Lists in Excel

[dm59]

Hello
I'm wondering if Excel can do something that is typically a database's domain. Here's the problem.

I have several spreadsheets that all need to reference a list of school names. I would like to have one "control" sheet for this list, for consistency purposes. I know, with "data validation" you can create a list in a workbook. What I would like is to be able to call up that list from another workbook, rather than repeating the list in all of my workbooks.

Possible?

 

[Andrew Poulsom]

You can do that provided that the source workbook is open:

http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal05.html

 

[dm59]

Thanks for such a quick response Andrew. It doesn't work though. Could it possibly be because I'm on Excel 2003? I get the following message:

"You may not use references to other worksheets or workbooks for Data Validation criteria."

 

[meatball]

How about using Paste Link?

 

[Andrew Poulsom]

Thanks for such a quick response Andrew. It doesn't work though. Could it possibly be because I'm on Excel 2003? I get the following message:

"You may not use references to other worksheets or workbooks for Data Validation criteria."

You won't get that message if you use a named range like Debra does in the link I gave you.