Drop-down List for Customer Database

Hi jbkline and welcome to the forum,

The topic you need is Cascading Validation lists. Read:
http://www.tushar-mehta.com/excel/ne...#Introduction_

See if it helps. If not then let us know and we can see where we need to start.

Hi jbkline,

If cascading validation lists aren't enough to solve your problem then you need to jump harder into VBA. Another possible option is a MultiSelect ListBox that allows you to select multiple things in a single list.
Read about them at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...ffice.11).aspx or search the net for Multiselect Listbox.
Does this fit your problem better? Are you VBA savvy enough to deal with code? I was hoping that non-vba validation lists would do it for you.

Let us know.

OK jbkline,

Here is what I think you are looking for - in the attached.
I wrote some VBA behind your sheets. When you now click on column B it will put the name to the right of it in the Criteria area of Sheet1 and perform an Advanced Filter. It then sorts these unique values. The validation list now comes from sheet1 on the filtered and sorted range.

Look at the attached. Try it a few times. Find all the named ranges and note where they are.

Look at the code - there are two places. One is behind the sheet and the other is in a module.

Change some of your Raw data and see if it still works. (remember to expand the named range on the Raw sheet).

Let me know how it works - now you should be motivated to read and learn a little VBA.

Hi,

You need to look at and understand Data Validation Lists a little better.
Click on B2 on the Simple sheet and then on the Data Tab. Then look for the Data Tools Group and click on the Data Validation dropdown. Click the word "Data Validation..." from the choice of 3 icons.

Now a window opens and on the Settings Tab it says Allow: List with a Source: =ValSelection. You are looking for the Validation setting for only one Cell, B2.

To make this work for a lot more cells you must first select them. Click and drag you mouse from B4 down to B100. WITH THIS RANGE SELECTED, now click on Data Validation and make it a List = ValSelection. This will then make all the selected cells be Validation Cells.

You do see that I have named ranges in the formulas. You may need to go into Formulas -> Names Manager and edit those Named Ranges to be longer to span your entire dataset.

Also the VBA behind the Simple sheet has a fixed range in the code from B2:B100 which may need to be expanded if you have more than that many rows.

There was a lot involved in your request. Formulas, Named Ranges, Validataion Lists, Advanced Filters, Unique Advanced Filters, Sorting, Event Macors, Intersect with Target, and Module VBA Code. There are a lot of places that need to work together to get a full scope of what's-a-happenin.

I hope this helps.