running 2 workbooks together as working sheet and database?

[KentKHI]

Hello everyone,

Currently I have a workbook that includes a database incorporated into it. I have data validation that ties the working sheets to the database. Is there a way I can seperate out the database sheets and have only one database, and multiple working sheets (workbooks)? I think my biggest problem is getting data validation to work between workbooks.

Currently, my workbook works great, but if I update my database, it only updates for each workbook seperatly, so I have to update the template as well, and each database could be different in existing workbooks. Any ideas?

I have even thought of setting up a database workbook and keeping my current setup but setting the database sheets up so they are formulas that are equal to the database workbook, and then hiding database sheets in my working workbook so I won't hardly know they are there, and they will automatically update with my database workbook. This seems a little cumbersome though, and I think it will make my files even larger, not smaller like I've been hoping.

OK, enough rattling on, I hope I made a little sense.

Let me know if you have any suggestions at all, even if it is not a full answer, maybe it will spur an idea!

Thanks,

Kent

 

[BrianB]

The best method is to have a single data table containing your base data - which contains data validation - then link everything to that.