Drop Down List

Hello!

Can anyone help me insert a drop down list that is attached to a bunch of data to make it easier to navigate through the data.

Therefore, when you chose one item in the list it will populate data in the worksheet for that item in the list and change for each item in the list.

For example, if you have ten people's names in the list when you pick Nancy it will show you information on her and when you pick Scott it will populate with completely different data. The data all coming from one master tab.

Thank you in advnace for your help!
Emily

If you can post a sample of your data (in a worksheet) and explain what you want to show where, then yes.

Unfortunately I am unable to upload files because of company policy.

I can try and explain through a different example though:

Here is the Data:
Name Month $Sales Unit Sales Volume Sales
Mary January 1 1 1
Mary February2 2 2
Mary March 3 3 3
Mary April 4 4 4
Mary May 5 5 5
Mary June 6 6 6
Mary July 7 7 7
Mary August 8 8 8
Mary September9 9 9
Mary October 10 10 10
Mary November11 11 11
Mary December12 12 12
Scott January 2 2 2
Scott February2 2 2
Scott March 2 2 2
Scott April 4 4 4
Scott May 4 4 4
Scott June 4 4 4
Scott July 6 6 6
Scott August 6 6 6
Scott September10 10 10
Scott October 10 10 10
Scott November11 11 11
Scott December 11 11 11
Natalie January 4 4 4
Natalie February6 6 6
Natalie March 8 8 8
Natalie April 9 9 9
Natalie May 9 9 9
Natalie June 9 9 9
Natalie July 9 9 9
Natalie August 12 12 12
Natalie September1 1 1
Natalie October 2 2 2
Natalie November4 4 4
Natalie December 6 6 6


Then I want to have a drop down option that gets rid of the name column and I can choose which person I want information for and ONLY that person. i.e. if I want marys data the only thing that will show is:

(Insert a drop down list of Names)
Mary
^
January 1 1 1
February2 2 2
March 3 3 3
April 4 4 4
May 5 5 5
June 6 6 6
July 7 7 7
August 8 8 8
September9 9 9
October 10 10 10
November11 11 11
December 12 12 12

Hope this Helps!!

THank you for your help

This is a very rough version of one way to do it.

It uses a "helper column" on the data sheet that you can hide as a lookup identifier and feeds the information in to the overview sheet.

It could also be done with an array formula but without knowing more about your requirements and actual data layout it would not be straightforward to provide or explain that method.

This is Exactly what I am looking for.

But I am unable to create the drop down, can you please give instruction. I have my document set up the same and I know how to index match, but I do not understand how the data is changing within the drop down.

Thanks!

OK, so if you look at the formula in cell B4 - =INDEX(Data!D:D,MATCH($B$1&$A4,Data!$A:$A,0))

The first argument of the MATCH portion of the formula is concatenating the value in cell B1 (the name chosen in the drop down) and the value in A4 (January) which gives you something like NatalieJanuary as the lookup value.
The whole of the INDEX/MACH formula looks for this value in the helper column on the data sheet and returns the corresponding value from column D on that sheet.

Does that explain it at all??

Basically, if you change the value in the drop down to Mary, then the lookup string changes to MaryJanuary, change it to Scott and you get ScottJanuary.

Do you need me to explain how to create the dropdown list in a cell or just explain how the data is changing?

I do not understand how the Overview tab is working - I know how to create a drop down using Data validation but not how to link it to the data tab.

I apologize if this is confusing

Thank you for your help!