PlanMaker SHEETNAME: Worksheet Names, Indices and Export Limits
Return worksheet names in PlanMaker, build a small index-to-name directory and understand the fixed-result Excel export warning.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =SHEETNAME() returns the current worksheet’s name. =SHEETNAME(1) returns the name of the first worksheet in the workbook. These results are text, not worksheet counts or cell references.
Availability and version history
- Introduced: Documented by the PlanMaker 2010 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 one-based positions
=SHEETNAME([n])
The official SHEETNAME reference defines n as a worksheet number: 1 means the first worksheet, 2 the second, and so on. Omitting n selects the current worksheet.
Do not type the square brackets used to mark the argument as optional. =SHEETNAME() is the omitted-argument form; passing an empty cell is a different expression whose treatment is not specified by the short entry.
The function has a material portability limitation. SoftMaker says that saving a workbook in Excel format replaces SHEETNAME calculations with their current results as fixed values. A displayed name may survive that conversion while the formula’s ability to update does not.
Reproduce SoftMaker’s four-season example
Create a separate practice workbook with exactly four worksheets in this order: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Ensure there are no extra default sheets altering the positions.
On Autumn, use B2:B7 for these formulas:
| Cell on Autumn | Formula | Independently expected text |
|---|---|---|
| B2 | =SHEETNAME() |
Autumn |
| B3 | =SHEETNAME(1) |
Spring |
| B4 | =SHEETNAME(2) |
Summer |
| B5 | =SHEETNAME(3) |
Autumn |
| B6 | =SHEETNAME(4) |
Winter |
| B7 | =SHEETNAME(SHEET()) |
Autumn |
The first two results are the vendor’s explicit example. The other positions follow the same one-based mapping. B7 obtains Autumn’s index through SHEET and passes it to SHEETNAME.
Type ordinary formula parentheses and numbers. The output text does not include the quotation marks used to identify sheet names in prose.
Advanced: make a small worksheet directory
Keep the seasonal workbook unchanged. On Autumn, put Position and Worksheet name in D1:E1. Enter 1, 2, 3, 4 in D2:D5. In E2 enter =SHEETNAME(D2) and fill through E5.
The expected name column is Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. D2 supplies a numeric index; unlike a quoted worksheet name, it is not asking SHEETNAME to search for a matching text label.
In G2 enter =SHEETS(); expect 4. This checks the size of the particular workbook before filling its four-row directory. If the workbook gains more sheets, extend the numeric index list intentionally; the four existing rows do not automatically become a complete inventory.
On Winter, enter =SHEETNAME() in B2 and =SHEETNAME(1) in B3. Expect Winter and Spring. The omitted argument is relative to the current worksheet, while the explicit index 1 identifies the first worksheet in both locations.
Names can change without changing the worksheet’s subject
In a separate copy of the practice workbook, rename Autumn to Fall while keeping the tab order fixed. After recalculation, the expected value for the third-sheet query is Fall. A position-based directory records the current name, not a permanent historical label.
In another copy with the original names restored, exchange the positions of Spring and Summer. The first two directory entries should become Summer and Spring; the last two remain Autumn and Winter. These are predictions from the documented index-to-name definition, not a claim about every application’s recalculation timing.
Do not use either a mutable sheet name or a mutable sheet index as the only permanent key for business records. A separate stable identifier can preserve the subject even when workbook organization changes.
Exporting to an Excel file
The current compatibility warning says SHEETNAME does not exist in Microsoft Excel and that its calculations become fixed results when saved in Excel format. The 2010 manual documents the same limitation.
Keep an original PlanMaker workbook before testing export. Check whether the destination cell contains a formula or fixed text, then verify any behavior your workflow depends on. A static Autumn label cannot track a later rename to Fall by itself.
Combining SHEETNAME with the Excel-compatible SHEET function does not remove this warning: the outer SHEETNAME call remains part of the calculation. The warning concerns file conversion, not evidence that SHEETNAME has been retired from PlanMaker.
Invalid indices and related functions
The documented index sequence starts at 1. The short reference does not define the exact outcome for zero, negative, fractional or out-of-range indices, text inputs or external workbooks. Keep the example directory within the known four-sheet bounds instead of assigning an unverified native error label.
SHEET returns a worksheet position. SHEETS counts worksheets, including hidden ones. SHEETNUMBER is a retained compatibility function for obtaining an index, with different text-in-cell semantics from SHEET.