Absolute record references

YouReachedEd

Is there a convenient way to assign a fixed reference to a record that remains the same even if new rows are added or deleted anywhere above the record?  Something like linking cells from another sheet, only within the same sheet, may work, too.

 

I often want to refer to another record, but if the record number changes as the project progresses, the reference becomes invalid.  For example, at record 5 I may want to add the comment, "See row 20." If a row is added anywhere above row 20, it automatically renumbers to 21 (or 19 if a row is deleted).  I do not want to link them as parent/child or predecessors.

Travis

Absolute references are supported in Smartsheet by adding a $ at the front of the column name, row number, or both. 

 

For example:

 

=Text1 would become =$Text$1

 

Once you have created the absolute reference, you can move Text1 around your sheet or add rows above it, and the formula will always reference that same cell - no matter where it is located in your sheet.  

 

 

There isn’t a way to reference a row number in a formula (“See row 20”) and have the row number change when the row changes. You could use an Auto-Numbering column which would add a unique value to each row that could be referenced in a formula. 

YouReachedEd

Thanks Travis.  The Auto-Numbering is what I was looking for.  I may or may not need to $ technique because I can simply say in the text, "See Row ID X."