Need Excel spreadsheet help on a dropdown box!!

[Katmouse]

This is probably a lot easier than I'm making it, but I'm lost!

I've created a multi-sheet workbook in Excel 2007 to keep track of our DVDs,
audio CDs, video games, etc. Each sheet is devoted to a specific media type.
I'm about to start entering our audio CDs, and here's what I would like to
accomplish:

First field: Artist Name
Second field: Name of album/CD
Third field: A dropdown list of the tracks on that CD.

Everything I've seen/read about creating combo boxes/dropdown boxes indicate
I have to enter the information that I want to appear in the dropdown
somewhere else in my spreadsheet, which to me seems to defeat the purpose of
what I'm attempting to accomplish. I don't want this dropdown to be
'selectable' as one would normally expect from a dropdown, meaning this
isn't a form someone is going to be choosing an option from via the dropdown,
I just want a dropdown of static information so if, let's say, I'm looking
for a specific
song by a specific artist, I can find it easily. I don't need this
information to be searchable; however, if it ends up that way that's
obviously fine and would be nice, but just not mandatory. Is what I want to
do possible?

Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated. I used to work for Microsoft
but I never dealt with Excel much and I'm really clueless on the development
side! I did end-user support in operating systems and networks! Thanks in
advance for any help anyone can provide. Just remember, I'm not a programmer
or developer, so any help needs to be "dumbed down" for a network gal who
doesn't know the first thing about programming!! Feel free to email me:
(e-mail address removed) - thanks again!

Kathy

 

[Corey]

You can use data that is referneced from a sheet, or you can simply enter
the data directly into the dropdown box list items.

If you enter them directly, you will not be able to search for them, as they
are not stored in a cells.

My opinion, use a form.

Enter ALL data into each sheet, including the songs, then the form to search
by populating a list box of the songs.

I would set up 3 listboxes on the form.
1). To select the Artist names
2). To select the Album Title
And
3). To list the songs on the selected Album.

Another option is to try accesses template database here :
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010186291033.aspx?pid=CT102144001033


Corey....

 

[Katmouse]

Corey,

How do I enter the data directly into the dropdown box?

If I do as you suggest, using a form and making each field searchable, would
I create 3 sheets, 1 for artist, 1 for album title, and one for track
listings, and then go back to my main sheet, for lack of a better word, and
create dropdown boxes referincing the appropriate cells from the 3 individual
sheets?

Remember, I'm a network & security girl, not a programmer - so I need almost
step by step instructions! Thanks SO much!

Kathy

 

[Corey]

Kathy,
If you want to use the forms process, you could enter the :
Artists in Column A
Album Name in Column B
and
Each song title in subsequent Columns C>....

All the data would be stored in a single sheet.

How would you want to use the data then? Search for Song titles?

I could send you a sample workbook you could adapt if you like with a form
set up to search the sheet ?
I use 2003 Excel.

Corey...