Lists that allow fill in choices?

[smods]

Hi all,

Is there a way in excel to get a drop down list that allows fill in choices by users? I'm collating questions and want users to be able to pick from a list of prepopulated questions but also add those that don't appear in the list.

Regards

smods!

 

[circledchicken]

Hi,

Yes, you should be able to do this by going to Data>Validation>Error Alert and unchecking 'Show error alert after invalid data is entered'.

 

[careywalker]

So with this you need to do the following:

NOTE: I am using Excel 2007

1. Go to Formulas --> Defined Names --> and click Define Name
2. Type in a Name, for example: Questions
3. Click into the Refers To box and, using your mouse, select the cells that contain your questions you want to appear in the drop down list. You will end up with something like: =Sheet1!$A$1:$A$20 in the Refers to: box
4. Click OK
5. Click into the Cell where you want the list of questions to appear
6. Go to Data --> Data Tools --> Data Validation --> and click Data Validation
7. In the Data Validation window, on the Settings tab set the following:
-Allow: List
-Source: =Questions (note, you use the same name that you set in Step 2 above)
8. Click the Error Alert tab in the Data Validation pop-up. Uncheck the Show Error Alert... checkbox. (note: the reason you do this is so that users can type in their own questions. If you didn't do this the user would be prompted that the question they entered is not one of the valid questions in the list)
9. Click OK

This will provide drop down list of questions in the cell you clicked into in Step 5 above. Let us know if this works.