Excel 2016 Formulas

Chapter 20 Using Data Validation

In This Chapter

• An overview of Excel’s data validation feature
• Practical examples of using data validation formulas

This chapter explores a useful Excel feature: data validation. Data validation enables you to add rules for what’s acceptable in specific cells and allows you to add dynamic elements to your worksheet without using macro programming.

About Data Validation

The Excel data validation feature allows you to set up rules that dictate what can be entered into a cell. For example, you may want to limit data entry in a particular cell to whole numbers between 1 and 12. You can specify an input message to help the user know what kind of data to enter in the cell. If the user makes an invalid entry, you can display a custom message. Figure 20.1 shows an example of both the input message and the message generated from an invalid entry.

Figure 20.1 Displaying an input message and a message when the user makes an invalid entry.

Excel makes it easy to specify the validation criteria, and you can also use a formula for more complex criteria.

Caution

The Excel data validation feature suffers from a potentially serious problem: if the user copies a cell that does not use data validation and pastes it to a cell that does use data validation, ...