financial modeling that aggregates values from multiple period sheets, inventory and sales dashboards that roll up data from regional worksheets, and reporting templates that pull numbers from several source sheets into a master summary. They support keeping data organized locally while producing consolidated views for analysis and decision making.

Best practices emphasize maintaining a consistent layout across sheets, using named ranges or structured tables to simplify references, documenting the sheet order, and minimizing insertions or deletions that would break links. When appropriate, using a dedicated summary sheet or a data model can reduce reliance on ad hoc cross-sheet links and improve maintainability and auditability.

Challenges and risks include broken references when sheet names change, performance impacts in large workbooks, and reproducibility or auditing difficulties for formulas that traverse many sheets. Careful design and documentation help mitigate these issues.

See also: 3D references, data consolidation, cross-document references.