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  • 7 weeks ago
Discover how you can auto expand drop down list in Excel. We will be answering how do I create an expandable drop-down list in Excel? And also how do I extend Data Validation list in Excel?. This video will also address question around how do I auto populate data in Excel based on a drop-down list, and how do I automate data validation in Excel?.

Here are the steps outlined in this video.

Auto Expand Drop Down List
1) Data ~ Data Tools ~ Data Validation ~ Data Validation
2) Allow set to List
3) =OFFSET($D$3,0,0,COUNTA($D$3:$D$10),1)
4) OK

Let's breakdown the formula.

The OFFSET function in Excel is used to create a reference to a range of cells that is offset from a starting cell by a certain number of rows and columns. $D$3 is the starting cell reference.
It refers to cell $D$3, which is the starting point for the range.
0 is the number of rows to offset. Since it is 0, the range will start from the same row as the starting cell, which is D3.
0 is the number of columns to offset. Again, it is 0, so the range will start from the same column as the starting cell, which is column D.
1 is the number of columns in the resulting range. It indicates that the resulting range will have 1 column.

COUNTA($D$3:$D$10) is a function that counts the number of non-empty cells in the range D3:D10. It returns a numeric value representing the count of non-empty cells.

Putting it all together, the formula creates a range reference that starts from cell D3 and covers a certain number of rows and 1 column. The number of rows is determined by the count of non-empty cells in the range D3:D10. The resulting range is dynamic and adjusts automatically if the number of non-empty cells in the range changes.


Auto expand drop down list in Excel, How do I create an expandable drop-down list in Excel?,
How do I extend Data Validation list in Excel?,How do I auto populate data in Excel based on a drop-down list?,How do I automate data validation in Excel?,
Transcript
00:00we all had the frustration when we create a drop-down list and over time if your list grows
00:04the new items are not in your drop-down list so we say why not make the list of area a bit bigger
00:10in your data validation but this method leads to lots of white spaces as there are items that are
00:15blank how can we get around this this is how we do it we go to data data validation data validation
00:21again in here allow you're going to select list and enter this formula
00:26the offset function creates a reference to the range of cell that is offset from cell d3 since
00:33we've only got one column the second and the third argument which denotes number of rows and column
00:38offset respectively is going to be zero and the fifth argument is going to be one to indicate
00:44that we want one columns in the resulting range the count a ensures that the last few blank cells
00:49are not in the drop-down list and once that's done click on ok and you can see that the list is still
00:55there and if you add let's say a new fruit maybe add two of them you can see that the list get
01:02updated accordingly in the next video we're going to explore why google sheets drop down list is much
01:06better than excel's drop down list stay tuned
01:17you
01:19you
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