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Data Validation Combo Box using Named Ranges

Overcome the limitation of a drop down list by using a combo box, that refers to named ranges which contain the list items.

NOTE: You can't use ActiveX controls on a Macintosh. Prof. Lee Townsend shows how to create drop downs using Form control combo boxes
(http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/ltownsend/excel.html).

Introduction

Video: Data Validation Combo Box

Set up the Workbook

Create a Dropdown List

Add the Combo box

Open the Properties Window

Change the Combo box Properties

Exit Design Mode

Add the Code

How the Code Works

Test the Code

Adjust the Combo Box Properties

TempCombo_KeyDown Code For Numbers

Dependent Lists With INDIRECT

Buy the Premium Version

Download the Sample File

More Data Validation Tutorials

Introduction
You can use Data Validation to create a dropdown list of options in a cell. However, the list font can't be changed, nor can the number of visible rows, which has a maximum of eight.
Also, Data Validation doesn't have an AutoComplete feature, which finds matching items in the list as you start to type.
To overcome these limitations, you can add a combo box to your worksheet, and use programming to make it appear in cells that contain a data validation list.

Double-click on a cell that contains a data validation list, and the combo box appears. The combo box's font size can be set, more than 8 rows can be displayed, and autocomplete can
be enabled.

Note: If the worksheet is protected, allow users to Edit Objects, and they will be able to use the combobox.

Video: Data Validation Combo Box

To see how the combo box works, and appears when you double-click a data validation cell, watch this short video.
 Autocomplete Entries With Excel Drop Down List

Set up the Workbook

Name the Sheets
Two worksheets are required in this workbook.

1. Delete all sheets except Sheet1 and Sheet2

2. Rename Sheet1 as ValidationSample
3. Rename Sheet2 as ValidationLists

Check the Zoom Level

IMPORTANT: Keep both sheets (ValidationSample and ValidationLists) at the same zoom setting, to avoid crashing Excel. There is a strange bug connected to
combo boxes and zoom levels.

Type the Lists

On the ValidationLists sheet, type the lists that will be used in the data validation dropdowns:

Tip: Use the AutoFill (http://www.contextures.com/xlDataEntry01.html#Mouse) feature to create the lists

1. In cells A1:A7 type a list of weekdays

2. In cells C1:C12 type a list of months
Name the lists (there are Naming instructions here: Name a Range (http://www.contextures.com/xlNames01.html#NameBox)):

1. Name the range A1:A7 as DayList

2. Name the range C1:C12 as MonthList

NOTE: If you are using lists in formatted Excel tables, create a named range based on the table column. Then, create a second named range, based on that first name. Otherwise, the
combo box list will be empty. See detailed instructions on this blog post (http://blog.contextures.com/archives/2014/09/18/worksheet-combo-box-problem-in-excel-2013/).

Create a Dropdown List

The next step is to create the dropdown lists. There are detailed instructions here: Excel Data Validation Introduction (xlDataVal01.html)

Cells B2:B12 have data validation lists with the source DayList. When a cell in this range is selected, a dropdown list of weekdays is available.
Cells C2:C12 have data validation lists with the source MonthList. When a cell in this range is selected, a dropdown list of months is available.

Add the Combo box

To add or edit the Combobox, follow these steps:

1. On the Ribbon, click the Developer tab. If you do not see the Developer tab, follow the steps here (http://www.contextures.com/excel-macro-record-test.html#ReadyTest) to
show it.)
2. Click the Design Mode command
 3. Click Insert, and under ActiveX Controls, click on the Combo box button, to activate that tool.

4. Click on an empty area of the worksheet, to add a combo box

Open the Properties Window

To format the combo box, open the properties window:

1. Right-click on the combo box, and click Properties

Change the Combo Box Properties

Name the Combo Box
 1. In the Properties window, click in the Name box
2. Type a name for the combo box. In this example, the name is: TempCombo

Change the Font and Font Size

1. In the Properties window, click in the Font property, and click the ... button

2. In the Font dialog box, select a font, font size, and other settings that you want for your combo box, then click OK.

Set the Number of Rows

1. In the Properties window, click in the ListRows box
2. Type the number of rows that you want displayed in the dropdown. In this example, the setting is: 12
Turn on AutoComplete
1. In the Properties window, click in the MatchEntry property
2. From the dropdown list, select 1-frmMatchEntryComplete

Exit Design Mode

1. Close the Properties window
2. On the Developer tab, click the Design Mode button, to exit Design Mode.

Add the Code

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code is required to make the combo box appear when you double-click in a cell that contains a data validation list. See details in the next section,
for How the Code Works.

