In the context of Excel, what are "defined names"?

Defined names in Excel are user-assigned names that are specifically created to represent cell references or ranges within a worksheet. This feature allows users to give a more meaningful and easily recognizable label to a specific cell, range of cells, or even formulas, enhancing the readability and maintainability of formulas and data analysis.

For instance, instead of using a cell reference like A1, a user might create a defined name such as "SalesTotal" to refer to the specific cell containing total sales figures. By doing this, any formula that uses "SalesTotal" is more intuitive and easier to understand, especially when revisiting the spreadsheet after some time or when sharing it with others.

Using defined names can also make formulas simpler. For example, instead of writing a formula as =SUM(A1:A10), one could use =SUM(SalesTotal) if "SalesTotal" is defined as A1:A10. This dramatically improves clarity and reduces the likelihood of errors when analyzing or managing data.

The other options refer to different aspects of Excel functionalities. Naming sheets pertains to organizing the workbook’s structure, naming charts focuses on labeling visual data presentations, and naming files relates to saving documents. However, none of these pertain to the particular function of defined names,