This helpful Google Sheets tip shows you how to quickly build a dependent drop-down at the top of your sheet. This trick can ease some of the menial formatting tasks in spreadsheet creation. Given this tool, you’ll find yourself saving time and energy with each project!
Drop-down Lists
What’s a list without a drop-down menu? Luckily, in Google Sheets that is easy to accomplish. To create a basic drop-down in Sheets, start by opening a new sheet in the spreadsheet. Then select the Text tool from Insert and type your text into cell A1. When you finish typing your desired placeholder text for each item of your drop-down menu, drag it to column B:
Enabling the drop-down list
Google Sheets enables drop-down lists with certain cells to enter a sublist. To enable the list, type in the following into the A1 cell where you would like your list to appear: “Enabled=” true;
Changing the column form
A drop-down list allows users to select from a list of options. This can be useful when you are re ordering or creating a new list based on the information you have entered into your spreadsheet. To create one, change your column form so that it is in drop-down and then select the cells you want to appear on the left hand side of your drop-down. Once you have done this, go to your ‘button head’ and edit the button text as well as the order in which you want your options listed.
Adding items to lists
Adding items to a list on their own is not the simplest way to work. Many look for ways to incorporate a drop-down list with other features of Google Sheets. There are multiple functions in tools like VLOOKUP and INDEX and MATCH that can do this so it is important to identify whether these features are needed before entering the formula into your spreadsheet.
Incrementing a value for every row of a column
One way you can create a drop-down list in Google Sheets is by running a formula. The formula would generat the heading of the row and then displaying that as if it was an entry in the drop-down menu right above it. To increment values, add this to your formula:
Deleting items from data in a list
Google Sheets has the ability to create a drop down list. By copying and pasting data in long table into cells B1-B50, the Drop Down List will provide a variety of options. One can use the options provided on your list wisely when creating means or tracking information. To delete items from the list within Google Sheets, one must simply highlight cells B2-B50 of the range A1:D50. These cells will then turn blue and have an x cartouche below them indicating that they are selected for deletion. Clicking those cells cannot cause any problems with your list but instead excludes the selected items that you would like removed
Adding Validation Rules to a List
To create a drop-down list in Google Sheets, you need to add some formatting to the cells. The list can also be a multi-select, which will happen automatically if the cell contains more than one option. In addition to adding formatting, you would need to add validation rules for your list as well. Adding these rules will make sure that each option is only visible when specific conditions are met.
Copying tables
You can copy and paste data listings between a spreadsheet. To do this, make sure you are in edit mode with the sheet on your screen. In columns B through E, right click one of the cells that hold data and select Paste Table (Column Format).
Programmers: How to make changes using formulas rather than changing fields and updating rows
A simple drop-Down list in Google Sheets is created using a formula. The steps on how to create this type of list are as follows:
1. Enter the formulas A9 and B5 in any desired cells including the cell Down List Location (which should be the first cell after C5)
2. Enter any text you would like on your list near the A9 and B5 formulas
3. (optional step) Create a second set of formulas in any other desired cells to create a second option when selecting from the original two drop downs
4. Enter your values for “up” and “down” towards the end of this row like so:
A10: =IF(SUM(A8),0,SUM(A9))
B6: =IF(SUM(A8),1,SUM(B6))
C6: =IF(SUM(A8),2,SUM(C6))
D6: =IF(SUM(B8),1,SUM(E6))
E6: =IF(SUM(B8),2,LEN())
F7: =IF
Blog Outline: Formula Sheet changes
A list that can make your work easier is a drop-down list. In other words, when you click on a cell in the first row of your spreadsheet and type the letter v for “Value” the rest of the cells in your spreadsheet will be populated with possible values. For instance, if I wanted to populate my data table with male or female names I would type M into cell A1 and type F into cell B1, B2, and so on.
1. Remove the item in Group
Tired of checking off the names of rows and creating them yourself? Here’s a better way to do it. Google Sheets has this feature called “remove.” What you want is to remove all items in Group A. To see what you’re removing, hit “Insert/Code” (That’s right, it’s right there!) and type in: