An Incredibly Easy Way to Ensure That All Necessary Workbooks Are Open
We use the term workspace in many different contexts in today's computing lexicon. One such way we use this term is to refer to a grouping of Excel workbooks that we can open with a single command. A workspace in Excel is a file that memorizes the current layout of all open windows and workbooks. When you open a workspace, Excel opens all of the windows and workbooks saved in the workspace and restores them to the layout in which they were saved.
A typical usage scenario associated with using workspaces would be as follows:
You have multiple workbooks that you have linked together. You want to ensure that all of these linked workbooks are opened, so that if you make a structural change to one, you don't destroy any of the links. If you save all of the linked workbooks as a workspace and in the future open the workspace, you are assured that all of the linked workbooks will be opened whenever you open the workspace.
To create a workspace, first open all of the workbooks you wish to save in the workspace. Next, arrange the windows in these workbooks to suit your particular needs for the workspace. Finally, to create the workspace, from the View tab of the Ribbon, select Save Workspace as shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 1 - Saving a Workspace in Excel
In the resulting Save Workspace dialog box pictured in Figure 2, enter a name for the workspace. Ensure that the Save as type is set to Workspace and click Save. Excel saves the workspace with a .xlw file extension.
Figure 2 - Save Workspace Dialog Box
Later, to open the workspace, simply browse to the workspace and select Open as shown in Figure 3. Upon clicking Open, Excel opens all of the workbooks and windows in the view that existed when you created the workspace.
Figure 3 - Opening an Excel Workspace
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If you want the workspace to automatically open whenever you open Excel, save the .xlw workspace file in your XLSTART folder |
Workspaces are not a new feature in Excel 2007 or Excel 2010; in fact, they have been available for many years. Yet most Excel users are not aware of the tremendous convenience associated with using workspaces. Easy to create, easy to open...go ahead and give workspaces a try.