Unique list for use with validation list

philobr

Active Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Messages
280
How can I get a validation list to display a unique list of items?

My list contains multiple instances of the same entries Im trying to get a validation list to display the unique values so:

Item1
Item1
Item2
Item2
Item2
Item3
Item3

will display in the validation list as

Item1
Item2
Item3

I can then use this to populate a second validation list.

Any ideas?
 

Excel Facts

Return population for a City
If you have a list of cities in A2:A100, use Data, Geography. Then =A2.Population and copy down.
Is the list static - ie you can just do a filter on it?

Is is it dynamic and will be changing such that you don't want to have to manually filter?
 
Upvote 0
If dynamic, what I have done in the past:


select the column where the list is
insert pivot
drop that column into the row labels

then select that data plus a few more rows incase the list expands and give that range a name

then go to your desired cell and do data validation with that range name.

don't forget to right click on the pivot > pivot table options > data > refresh data when opening the file
 
Upvote 0
Thanks for the replies, the list will change.

I need to be able to select the first drop down, then the second drop down
from A & B, then have C and D auto populated.

I think I have it fixed, I got the dependent drop down for A & B,
then used a VLOOKUP to get what I needed.
 
Upvote 0
Here is an idea for a formula solution.

If you had this data list:
Excel Workbook
C
4Customer
5Joe
6Sioux
7Joe
8Moe
9Moe
10Chin
11YourName
Sheet1


And you wanted the data validation drop-down list to show this:

Joe
Sioux
Moe
Chin
YourName


And you wanted the list and the data validation drop-down to be dynamic (can add or subtract values) try this:

1) Create Defined Name (Ctrl + F3 to get to Name Manager):

"Customers":

=Sheet1!$C$5:INDEX(Sheet1!$C$5:$C$19,COUNTA(Sheet1!$C$5:$C$19))

The range Sheet1!$C$5:$C$19 should go down beyond the final row that you would have data.



2) Create this formula:
Excel Workbook
E
4Unique Count
55
Sheet1
#VALUE!
Entered with Ctrl+Shift+Enter. If entered correctly, Excel will surround with curly braces {}.
Excel Workbook
NameRefers To
Sheet1!Customers=Sheet1!$C$5:INDEX(Sheet1!$C$5:$C$19,COUNTA(Sheet1!$C$5:$C$19))
Worksheet Defined Names


3) Create Unique List (green cells are formulas):
Excel Workbook
E
5Return Unique Items
7Joe
8Sioux
9Moe
10Chin
11YourName
12.
13.
Sheet1


In cell E7 enter this formula with Ctrl + Shift + Enter, and then copy down as far as needed to accommodate unique values:

=IF(ROWS(E$7:E7)>$E$5,"",INDEX(Customers,SMALL(IF(FREQUENCY(IF(Customers<>"",MATCH(Customers,Customers&"",0)),ROW(Customers)-ROW($C$5)+1),ROW(Customers)-ROW($C$5)+1),ROWS(E$7:E7))))

4) Create Defined Name (Ctrl + F3 to get to Name Manager):

"DVDynamicRange":

=Sheet1!$E$7:INDEX(Sheet1!$E$7:$E$13,Sheet1!$E$5)

The range Sheet1!$E$7:$E$13 should go down beyond the final row that you would have unique data.



5) Create Data Validation Drop-down List (Alt + D + L, Allow = List, Source = Defined Name = DVDynamicRange)

The whole thing might look like this:
Excel Workbook
ABCDEFG
4DateSalesCustomerUnique CountSelect From Drop-down:
58/13/10$50Joe5Sioux
68/14/10$150SiouxReturn Unique Items
78/15/10$211JoeJoe
88/16/10$95MoeSioux
98/17/10$43MoeMoe
108/13/10$22ChinChin
118/13/10$1YourNameYourName
12
13
Sheet1


Then if you add a name, the data would look like this and the Data Validation List would increase:
Excel Workbook
ABCDEFG
4DateSalesCustomerUnique CountSelect From Drop-down:
58/13/10$50Joe6Sioux
68/14/10$150SiouxReturn Unique Items
78/15/10$211JoeJoe
88/16/10$95MoeSioux
98/17/10$43MoeMoe
108/13/10$22ChinChin
118/13/10$1YourNameYourName
128/14/10$85philobrphilobr
13
Sheet1


The data validation drop-down list would show this:

Joe
Sioux
Moe
Chin
YourName
philobr
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Just dropped by to see if this issue was similar to my problem.
Thanks for having shared such detailed response Mike!
Cheers.
 
Upvote 0
When I can get time away from my job (sometimes 80+ hours a week), my favorite things to do is hang out at the Mr Excel Message Board! I am glad that post helped!
 
Upvote 0

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