Linking Workbooks

Originally Posted by nnaida

Is there a quick fix to link a worksheet to a different workbook and maintain all of the formatting.

The new worksheet will be protected so no changes can be made to it, but linked to a global input workbook that will allow for changes.
I would like the protected sheet to update content and format as changes are made to the global input.

formats can not be fetched through formulas. however you can use following formula to fetch the data.

in cell A1 of new workbook put following formula.

=IF([workbook1.xls]Sheet1!A1="","",[workbook1.xls]Sheet1!A1)
copy this formula and paste it in all cells that would return data from Workbook1 (may be in a range of A1:M100)
(Workbook1 is your input workbook)

above formula will only fetch the data not formats however to copy formats you need to go for additional task that is Paste Special as Formats.
to do this select the entire sheet of your input workbook, copy it and come to new workbook and select cell A1, right click and click Paste Special, from Paste Special window check the option of Formats and click OK.
all formats will be pasted without destroying your formulas.
formulas will then regularly update data from the input workbook.

whenever you change the formatting in input workbook you need to repeat Paste Special as Formats function in new workbook.

hope this would help you.

Regards.