Sub lists within data validation

**di22y** · 08-18-2009, 10:53 PM

I am wandering if it is posible to create a secondary list within a data validation dropdown box.

For example. I want to be able to open the drop down box and then see a list of departments (Sales, Admin, HR etc.) then from here if I hover over sales I would like a list of all the Sales team or the admin staff. Does anybody know if this is posible.

**JBeaucaire** · 08-18-2009, 10:58 PM

In the same cell, not without some fancy VBA programming. But this is done pretty regularly with successive drop down lists next to each other.

'DEPENDENT DROP BOXES
These are called Dependent Drop Down lists and they use named ranges and INDIRECT() references in the proceeding drop boxes.

Here's a sample sheet I've posted showing how it's done. The sheet "CHOICES" has the dependent drop lists (and shows one of the dangers of using them) and the sheet "LISTS" shows the lists and named ranges in use.

Have a look.

Sample Files
http://www.excelforum.com/attachment...dentlists3.xls 3 levels
http://www.excelforum.com/attachment...dentlists2.xls 2 levels
http://www.excelforum.com/attachment...elfsorting.xls Self-Sorting lists of fruits by color choices

More reading:
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataval02.html
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal13.html