Link and Update Two PlanMaker Workbooks

Use Paste special → Paste reference to link a source cell, then update it through Data → Edit → External references. Ordinary recalculation is not the same as reading fresh values from another file.

Prepare two harmless practice files

These steps use the English PlanMaker 2026 desktop documentation. External references support PlanMaker and Excel source files; this guide does not establish identical behavior in FreeOffice, mobile, or older versions.

Create a new folder containing only this synthetic exercise:

• Prices.pmdx, with a sheet named Prices: A1 Item, B1 Unit price, A2 Notebook, B2 12.50.
• Order.pmdx, with a sheet named Order: A1 Quantity, B1 Unit price, C1 Total, A2 4. Leave B2 blank initially.

Save both files before linking them. Use the appropriate decimal character for your locale. These are deliberately separate workbooks, not two tabs of one workbook.

Insert the external reference

1. In Prices.pmdx, copy Prices!B2.
2. Switch to Order.pmdx and select Order!B2.
3. Open the Home → Edit → Paste arrow, choose Paste special, and click Paste reference.
4. Inspect B2’s formula. It must reference Prices.pmdx, sheet Prices, cell B2, rather than contain only the constant 12.50.
5. In C2 enter =A2*B2. Check 12.50 in B2 and 50.00 in C2. Save Order.pmdx.

For files in the same folder, a documented-style reference is ='[Prices.pmdx]Prices'!B2; let Paste reference generate the exact reference for your system. A full source path may be included depending on file locations. The external-reference entry guide explains quoting, filenames, sheet names and paths.

Prove that an update reads a source change

1. In Prices.pmdx change B2 to 14.00, then save and close that source file. This removes uncertainty about an unsaved edit.
2. Return to Order.pmdx. Do not assume the displayed price is current merely because C2 recalculates.
3. Choose Data → Edit → External references, select Prices.pmdx in the source list, and click Update.
4. Confirm B2 is 14.00 and C2 is 56.00. Save the destination file.

Update all refreshes every external source in the workbook, whereas Update targets the selected source. In classic menus, open Worksheet → External references. For bulk refresh, the ribbon also offers Formula → Update → Update data → Update external references. See updating/managing links and the interface mapping.

Check opening policy and cached values

Open File → Properties → Calculate. Under External references, review Update data on opening. Always, Never, and Ask user govern the opening-time update for this document; they are not global settings.

For a controlled practice test, choose Ask user so you can decide whether to read the known source when reopening. Do not accept updates from an unexpected workbook just to dismiss a prompt. Verify its sender, file location and intended sources first.

Also inspect Save external data in document. When enabled, it stores returned values. If a source is unavailable during an update, the stored value can still be shown. With it disabled, an unavailable source produces an error instead. The Calculate properties documentation describes this tradeoff.

A visible 14.00 therefore does not prove a successful fresh read. Record when you verified the source and update, and keep that context with any report. Cached values also remain part of the destination workbook: do not assume removing access to the source removes those copied values from a file you share.

Repair a moved or renamed source

Make backup copies first. If you rename Prices.pmdx, open the destination’s External references dialog, select the old source, and use Change to locate the intended renamed file. This adapts references to that source across the document, so verify the file carefully before confirming. Update and repeat the 14.00/56.00 check.

PlanMaker documents relative paths when the source is in the destination’s folder or a subfolder. Moving both files together can preserve that relationship, but moving only the source can break it. After any move, inspect the referenced file and run an update rather than trusting an old displayed number.

If a report needs to be standalone, prepare a separate values-only distribution copy and verify it intentionally contains no active external formulas. Preserve the linked original; do not silently replace its formulas while troubleshooting.

Testing note: The products 4 × 12.50 and 4 × 14.00 were independently checked. Link creation, update prompts, cached fallbacks and file-move behavior were not tested in the application. No native screenshots or completed workbook-link test are claimed.