Using INDIRECT in Data Validation seems broken

justme101

Board Regular
Joined
Nov 18, 2017
Messages
67
Office Version
  1. 365
Platform
  1. Windows
Hello all,

I am working on a file which has 2 columns where data validation is needed. Let us assume the source FOR VALIDATION is the data given below:

Maths
English
Physics
ChemistryPE
ABAAA
BCBBC
CDCCF
DEDG
EE
F
G

This needs to be validated into two columns, let's say A1 and B1, where a user selects a in cell A1 form a drop-down (Maths, English....) he will get the relevant list in a drop-down in cell B1 (he will get B,C,D if he selects English). Now, you might be thinking this is a very simple IF condition, but this is just a sample of the original data, which is huge and has many more such lists. So, the nested IF condition I put there was greater the characters allowed in the customer validation field. So, I used LIST NAMES and named all the lists, then used =INDIRECT(A1) in the validation for cell B1. (Hope this is making sense)

Now the problem is, I get all the values of the subjects in A1, but for some reason when I select the first or last value form A1 (Maths and PE in this example), it simply DOES NOT show up any of the values in the list. All other values in between (English, Physics, Chemistry) are working fine. Hopefully I find a solution here as I am having a headache from this. Thank you.
 

Excel Facts

Add Bullets to Range
Select range. Press Ctrl+1. On Number tab, choose Custom. Type Alt+7 then space then @ sign (using 7 on numeric keypad)
Hmm, seems to work for me.

Assuming A1:E1 are headers (Maths, English, etc.). Select those cells and give it a name like Subjects
Select A2:A6 and name it Maths
Select B2:B4 and name it English
Select C2:C5 and name it Physics
Select D2:D8 and name it Chemistry
Select E2:E5 and name it PE

In F1, Data > Validation > List > =Subjects
In G1, Data > Validation > List > =INDIRECT(F1)

Whichever subject I pick in F1, it then shows the correct grades in G1.
 
Upvote 0
Hmm, seems to work for me.

Assuming A1:E1 are headers (Maths, English, etc.). Select those cells and give it a name like Subjects
Select A2:A6 and name it Maths
Select B2:B4 and name it English
Select C2:C5 and name it Physics
Select D2:D8 and name it Chemistry
Select E2:E5 and name it PE

In F1, Data > Validation > List > =Subjects
In G1, Data > Validation > List > =INDIRECT(F1)

Whichever subject I pick in F1, it then shows the correct grades in G1.

Right, I tested this out on a new file and it worked as well. So, in the main file, I deleted all the list names and renamed them. Then used the following formula (because the name PE was in it's full form, Physical Education, and it was not letting me name the list with a space, so I put an underscore in between).

=INDIRECT(SUBSTITUTE(F1," ","_"))
 
Upvote 0

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