I found this thread on an exhaustive search but it and others like it
haven't yet answered my question so I will have to ask.

I have a worksheet, call it 'Summary', where I want each cell in column B
to be set to the sum of the cell in the same position in all worksheets
named 'S1', 'S2', ... 'S8' (currently). I.e., Summary!B1 =
S1!B1+S2!B1+...+S8!B1. And so forth for Summary!B2, ...

The number of S<digit sheets will change from time to time (although
they will always be contiguous starting at 1).

I have these requirements:

1) I do not want to have to change the content of the cells in Summary
column B whenever that happens. (I may be doing the same thing with
additional columns.)

2) I will add and subtract rows from column B periodically and do not want
to have to edit the formulas in the summary column when that happens. I
want to be able to just copy and paste the formula into a new cell when
expanding the length of the column.

I can put the names of the S<digit worksheets in cells or a name and
change that whenever the worksheets change.

This has to work on Excel V.X for Mac in addition to Office 2003 for PC.

If you know the answer you can stop here; the rest is just to prove I
have tried :-) I have a long list of things that have not worked.
Obviously

=SUM(S1:S8!B1)

satisfies #2 but not #1. Putting 'S1:S8' in X1 gives these results:

=SUM(INDIRECT(X1)&"!B1")) ... #VALUE
{=SUM(INDIRECT(X1)&"!B1"))} ... #REF
{=SUM(SUMIF(INDIRECT(X1)&"!B1"),"0")} ... #REF

Putting 'S1', 'S2', ... 'S8' into X1:X8 and using

{=SUM(SUMIF(INDIRECT(X1:X8)&"!B1"),"0")}

works but doesn't satisfy #2 ("B1" doesn't adjust when deleting or pasting
rows.) For some reason I need SUMIF to get anywhere because if I try

{=SUM(INDIRECT(X1:X8)&"!B1")}

I get only the value of S1!B1. "0" is an acceptable condition. Now,

{=SUM(SUMIF(INDIRECT($X$1:$X$8&"!B"&ROW()),"0")}

works but doesn't satisfy #1, and if I try using $X$1:$X$100 to hedge
against all future increases I get #REF when there is nothing in X9.

{=SUM(SUMIF(INDIRECT($X$1:$X$2&"!B1"),"0"))}

where X1:X2 contains {'S1';'S8'} only yields S1!B1+S8!B1.

Defining SheetRange as 'S1:S8' and trying

=SUM(SheetRange!B1)

gives #REF. I've attempted some things with double INDIRECTs that are too
embarrassing to post here. Help...!

--
Peter Scott
http://www.perlmedic.com/
http://www.perldebugged.com/