How To Create A Dropdown List In Excel For Mac

One of the most useful features of data validation is the ability to create a dropdown list that let users select a value from a predefined list. Dropdown lists make it easy for users to enter only data that meets your requirements. Dropdown lists are easy to create and use. Creating the drop-down list items. Creating a drop-down list is very easy. In this article we create the list in a separate worksheet from where the list will be used. Open a new worksheet. You can either use one of the worksheets already created by Excel when creating a new document or by using the ‘New Tab’ button at the bottom of the.

To create your own drop-down list for the cell, do the following:

1. Create a column or a row of the items in theactive spreadsheet for the drop-down list.

2. Select the cell that needs a drop-down list fordata validation (cell B2, in this example). Free ahnlab antivirus download.

The most commonly used method of building scenarios is to use a combination of formulas and drop-down boxes. In the financial model, you create a table of possible scenarios and their inputs and link the scenario names to an input cell drop-down box. The inputs of the model are linked to the scenario table.

3. On the Data tab, in the Data Toolsgroup, click Data Validation:

4. In the Data Validation dialog box, onthe Settings tab:

  • In the Allow drop-down list, select the List item.
  • In the Source box, specify the range that contains the drop-down list items(in this example, the range is E1:E8).
  • Check In-Cell Dropdown option to show the drop-down list. Otherwise, Excelvalidates your data entry but does not show the drop-down button to select itemsfrom the list.

5. Click OK.

Notes:

  • You can hide the range of values used in the Source box or create it onthe protected sheet that you can hide.
  • You can add the drop-down list to multiple cells by selecting the appropriatecells or copy/paste the cell with a list.
  • If the list is short, you can avoid Step 1. Instead, type your list items(separated by commas) in the Source box in the Data Validationdialog box:
  • If you plan to share your workbook with users of Excel 2007 or earlier, makesure that the list is on the same sheet as the drop-down list. Alternatively,you can use a named range.

Vlc for mac os x 10 7 free download. See also this tip in French:Création d’une liste déroulante dans une cellule.

© Images: Microsoft
Video: How to add a drop down list to a cell in Microsoft Excel

An Excel drop down list or dropdown menu can make it easier for the average Microsoft Excel user to enter data on a worksheet or workbook. Using a drop down menu in web forms, surveys, or polls can limit the entry choices for a selected cell, speeding data entry and reducing data entry error. In this Excel tip, we'll show you a quick and easy way to create a dropdown list or drop down menu using the spreadsheet application's Data Validation feature.

You need only two things: A list and a data entry cell. Figure A shows a simple drop down list in an Excel sheet. You can work with your own data or download the demonstration .xlsx and .xls files.

Figure A

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How To Create A Drop Down List In Excel For Mac

To add the drop down list in our example to an Excel sheet, do the following:

  1. Create the data validation list in cells A1:A4. Similarly, you can enter the items in a single row, such as A1:D1.
  2. Select cell E4. (You can position the drop down list in most any cell or even multiple cells.)
  3. Choose Data Validation from the Data ribbon menu.
  4. Choose List from the Allow option's drop down list. (See, they're everywhere.)
  5. Click the Source control box and drag the cursor to highlight the cells A1:A4. Alternately, simply enter the reference (=$A$1:$A$4).
  6. Make sure the In-cell dropdown option is checked. If you uncheck this option, Excel still forces users to enter only list values (A1:A4), but it won't present a drop down list.
  7. Click OK.

SEE: How to create a drop-down list in Google Sheets (TechRepublic)

You can add the drop down list to multiple Excel cells. Select the range of data input cells (step 2) instead of a single Excel cell. It even works for noncontiguous Excel cells. Hold down the Shift key while you click the appropriate Excel cells.

A few quick notes:

  • You can only see the drop down box if you click on the Excel cell used for data entry.
  • Your users can now only choose one of the options in the drop down. If they try to enter their own data, then they'll receive an error message.
  • You can copy-and-paste this drop down cell to any other Excel cells in your spreadsheet, and you can create as many different drop downs like this as you'd like.

SEE: 10 Excel time-savers you might not know about (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

A Microsoft Excel bonus tip

This Excel tip is featured in the free PDF 30 things you should never do in Microsoft Office.

How

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Links between two Excel workbooks are common and useful. But multiple links where values in workbook1 depend on values in workbook2, which links to workbook3, and so on, are hard to manage and unstable. Users forget to close files, and sometimes they even move them. If you're the only person working with those linked Excel workbooks, you might not run into trouble, but if other users are reviewing and modifying them, you're asking for trouble. If you truly need that much linking, you might consider a new design.

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Read 56 Excel tips every user should master and the tutorials on how to add a condition to a drop down list in Excel, how to add color to a drop down list in Excel, how to create an Excel drop down list from another tab, how to change an Excel conditional formatting on the fly and how to combine Excel's VLOOKUP() function with a combo box for enhanced searching. Also, check out this free PDF download: 13 handy Excel data entry shortcuts.