There is a better way to build a data display than hiding sheets and hoping a dropdown works. The user who posted this question already knows what they want, a clean, interactive interface that pulls from separate data sets, and they have a working example to point to. The problem is that traditional spreadsheet tools make this feel like a hack: you stash your data on hidden sheets, write fragile lookup formulas, and pray no one accidentally breaks the references. That is not how modern data work should feel.
What this user is describing is exactly the kind of task that an AI-native spreadsheet handles naturally. Instead of treating data as static blocks locked inside separate tabs, you can define your data sets once and let the tool manage the relationships. The dropdown becomes a simple query: "Show me the record that matches this selection." No hidden sheets, no fragile formulas, no manual maintenance. The user's project, displaying pre-organized data without calculations, is actually the ideal use case for this approach. It is simpler than they think, and the payoff is a display that updates automatically when the source data changes.
The Helldivers 2 Divers Dex example is instructive. That creator built something that looks like a polished database front-end, but they likely had to wrestle with the same constraints: data on one sheet, display on another, and a lot of manual wiring. The user's instinct to hide the source sheets is a workaround, not a solution. A better tool lets you keep your data organized however you like, multiple sheets, separate files, or a single table, and then build a dropdown that pulls exactly what you need, when you need it. The user should not have to ask for forgiveness because their project is "strange." It is straightforward.
The practical takeaway is this: stop designing around the limitations of legacy spreadsheets. If you are hiding sheets to keep your data clean, you are already fighting the tool. Find a platform where dropdowns, cross-sheet lookups, and clean displays are the default behavior, not a workaround you have to explain in a Reddit edit. Your data workflows should empower you, not make you feel like you are asking permission.