Several viewers wrote to me after I posted my previous video – “How to Add a Combo Box Control to an Excel Invoice Form” to suggest that there is another way to create a “drop down list” for a form. Yes, you can use Data Validation in Excel and use “Allow from List” as your setting. Use the “Stop Style” to prevent a user from typing in a value that is not in the list.
In this Excel Training Video I compare both approaches: Using a Combo Box Control and Adding a Data Validation Drop Down List. Both work well on Invoice Forms. However, you will use a different function to “lookup” other values – e.g. Unit Price – depending upon your choice:
- With a Combo Box Control, use the =INDEX() function to find the “Unit Price” for the product selected in the Combo Box
- With a Data Validation Drop Down List, use the =VLOOKUP() function to find the matching “Unit Price.”
Let me know which approach that you prefer. Try both – expand your Excel Skill Set. Add your comments below or send me an email with your thoughts and suggestions: danny@thecompanyrocks.com
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