How to Return Sheet Name in a Cell Using Excel Functions

Excel is an incredibly powerful tool for data management and analysis, but sometimes, simple tasks can become complex. One such task is identifying the name of the sheet in which a particular cell resides. Thankfully, Excel provides the CELL, FIND, and MID functions to accomplish this task. In this article, we will walk you through the process and provide a practical example to help you understand how to do it.

Understanding the Problem: No Built-in Function

Excel does not offer a direct function that returns the sheet name of a cell. This is a common requirement, especially when working with multiple sheets in a single workbook. To overcome this limitation, we use a combination of the CELL, FIND, and MID functions to extract the sheet name from the cell's address.

The Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Using the CELL Function

The CELL function is one of the key steps in our process. It retrieves information about cells, such as text, addresses, and formats. In our case, we will use it to get the cell's full path, including the file name and the sheet name.

To use the CELL function, follow these steps:

Select a blank cell in your Excel sheet. Enter the formula CELL("filename").

For example, if you have a cell in Sheet1, applying the CELL("filename") function in another cell will return the full path to the workbook and the name of the sheet, such as "D:Docs[Example.xlsx]Sheet1".

Step 2: Using the FIND Function

Once you have the full path and sheet name, you need to extract the sheet name. The FIND function is used to locate the right bracket that separates the sheet name from the file name.

The formula to find the position of the right bracket is:

FIND("]", A1)   1

This will return the starting position of the sheet name in the string. Adding 1 is necessary because the right bracket is at the position found by the FIND function.

Step 3: Using the MID Function

The MID function allows you to extract a substring from a longer string, starting at a specified position and for a specified length. You need to extract the substring that starts right after the right bracket and ends at the end of the string.

To extract the sheet name, use the following formula:

MID(A1, FIND("]", A1)   1, LEN(A1) - FIND("]", A1))

This formula will give you the complete sheet name.

Combining All Steps into a Single Formula

To make the process even more efficient, you can combine all three steps into a single formula. Here is the complete formula:

MID(CELL("filename"), FIND("]", CELL("filename"))   1, LEN(CELL("filename")) - FIND("]", CELL("filename")))

Let's break down this formula step by step:

CELL("filename") returns the full path, including the sheet name. FIND("]", CELL("filename")) finds the position of the right bracket in the string. 1 adds 1 to the position found by FIND. LEN(CELL("filename")) - FIND("]", CELL("filename")) gives the length of the substring to be extracted from the string starting right after the right bracket. MID then extracts and returns the substring as the sheet name.

Practical Example

In the above image, you can see a practical example of how to apply the formula in Excel. Enter the formula:

MID(CELL("filename"), FIND("]", CELL("filename"))   1, LEN(CELL("filename")) - FIND("]", CELL("filename")))

Place this formula in any cell of your choice. For instance, if you want to know the sheet name of cell A1, you can apply the formula in another cell, say B1, and it will return "Sheet1".

Conclusion

Excel provides powerful tools that can be combined to accomplish complex tasks, such as identifying and returning the name of a sheet. By leveraging the CELL, FIND, and MID functions, you can easily get the sheet name of any cell within your workbook.

Feel free to experiment with this formula to see how it works and adapt it to your specific needs. Happy Excelling!