Multiple selections in a single cell - How?

C

Chris Mitchell

I have a spreadsheet which is used to produce reports. This contains a
number of different sections and each section contains a list of common
statements that can be selected from drop down lists in the report.
Currently this is as up to three bullet points in three separate cells

I would like to be able to combine 2 or 3 statements into a single sentence,
presumably in a single cell, with minimal user involvement.

How can I do this?

If possible I'd prefer to avoid the use of macros which I don't have a good
understanding of, but am prepared to learn if some one can give a complete
idiots guide as to how.

Is it possible to construct a single sentence that will allow users to
select up to 3 standard statements for inclusion?

TIA.

Chris.
 
G

GB

Don Guillett said:
Have a look in the help index for VLOOKUP & CHOOSE

--
Don Guillett
Microsoft MVP Excel
SalesAid Software
(e-mail address removed)
Click to expand...

I wasn't clear whether the OP simply wants to concatenate 3 strings, in
which case the concatenate function does the job nicely. ^.^
 
R

RagDyeR

Since you say that the 3 statements are in 3 cells, each to be populated
with the choice of a drop down list, you can simply include the contents of
those 3 cells at appropriate locations within the sentence.

Of course, you must construct the wording of the sentence to allow for the
various insertions.

For example, if the cells containing the choices (drop downs) were A1, D1,
and G1, then something like this might work for you:

="This report is for the month of "&A1&", for the "&D1&" department, at the
"&G1&" plant."

--

HTH,

RD
=====================================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
=====================================================


I have a spreadsheet which is used to produce reports. This contains a
number of different sections and each section contains a list of common
statements that can be selected from drop down lists in the report.
Currently this is as up to three bullet points in three separate cells

I would like to be able to combine 2 or 3 statements into a single sentence,
presumably in a single cell, with minimal user involvement.

How can I do this?

If possible I'd prefer to avoid the use of macros which I don't have a good
understanding of, but am prepared to learn if some one can give a complete
idiots guide as to how.

Is it possible to construct a single sentence that will allow users to
select up to 3 standard statements for inclusion?

TIA.

Chris.
 
C

Chris Mitchell

I want the inexperienced (even more so than me) user to be able to select
2-3 from 10 statements for each section and have those strung together.



I understand & concatenate, but I don't know how to give the user the
opportunity to select the 2/3 from 10, e.g.



="This report is for the month of "&Selection 1&", for the "&Selection 2&"
department, at the "&Selection 3&" plant."



How would I enable 2/3 selections in the one cell?



Thanks for the help so far.
 
R

RagDyeR

Didn't you say that you had drop down lists in 3 different cells?

I was under the impression, from your OP, that each of the choices was in
each of the individual drop down lists.

From your second example, where are:

"Selection 1"
"Selection 2"
"Selection 3"

*exactly* located?
--

Regards,

RD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I want the inexperienced (even more so than me) user to be able to select
2-3 from 10 statements for each section and have those strung together.



I understand & concatenate, but I don't know how to give the user the
opportunity to select the 2/3 from 10, e.g.



="This report is for the month of "&Selection 1&", for the "&Selection 2&"
department, at the "&Selection 3&" plant."



How would I enable 2/3 selections in the one cell?



Thanks for the help so far.
 
C

Chris Mitchell

The 'Selections' for each section of the report are contained in a non print
area of the spreadsheet, and each group of 'Selections' is in a uniquely
named 'List' which is used for 'Data > Validation' with a blank cell at the
top of each 'List; to facilitate free form entry should the user want it.
 
R

RagDyeR

So, repeating ... from my original example ... A1, D1, and G1,
are the cells that contain the 3 drop downs - irregardless of where the
actual populating lists themselves are located.

Aren't the actual drop downs on the same sheet as the cell where you wish to
create that one sentence?
--

Regards,

RD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 'Selections' for each section of the report are contained in a non print
area of the spreadsheet, and each group of 'Selections' is in a uniquely
named 'List' which is used for 'Data > Validation' with a blank cell at the
top of each 'List; to facilitate free form entry should the user want it.
 
C

Chris Mitchell

Each sheet in the book is a copy of the maser template, and each contains a
copy of all lists for all drop downs.

Each list is referenced by 3 cells, so that the user can select 1 from N
(typically 10) dropdowns for each of the 3 cells associated with that part
of the report, giving up to 3 from N statements for each section as 3 bullet
points.

I want to be able to string these 3 bullets into a single sentence, which I
believe will have to be in a single cell.

Currently I'm thinking of letting the user complete the reports as is then
developing a macro to string the individual statements together. The user
would then have to correct any grammatical errors introduced by the macro.

However I'm open to suggestions for better/easier ways to do this.
 
R

RagDyeR

I'm trying to wrap my head around your description of your configuration.

You have 3 cells that can be concatenated into a single sentence.

These 3 cells can be populated, in any order, by 10 *other* cells which
contain drop downs.

Is that what you have (or want to have)?


--

Regards,

RD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each sheet in the book is a copy of the maser template, and each contains a
copy of all lists for all drop downs.

Each list is referenced by 3 cells, so that the user can select 1 from N
(typically 10) dropdowns for each of the 3 cells associated with that part
of the report, giving up to 3 from N statements for each section as 3 bullet
points.

I want to be able to string these 3 bullets into a single sentence, which I
believe will have to be in a single cell.

Currently I'm thinking of letting the user complete the reports as is then
developing a macro to string the individual statements together. The user
would then have to correct any grammatical errors introduced by the macro.

However I'm open to suggestions for better/easier ways to do this.
 
C

Chris Mitchell

I have three separate cells, one below the other.

Each can contain 1 of N statements selected from the same Data Validation
drop down list by the user.

I want to have the 3 statements in a single cell as a sentence.
 
R

RagDyeR

Then my suggestion from *5 days ago* still stands!

Only difference is which cells you should reference in "the sentence".
Since you said they're "under each other",
what's wrong with:

="This report is for the month of "&A1&", for the "&A2&" department, at the
"&A3&" plant."

?
--

Regards,

RD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have three separate cells, one below the other.

Each can contain 1 of N statements selected from the same Data Validation
drop down list by the user.

I want to have the 3 statements in a single cell as a sentence.
 
C

Chris Mitchell

After much head scratching this is pretty much what I've settled on.

Ideally I would wanted the user to be able to select say 3 from 10
statements and have these all go into one cell. I have a compromise where
the user selects 1/10 in three separate cells, and I use the '&' function to
put them in forth cell, then copy paste special values to lock the then
delete the original 3 cells.

Thanks for your help.
 
R

RagDyer

What you "decided" to do, is what I thought you were doing in the first
place.

Glad it all worked out for you.
 

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