Learn how to make Excel's validation list less maintenance and easier for end users.

1. Building Solutions for Business
Dynamic Content for Data
Validation Lists

2. Data Validation Lists Overview
• Data validation provides a way to ensure the
contents of the cell are restricted to specific
choices in a list
• Data entry by list is faster and more accurate than
typing a response in a cell
• It is an intuitive and familiar input method
• Will increase usability of data entry forms

3. The Challenge
Building a drop down list based on fixed or named
ranges is not flexible, and can be complex for users
to manage.
Data validation list can be difficult to manage
when:
• The source location of the list changes
• New entries are added to the list

4. The Solution
• This deck will step through building a data
validation list the traditional way
• It will then use a newer more flexible, self-managing
method
• This method is very useful if you are distributing
solutions to end users with less Excel experience

5. Building a Simple List
• This example will walk through building a
dropdown validation list based on a range of cells
• Using cell ranges allows for the content of the list
to be more easily managed

6. • Enter list
values in a
range of cells.
• Click on the
data validation
button in the
data ribbon
• Select List
from the Allow
box

7. • Select the
range of cells
the list will
display
• The list and
data are now
connected
• Changes to the
source data
will be shown
in the list

8. Use Named Ranges
• Using named ranged references for a list is a best
practice strategy
• From the previous example, let’s define the list of
fruits with a name called “lstFruits”
• The data validation will now reference the name
rather than a static range of cells

9. • Define a name
for the range
of cells using
the name box
to the left of
the formula
bar
• Use the name
range in the
list definition

10. What if the contents of list
changes?
• This list will need to be maintained and sorted
• When adding items to a named range, you must
take care that the item is picked up by the range
• This level of maintenance can be time consuming
and beyond the skills of some users
• The answer is to create self maintaining lists

11. Dynamic List Ranges To the
Rescue
• Let Excel automatically determine the number of
rows in the list and just display those
• Items can be added or removed as required
without impacting the ease of maintenance

12. Create the first
item of list data
starting at row 1
Note the old
static definition
of the list
Change the
definition of the
lstFruits name
to the following

13. What the Formula Does
=sheet3!$A$1:INDEX(sheet3!$A:$A,COUNTA(sheet3!$A:$A))
• This formula makes everything work
• CountA – will count all of the non-blank rows in
the column
• Index – will determine the bottom of the list

14. You’re Done
• You can now add and change items in the list
without altering name definitions or tweaking
named ranged

15. Building Solutions for Business
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