Copy the following code

NOTE: For dates or numbers in the data validation, you can use the KeyDown code in the Code for Numbers section below.
'==========================
Private Sub Worksheet_BeforeDoubleClick _
(ByVal Target As Range, _
Cancel As Boolean)
Dim str As String
Dim cboTemp As OLEObject
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = ActiveSheet

Set cboTemp = ws.OLEObjects("TempCombo")

On Error Resume Next
With cboTemp
'clear and hide the combo box
.ListFillRange = ""
.LinkedCell = ""
.Visible = False
End With
On Error GoTo errHandler
If Target.Validation.Type = 3 Then
'if the cell contains
'a data validation list
Cancel = True
Application.EnableEvents = False
'get the data validation formula
str = Target.Validation.Formula1
str = Right(str, Len(str) - 1)
With cboTemp
'show the combobox with the list
.Visible = True
.Left = Target.Left
.Top = Target.Top
.Width = Target.Width + 5
.Height = Target.Height + 5
.ListFillRange = str
.LinkedCell = Target.Address
End With
cboTemp.Activate
'open the drop down list automatically
Me.TempCombo.DropDown
End If

errHandler:
Application.EnableEvents = True
Exit Sub

End Sub
'=========================================
Private Sub TempCombo_LostFocus()
With Me.TempCombo
.Top = 10
.Left = 10
.Width = 0
.ListFillRange = ""
.LinkedCell = ""
.Visible = False
.Value = ""
End With
End Sub
'====================================
'Optional code to move to next cell
'if Tab or Enter are pressed
'from code by Ted Lanham
'***NOTE: if KeyDown causes problems,
'change to KeyUp
'Table with numbers for other keys
'such as Right Arrow (39)
'https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/
library/aa243025%28v=vs.60%29.aspx

Private Sub TempCombo_KeyDown(ByVal _

KeyCode As MSForms.ReturnInteger, _
ByVal Shift As Integer)
Select Case KeyCode
Case 9 'Tab
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Activate
Case 13 'Enter
ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Activate
Case Else
'do nothing
End Select
End Sub
'====================================

To add this code to the worksheet:

1. Right-click on the ValidationSample sheet tab, and click View Code.
 2. Choose Edit | Paste, to paste the code onto the sheet module, where the cursor is flashing.
3. Choose File | Close and Return to Microsoft Excel.

How the Code Works

Here are some details on how the code works.

Worksheet_BeforeDoubleClick
This code runs when a cell is double-clicked.

Variables are set for the active sheet, and the combo box named TempCombo -- be sure to use that name for your combo box.

Set ws = ActiveSheet

Set cboTemp = ws.OLEObjects("TempCombo")

The combo box is hidden, and its linked cell and ListFillRange are cleared.

With cboTemp
'clear and hide the combo box
.ListFillRange = ""
.LinkedCell = ""
.Visible = False
End With

The data validation type for the Target cell (the active cell) is checked. If it is Type 3 (a drop down list), the rest of the code runs.

If Target.Validation.Type = 3 Then

The str variable gets the data validation formula for the Target cell. For example: "=MonthList". Then, the equal sign is removed, by using the Right function. That leaves just the
Range name for the data validation list -- "MonthList"

str = Target.Validation.Formula1
str = Right(str, Len(str) - 1)
The combo box is made visible, an is positioned at the top left of the Target cell

With cboTemp
'show the combobox with the list
.Visible = True
.Left = Target.Left
.Top = Target.Top

The combo box width and height are determined by the Target cell's width and height, with a small amount added. You can change the "+5" to a different number:

.Width = Target.Width + 5
.Height = Target.Height + 5

The ListFillRange is changed to the str variable -- MonthList -- so the combo box will show the items from that named range.

.ListFillRange = str

The LinkedCell is changed to the Target cell's address.

.LinkedCell = Target.Address

The combo box is activated, and the drop down list is opened.

cboTemp.Activate
Me.TempCombo.DropDown

End If

TempCombo_LostFocus
This code runs when you exit the combo box

The combo box is hidden, moved to the top left of the worksheet, and its linked cell and ListFillRange are cleared.

With Me.TempCombo
.Top = 10
.Left = 10
.Width = 0
.ListFillRange = ""
.LinkedCell = ""
.Visible = False
.Value = ""
End With

Test the Code

IMPORTANT: Keep both sheets (ValidationSample and ValidationLists) at the same zoom setting, to avoid crashing Excel. There is a strange bug connected to
combo boxes and zoom levels.

1. Double-click on one of the cells that contains a data validation list.

2. The combo box will appear
3. Select an item from the combo box dropdown list, or start typing, and the item will autocomplete

4. Click on a different cell, to select it

5. The selected item appears in previous cell, and the combo box disappears.

Adjust the Combo Box Properties

If you decide to change the combo box properties later, it might be difficult to find the combo box on the worksheet, because the code changes its width to zero.

