Entering open ended text comments

  • Thread starter Thread starter cycle_simon
  • Start date Start date
C

cycle_simon

I'm setting up a questionnaire in Excel and certain responses will b
open-ended text (the respondent can write as much as they like).

What is the best way to capture this i.e., create 1 large cell to typ
freely in or some sort of text box?

Appreciate your suggestions.

S
 
S

Be aware that although you can place 32,767 characters in a cell only about 1000
will show or print without some extra manipulation like adding an Alt + ENTER
every 100 characters or so.

Merging several cells into one does not change this, still a single cell.

If you think you would surpass this limit, perhaps a text box would be better.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP
 
My 2-cents (not adjusted for inflation) worth?
Just use a large text box that you set up formatted to allow word-wrapping
in. It simplifies things in the long run -
don't have to instruct them to click in the textbox,
don't have to worry about someone accidentally (or not) deleting the textbox
don't have to worry about having special code somewhere later on to process
the entry made into a sheet object instead of on the sheet itself.
 
If you create a text box, users can type a large amount of text, but would
have to manually select the text box, then type in it. They couldn't tab to
it and start typing as they would be able to in a cell.

In a cell, about 32000 characters could be entered, but only about 1000
would be visible, unless the user types line break characters to to break up
the text. Even then, the amount of visible text is limited.
 
I'm setting up a questionnaire in Excel and certain responses will be
open-ended text (the respondent can write as much as they like).

What is the best way to capture this i.e., create 1 large cell to type
freely in or some sort of text box?

Appreciate your suggestions.

S.
Click to expand...

Most respondents will more than likely press Enter for a new line/
paragraph in their answer. This will be OK with a textbox but not a
cell.
 
If there's lots of typing, maybe the form would be better in MSWord. Then you
can use all the word processing power of that program.
 
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. The concensus seems to be using a
text box.

Silly newbie question:

Is this a text box off the Control Toolbar?

Also, is there a way to make the text box expand automaticlly as the
amount of text increases, or how do you add/combine the vertical scroll
bar to the text box so that all the text is easily viewable?

Hopefully, one last part to this question:

is there a way to put horizontal lines in the textbox so that when the
form is printed and completed in hardcopy, the respondent would have a
lined area to write the response?

Thanks again.

cycle_simon
 
Back
Top