software

Hi all

I am trying to think of occasions when I would use the Data Validation Rules
feature.

The only one I can think of at the moment is that if I had a new user to
Excel, I can set validation rules per column, only allowing them to enter
figures between, say, 100 and 200. It will, therefore, highlight any figures
outside these parameters that they have entered by mistake.

Can anybody think of another typical example when Data Validation would be
useful? What do other people use it for?

Thank you.
Louise

Any manner of reasons
(1) Allow a choice from a list
(2) restrict entry to ONLY dates - thus stopping people typing 01.01.01
and thinking it's a date
(3) Restrict the length of entry - for many of my applications, a value
entered must always be a given length
(4) even without a rule, Data Validation allows you to give
instructions to the user
If you are entering data where it is important that a persons name is
entered conistently
eg Dave Smith, David Smith, Mr D Smith, Mr David Smith etc all all the
same person, you can only give options of the valid names. This would
be useful if you were to be running a pivot table or countif, sumif or
sumproduct on the data to aggregate it. As a person would be called by
the same name every time!

So in the above example you would have one unique name for each member
of staff and the list to validate against would be the list of staff.

Also you sometimes wish to have a date always in the past, eg you can
not fill out expenses claims before expenses have been incurred!

Regards

Dav--
Dav
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dav's Profile: www.excelforum.com/member.php...oamp;userid=27107
View this thread: www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=540615Hello, thank you for your reply.

What do you mean 'allow a choice from a list'?

Louise

quot; wrote:

gt; Any manner of reasons
gt; (1) Allow a choice from a list
gt; (2) restrict entry to ONLY dates - thus stopping people typing 01.01.01
gt; and thinking it's a date
gt; (3) Restrict the length of entry - for many of my applications, a value
gt; entered must always be a given length
gt; (4) even without a rule, Data Validation allows you to give
gt; instructions to the user
gt;
gt;

Found it! THanks again.
Louise

quot;Louisequot; wrote:

gt; Hello, thank you for your reply.
gt;
gt; What do you mean 'allow a choice from a list'?
gt;
gt; Louise
gt;
gt; quot; wrote:
gt;
gt; gt; Any manner of reasons
gt; gt; (1) Allow a choice from a list
gt; gt; (2) restrict entry to ONLY dates - thus stopping people typing 01.01.01
gt; gt; and thinking it's a date
gt; gt; (3) Restrict the length of entry - for many of my applications, a value
gt; gt; entered must always be a given length
gt; gt; (4) even without a rule, Data Validation allows you to give
gt; gt; instructions to the user
gt; gt;
gt; gt;

If you go into Data Validation, the first dropdown, named Allow, provides
the types of validation that you can set. If you choose List, you can refer
to a list of allowable values, or even type them in directly.

A better question is why not use Data Validation. It is a great facility,
and should be used more. Debra Dalgleish has details on her website at
www.contextures.com/xlDataVal01.html

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove xxx from email address if mailing direct)

quot;Louisequot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; Hello, thank you for your reply.
gt;
gt; What do you mean 'allow a choice from a list'?
gt;
gt; Louise
gt;
gt; quot; wrote:
gt;
gt; gt; Any manner of reasons
gt; gt; (1) Allow a choice from a list
gt; gt; (2) restrict entry to ONLY dates - thus stopping people typing 01.01.01
gt; gt; and thinking it's a date
gt; gt; (3) Restrict the length of entry - for many of my applications, a value
gt; gt; entered must always be a given length
gt; gt; (4) even without a rule, Data Validation allows you to give
gt; gt; instructions to the user
gt; gt;
gt; gt;
Yes, you're quite right, I don't think I'm using it to the best of its ability.
Thanks for the link.
Louise

quot;Bob Phillipsquot; wrote:

gt; If you go into Data Validation, the first dropdown, named Allow, provides
gt; the types of validation that you can set. If you choose List, you can refer
gt; to a list of allowable values, or even type them in directly.
gt;
gt; A better question is why not use Data Validation. It is a great facility,
gt; and should be used more. Debra Dalgleish has details on her website at
gt; www.contextures.com/xlDataVal01.html
gt;
gt; --
gt; HTH
gt;
gt; Bob Phillips
gt;
gt; (remove xxx from email address if mailing direct)
gt;
gt; quot;Louisequot; gt; wrote in message
gt; ...
gt; gt; Hello, thank you for your reply.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; What do you mean 'allow a choice from a list'?
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Louise
gt; gt;
gt; gt; quot; wrote:
gt; gt;
gt; gt; gt; Any manner of reasons
gt; gt; gt; (1) Allow a choice from a list
gt; gt; gt; (2) restrict entry to ONLY dates - thus stopping people typing 01.01.01
gt; gt; gt; and thinking it's a date
gt; gt; gt; (3) Restrict the length of entry - for many of my applications, a value
gt; gt; gt; entered must always be a given length
gt; gt; gt; (4) even without a rule, Data Validation allows you to give
gt; gt; gt; instructions to the user
gt; gt; gt;
gt; gt; gt;
gt;
gt;
gt;