In the past Chandoo has written about custom Number Formats for cells:
http://chandoo.org/wp/2008/02/25/custom-cell-formatting-in-excel-few-tips-tricks/
http://chandoo.org/wp/tag/custom-cell-formatting/
and I have written about Custom Number Formats for Charts:
http://chandoo.org/wp/2011/08/19/selective-chart-axis-formating/
http://chandoo.org/wp/2011/08/22/custom-chart-axis-formating-part-2/
This post examines a technique for quickly developing Custom Number Formats for Cells, Charts or any other Number location in Excel.
A Technique for Quickly Developing Custom Number Formats
Instead of Selecting the cell, chart axis etc, Ctrl 1, Format Cells/Properties, Number Tab, Custom and then entering a Custom Format and Apply, only to find out that the format is incorrect, try this simple technique below.
1. Enter a few Numbers in 3 cells
Enter 3 numbers, a positive, zero and negative which have values you will expect to receive in your model.
2. Add a Custom Format Cell
In D3 I have entered ##,;-(##,);”Zero”
3. Display Numbers using the custom Format
Each Number to a display cell with a simple =Text(B3,$D$3)
Copy down
This will display the 3 numbers using the Custom Format in Cell D3
4. Develop Your Custom Format
Play around with your own Custom Number Formats to your hearts content
5. Use your new format
Once you have completed your new Custom Number Format, copy the cell contents of D3 in this case.
Select your cells/or other Excel Numbers,
Ctrl 1,
Format Cells/Properties,
Number Tab, Custom
Enter the Custom Format and Apply.
6. Extending the Technique
This technique can be extended by adding several more rows with a larger range of values.
The values are all evaluated at the same time
LIMITATIONS
The above technique does not show the effects of the Color Modifiers in the test cells
But I think it is a safe bet that you will understand what the Modifier [Red] will do
There are also reserved characters such as E
So in the above example if I had used Zero instead of “Zero”
It would have displayed Ze1900ro, where the E in Zero is taken as 10^x and x=0 so Excel interprets e as 0 or 1900, a date?
You can avoid this by using the code “Zero” or Z\ero
DOWNLOAD
You can download the worked Example File used above.
NUMBER FORMATS
For more on Number Formats check out the above links or those below:
http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/excel-custom-number-formats.htm
http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/CustomFormats.htm
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/NumberFormats.html
13 Responses to “Data Validation using an Unsorted column with Duplicate Entries as a Source List”
Pivot Table will involve manual intervention; hence I prefer to use the 'countif remove duplicate trick' along with 'text sorting formula trick; then using the offset with len to name the final range for validation.
if using the pivot table, set the sort to Ascending, so the list in the validation cell comes back alphabetically.
Hui: Brillant neat idea.
Vipul: I am intrigued by what you are saying. Please is it possible to show us how it can be done, because as u said Hui's method requires user intervention.
Thks to PHD and all
K
Table names dont work directly inside Data validation.
You will have to define a name and point it to the table name and then use the name inside validation
Eg MyClient : Refers to :=Table1[Client]
And then in the list validation say = MyClient
Kieranz,
Pls download the sample here http://cid-e98339d969073094.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/data-validation-unsorted-list-example.xls
Off course there are many other ways of doing the same and integrating the formulae in multiple columns into one.
Pls refer to column FGHI in that file. Cell G4 is where my validation is.
Vipul:
Many thks, will study it latter.
Rgds
K
[...] to chandoo for the idea of getting unique list using Pivot tables. What we do is that create a pivot table [...]
@Vipul:
Thanks, that was awesome! 🙂
@Playercharlie Happy to hear that 🙂
Great contribution, Hui. Solved a problem of many years!
Thanks to you, A LOT
Hi Hui,
Greeting
hope you are doing well.
I'm interested to send you a private vba excel file which i need to show detail of pivot in new workbook instead of showing in same workbook as new sheet.
Please contact me on muhammed.ye@gmail.com
Best Regards