PlanMaker SHEET: Worksheet Indices and Reference Semantics
Use PlanMaker SHEET with names, omitted arguments and cell references; distinguish worksheet position from count and legacy name lookup.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =SHEET("Expenses") returns the index of the named worksheet, starting at 1. =SHEET(A1) instead returns the index of the worksheet containing A1, regardless of the worksheet name written inside that cell.
Availability and version history
- Introduced: Documented by the PlanMaker 2016 manual; the original introduction release is not established.
- Availability: Documented in PlanMaker 2026; no final working-version endpoint is established.
- Scope: The reference belongs to the 2026/NX manual family. Individual FreeOffice and mobile builds are not verified here.
- Checked: October 14, 2026, against the official function reference. Worksheet outcomes follow documented rules and independent mapping checks; no native PlanMaker test was performed.
Syntax and the three useful forms
=SHEET([SheetName])
The official SHEET reference distinguishes three cases:
- No argument: index of the current worksheet.
- A worksheet-name string: index of that named worksheet.
- A cell reference: index of the worksheet containing that reference.
The first worksheet has index 1, the second 2, and so on. A position is different from the number of worksheets and from a worksheet’s displayed name. Do not type the optional-argument brackets.
A complete three-sheet example
Create a separate practice workbook with exactly these sheets, in this order: Summary, Expenses, Archive. Ensure that no unused default worksheets remain before, between or after them.
On Summary, type the literal text Expenses in A1. Put these formulas in B2:B7:
| Cell | Formula | Independently expected result |
|---|---|---|
| B2 | =SHEET() |
1 |
| B3 | =SHEET("Summary") |
1 |
| B4 | =SHEET("Expenses") |
2 |
| B5 | =SHEET("Archive") |
3 |
| B6 | =SHEET(A1) |
1 |
| B7 | =SHEETNUMBER(A1) |
2 |
B6 identifies where A1 is located. B7 uses the older function and reads the name stored in A1. The text Expenses does not make A1 physically belong to the Expenses worksheet.
On Expenses, put =SHEET() in B2; expect 2. On Archive, put the same formula in B2; expect 3. Keep the three formula locations separate when recording the results.
Advanced: distinguish position, count and name
Still on Summary, put these formulas in D2:D5:
| Cell | Formula | Independently expected result |
|---|---|---|
| D2 | =SHEET() |
1 |
| D3 | =SHEETS() |
3 |
| D4 | =SHEETNAME() |
Summary |
| D5 | =SHEETNAME(SHEET()) |
Summary |
The first result is Summary’s position; the second is the workbook’s total worksheet count. The latter two return text. The nested example passes the current sheet’s one-based position to the name function, making the distinction explicit.
These helpers are separate functions. In particular, SHEETNAME has its own Excel-export limitation; a formula using SHEET does not make every function nested around it portable.
Why replacing SHEETNUMBER can change a result
SoftMaker explicitly identifies SHEET as the replacement for SHEETNUMBER, but says the functions differ for cell-reference arguments. A literal-name formula such as =SHEETNUMBER("Expenses") and its SHEET equivalent both identify Expenses in this fixture.
A text-driven formula such as =SHEETNUMBER(A1) cannot be migrated by changing only the function name. On Summary it gives 2, whereas =SHEET(A1) gives 1.
Change A1 from Expenses to Archive as a separate control. The SHEET result remains 1, while the SHEETNUMBER result becomes 3. Restore the original text afterward. This is an argument-meaning difference, not a rounding or formatting issue.
Reordering changes the index
Use a separate copy of the workbook. Move Archive before Expenses while keeping Summary first. The resulting order is Summary, Archive, Expenses. Name-based expected indices become 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
A query for the literal name Expenses now gives 3. A query for Archive gives 2. The count is still three. These predictions follow the documented positional definition; exact recalculation timing and every workbook-edit interaction have not been natively tested here.
Do not use an index as a permanent identifier for a business record. Inserting or rearranging sheets can change positions without changing the underlying subject of a worksheet.
Compatibility and errors
SoftMaker states that Microsoft Excel supports SHEET from Excel 2013 onward. That is an Excel compatibility date, not evidence that PlanMaker first introduced SHEET in 2013. The 2016 PlanMaker manual already documents the function and its replacement semantics.
The short current entry does not define every native error for nonexistent names, unusual input types or external references. Use the exact existing names and simple in-workbook references above before investigating those cases. A missing worksheet is not index zero.
SHEETS counts referenced worksheets. SHEETNAME converts an index to a name. Keep their argument meanings and export limits separate when exchanging a workbook.