Insert linked sheets and refresh external tables

A linked sheet brings a source worksheet into a destination file; Link to External Data imports a named range or table into a chosen location. Choose the scope you need, then prove updates with a controlled source change.

Prepare a named source table

Use Apache OpenOffice Calc 4.1 desktop, English menus, and two local disposable ODS files. This is documentation-qualified, not native-tested. Do not change application-wide update policy or connect an unfamiliar website for this exercise.

Create table-source.ods with a sheet named Stock. Enter A1:B4:

Item	Units
Paper	10
Toner	2
Folders	5

Select A1:B4 and use Insert > Names > Define to define StockTable for that range. Save the file. For more on this prerequisite, see Named and database ranges. The external-data method requires a named range or table; it is not a promise that any arbitrary worksheet rectangle will appear in the import list.

Create table-report.ods with a Summary sheet. Keep the destination area A1:D10 clear and save it.

Insert a linked worksheet

1. In table-report.ods choose Insert > Sheet.
2. Choose From file, click Browse, and select table-source.ods.
3. Select Stock from the available sheet list. Select Link before confirming the insertion.
4. Verify the inserted sheet contains Paper 10, Toner 2 and Folders 5.

Without Link, the inserted sheet is an independent copy. Selecting From file alone does not establish a refresh relationship. Keep notes or annotations on a separate Summary sheet rather than assuming imported source cells are safe places for local edits.

The official guide says linked sheets can be updated manually or when opening, depending on Tools > Options > OpenOffice Calc > General > Updating. For this exercise retain the existing policy. Reopen the destination and approve an update only for the known local source when prompted; if your policy does not permit updating, stop rather than lowering it.

Insert just the named table

Return to Summary and select A1, the intended upper-left destination cell. Choose Insert > Link to External Data. Use the browse button to choose table-source.ods. If typing its URL instead, press Enter to load the list of available ranges.

Select StockTable in Available tables/ranges, then confirm. The OK button remains unavailable until a range or table is selected. If the list is empty, verify the source was saved with the named range and that you loaded the correct file.

The dialog can specify automatic updates every chosen number of seconds. For a controlled local test, select an interval such as 60 seconds only if automatic updating is appropriate in your environment. Otherwise use the permitted opening/update workflow. The expected imported block is four rows by two columns, including headings, not an entire new worksheet.

Test scope as well as refresh

In the source change Toner from 2 to 3 and save. After each link is updated, both the linked sheet and the imported StockTable should show Toner 3. Their numeric unit totals are now 18 instead of 17.

Next add Labels and 4 in A5:B5 of the source without expanding StockTable. After updating, the linked sheet should include the new row, while the named-range import still covers A1:B4. To include Labels in the table import, redefine StockTable as A1:B5, save the source and update again. The imported block should then include the row, giving total 22.

Recover and preserve the result

If you imported the wrong table, undo immediately and choose a clear destination block before retrying. Do not overwrite nearby formulas to accommodate an expanding import. An imported value remaining visible after the source disappears is not evidence of a valid current link.

Save both files, close and reopen the report, then check source path, table extent and changed values. Keep the source available alongside the report. External HTML imports follow the same table-selection idea, but modern websites may not expose importable HTML tables; this workbook exercise avoids that separate uncertainty.

Official reference

Apache OpenOffice 4.1 Calc Guide, Chapter 10, Inserting Sheets From a Different Spreadsheet and Linking to External Data. Recovered guide retrieved 19 October 2026; update timing and saved-state behavior remain native checks.