Follow these steps to locate the combo box, and adjust its properties:

1. On the Ribbon, click the Developer tab.

2. Click the Design Mode command
3. Click the Properties command.

4. In the Properties window, select TempCombo from the drop down list
 5. Adjust the properties that you want to change
NOTE: The combo box width and height are set in the macro -- changing these values in the property window will not have a long term effect. Edit the code, if you want the size
to change.

6. When finished, close the Property window, and click the Design button, to exit Design mode.

TempCombo_KeyDown Code For Numbers

The values that you select in a combo box are treated as text, and that can cause problems if your drop down list contains numbers (including dates and times).

In the screen shot below, a time has been selected, and even though the cell is formatted for Time, it appears in the cell as a long decimal number. The entry is really text, not a number,
so the number formatting does not affect it.

To send the numbers to the worksheet as real numbers, instead of text, use the following code, instead of the TempCombo_KeyDown code above.

Then, after you select a number (or date or time) in the combo box drop down list, press the Enter key or the Tab key, to move to the next cell.

NOTE: This code is used in the sample file, that you can download below. You can test it in column D on the Validation Sample sheet.
 '====================================
'Optional code to move to next cell
'if Tab or Enter are pressed
'from code by Ted Lanham
'***NOTE: if KeyDown causes problems,
'change to KeyUp

Private Sub TempCombo_KeyDown(ByVal _

KeyCode As MSForms.ReturnInteger, _
ByVal Shift As Integer)
'move to next cell on Enter and Tab
Dim varVal As Variant
On Error Resume Next
'change text value to number, if possible
varVal = --ActiveCell.Value
If IsEmpty(varVal) Then
varVal = ActiveCell.Value
End If

Select Case KeyCode

Case 9 'tab
ActiveCell.Value = varVal
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Activate
Case 13 'enter
ActiveCell.Value = varVal
ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Activate
Case Else
'do nothing
End Select
End Sub
'====================================

Dependent Lists With INDIRECT

If some of your drop down lists have dependent data validation (xlDataVal02.html), using a simple INDIRECT formula, you can add a few lines of code to handle those lists.

In the existing code on the ValidationSample sheet module, look for the following lines:

Application.EnableEvents = False
str = Target.Validation.Formula1
str = Right(str, Len(str) - 1)

Below those lines, add the following lines of code, to handle simple INDIRECT formulas, such as =INDIRECT(E2)

This is used for the City drop down list in the Dependent Combo sample file below.
 'for simple INDIRECT function (English)
' e.g. =INDIRECT(B2)
'will create dependent list of items
If Left(str, 4) = "INDI" Then
lSplit = InStr(1, str, "(")
str = Right(str, Len(str) - lSplit)
str = Left(str, Len(str) - 1)
str = Range(str).Value
End If

Buy the Premium Version

There is a premium version of this technique, and you can see the details here: Data Validation Multi Select Premium
(http://www.contextures.com/datavalidationmultiselectpremium.html). It runs on a protected worksheet, and works with most dependent drop down lists.

In the premium version, a list box automatically appears when you select a cell that has a drop down list. You can set it to allow selection of a single item (button), or multiple items.

(http://www.contextures.com/datavalidationmultiselectpremium.html)

(http://www.contextures.com/datavalidationmultiselectpremium.html)

For multiple selections, the listbox pre-selects any items that are already in the cell. It also has buttons to Clear all the selections, and select all the items.

The kit has a setup sheet, that lets you quickly customize the listbox, and details on how to add this technique to your own workbooks. See the details here: Data Validation Multi Select
Premium (http://www.contextures.com/datavalidationmultiselectpremium.html).
Download the Sample File
1. To test the combo box code, you can download the zipped sample file (DataValComboboxSheet.zip).

2. For the Dependent Combo sample, click here to download (vbasamples/datavalcomboboxdepend.zip).

More Data Validation Tutorials

Data Validation Basics (xlDataVal01.html)

Create Dependent Lists (xlDataVal02.html)

Use a List from Another Workbook (xlDataVal05.html)

Data Validation Combo Box (xlDataVal10.html)

Data Validation Combo Box - Click (xlDataVal14.html)

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Related Links
Data Validation Multi Select Premium (http://www.contextures.com/datavalidationmultiselectpremium.html)

Data Validation Basics (xlDataVal01.html)

Create Dependent Lists (xlDataVal02.html)

Use a List from Another Workbook (xlDataVal05.html)

Data Validation Combo Box (xlDataVal10.html)

Data Validation Combo Box - Click (xlDataVal14.html)

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