How to Edit a range?

[Guest]

I am creating a series of worksheets to use for logging genealogy research sources. I want to create a column with drop down entry selection capabilities. I want to put a few choices in the drop down selection but I want it to be editable.

For example: In a column labeled State: rather than listing all 50 state 2 letter abbreviations, I want to enter just a few and be ableb to add to the list as my research progresses. I want to be able to use similiar method for type of document. Staring out with common genealogical sources like Birth Certificate, Death Certificate etc. but having the ability to add a new type to the list (range) if I find a new type of record. That way the name I use for a particular type of source will be consistent each time that type of source is entered, but my form can grow with me

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. Please make it for the nonexcel programmer as I just started working on this and have been learning s I go .

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi Beth
try the following
- enter your current list on a seeht of your choice (let say on sheet 1
in column A)
- now goto 'Insert - Name - Define' and define a new name (lets call
this name 'list'). Enter the following formula for this name:
=OFFSET('sheet1'!$A$1,0,0,COUNTA($A:$A))

- now select the cell in which the dropdown should occur
- goto 'Data - Validation'
- Choose the category 'custom' and enter the formula
=list

For further information about data validation have a look at
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal01.html
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal05.html