It is undeniable that Microsoft Excel is a powerful software, essential for daily use due to its many features. This software can therefore be used to solve almost any problem involving quantitative data and even qualitative data. The dropdown list is one of those features that can be developed in Excel to make it easier when faced with a dataset and needing to enter the same value multiple times.
In this article, discover the reasons that may lead to the implementation of a dropdown list.
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What is an Excel dropdown list?
Also known as a dropdown list box or dropdown menu, an Excel dropdown list is a tool used to create dynamic, efficient, and practical spreadsheets. This tool helps avoid tedious data entry, prevents errors, and limits users to interacting only with a predefined directory. Often used for designing input forms, this feature has much more diverse applications.
Uses of an Excel dropdown list
In practice, dropdown lists make it easier to work when faced with the choice between several data points for the same request. You might encounter a simpler choice like a “yes” or “no” response, have to select a date from a calendar, or make a choice from a list of names or items, etc., that was initially created.
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On the site apprendreexcel.com, you will find in great detail how to create a dropdown list with Microsoft Excel. Thus, creating a dropdown list involves the following steps:
- Entering the list information in a blank spreadsheet.
- Creating a column where all the options to choose from will be listed. Here, care should be taken to sort the data according to the order in which they should appear in the list.
- Defining a name for the list created (optional).
- Now create the dropdown list itself on another sheet by selecting the cell that will hold it. In the “Data” menu, click on the “Data Tools” tab and then on Data Validation.
- Fill in the required information in the window that appears, and your dropdown list is created and ready to use.
To do this, when the user clicks on the cell meant to hold the desired information, the downward arrow of the dropdown list appears. They can click on it to make their selection. However, if before clicking on the arrow, they type a letter, only the data starting with that letter will appear in the list. Additionally, for even longer lists, typing more than one letter in the cell can help reduce the items in the list that will be suggested. The choice becomes even easier.
Creating dependent dropdown lists
Depending on the uses, such as for setting up a dashboard, there may sometimes be a need to link dropdown lists. For example, in a file, you may need to associate an employee’s name with the corresponding department in an even larger list. To achieve this, a set of functions (mostly conditional) is used.