Forum Discussion
dtbsmith
Sep 11, 2023Copper Contributor
Excel Data Validation List multiple choice WITHOUT using VBA
Hi All, I'm looking to the community again to assist with a challenge I'm trying to resolve. Whilst these posts outline that multiple choice isn't possible (Select Multiple Items from a Drop Down...
- Sep 11, 2023
1. Create a constant for your list and bank in the name manager:
'colors ={"red";"green";"blue";"yellow";"purple"}
2. Refer to the named item in the sheet creating a spill.
=colors
3. Create a 'remaining' spill by identifying what has been selected:
Selections being the range with your data validation menus.
=FILTER(G4#,ISERROR((XMATCH(G4#,Selections))))
4. Point the first cell with data validation to the colors spill where all choices are available.
e.g. =$G$4#
Point subsequent data validation lists to the remaining spill.
e.g. =$H$4#
5. Enjoy
dtbsmith
Sep 11, 2023Copper Contributor
mathetes Patrick2788 HansVogelaar thanks for your responses and input so far - reading the above it may not be possible what I'm looking to do - but none the less I'll put a copy of a more realistic example than just 'Option 1, 2 and 3 etc'. I've updated the excel demo included in the original post replace is with fictionary book titles. Ultimately I want the user to be able to select books that they like. Therefore they navigate to column D (imagine there is a another C for name for the example purposes) and they select the books that they're a fan of. I cannot screenshot it but when the dropdown is selected in the first instances this is fine, for example they select "Exploring the Cosmos: A Journey Through Space and Time;" when they then click the dropdown arrow rather than it showing the remaining four book titles it is showing a their first option + books they haven't selected. This really only is an issue in this scenario because the book titles are long which means not all options become visible - especially when a second book is selected. Where as what I'm really after is when the user selects Book 1 it and then again selects the drop down it only shows the outstanding books not selected.
May not be possible but thought I'd try my luck here!
- HansVogelaarSep 11, 2023MVP
I don't think that a multi-select drop-down with book names is a good idea - it becomes unwieldy.
IMHO, you'd be better off with multiple cells with single-select drop-downs, where each choice restricts the following ones, as demonstrated by mathetes and Patrick2788
- mathetesSep 11, 2023Silver Contributor
It seems to me that the method that Patrick2788 has given you satisfies (or comes very close to satisfying) what you want. I know I'm saving it to my file of "Great solutions"