jx:definedName

jx:definedName creates an Excel defined name (named range) over the output area. Named ranges make formulas more readable, enable cross-sheet references, and serve as data sources for pivot tables and charts.

Syntax

jx:definedName(lastCell="D1" name="SalesData")
jx:definedName(lastCell="D1" name="EmployeeList" scope="sheet")

Attributes

Attribute	Required	Description
lastCell	Yes	Bottom-right cell of the named range area
name	Yes	The defined name (must be a valid Excel name — no spaces, starts with letter or underscore)
scope	No	Scope: workbook (default) or sheet

When to use jx:definedName

Use it when your output needs referenceable data ranges:

• Formula references: =SUM(SalesData) instead of =SUM(B2:B150) — readable and maintainable
• Pivot table sources: point a pivot table at a named range; the range auto-sizes to your data
• Cross-sheet references: reference data from another sheet by name
• Chart data sources: charts referencing named ranges update correctly when rows change
• Data validation lists: dropdown lists that reference a named range

Example: Named range for a data column

Cell A1 comment:
  jx:area(lastCell="D10")
  jx:each(items="employees" var="e" lastCell="D1")

Cell B1 comment:
  jx:definedName(lastCell="B1" name="Salaries")

Cell B1 value: ${e.Salary}

After processing, the defined name “Salaries” covers B2:B{N} where N is the number of employees. Any formula referencing =AVERAGE(Salaries) or =SUM(Salaries) works correctly regardless of how many rows were generated.

Example: Pivot table source

Cell A1 comment:
  jx:definedName(lastCell="D1" name="PivotSource")
  jx:each(items="transactions" var="t" lastCell="D1")

Create a pivot table in another sheet that references “PivotSource” as its data source. When the report is regenerated with more data, the named range expands and the pivot table picks it up.

Deferred execution

jx:definedName uses deferred execution. The named range is created after all rows are written, so the range covers the correct number of output rows.

Common pitfalls

• Names must follow Excel’s rules. No spaces, must start with a letter or underscore, can’t be a cell reference like A1. Use EmployeeSales, not Employee Sales or A1Range.
• Workbook scope is the default. A workbook-scoped name must be unique across the file. Sheet-scoped names (scope="sheet") can repeat across sheets.
• Don’t reference defined names that haven’t been created yet. A formula like =SUM(Salaries) in a cell that’s processed before the jx:definedName command (which uses deferred execution) is fine — Excel resolves the name on file open, not during processing.
• Renaming the source area breaks references elsewhere. If something outside the template area references the name, changing the name in the comment will silently break it. Search the template for the name before editing.

What’s next?

Compose templates from reusable fragments:

jx:include →