drop down list and search by first few letters?

**lnjr** · 01-05-2009, 01:59 PM

I was wondering if it is possible to have a drop down list where you can type in the first few letters of a word and have the drop down list go to the the words that begin with those first few letters instead of having to scroll down the entire list to find the word / item you are looking for.
I ask since the drop down list may end up having up to 1000 words in it.

Thanks!

**JBeaucaire** · 01-05-2009, 02:17 PM

Here are a couple of solutions. This isn't as straightforward as you would hope.

Hide the validation list directly above the validation cells.
http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/autocomplete-validation.htm

Use extended macros to help out:
http://puremis.net/excel/code/041.shtml

**lnjr** · 01-06-2009, 05:41 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to review them and see if I can figure out how to use one of them.
You are right that what I am looking for would be some sort of auto complete feature (which I am now learning is not possible).

I was also thinking that perhaps using some sort of dependent drop down list (I think that is what it is called) might work ---- where I would select the the first letter of the word in the first column and then all the words beginning with that letter would be available to select from in a drop down list in the next column. But I'm not sure if that is a realistic way to go (and I am not exactly sure how to go about doing that just yet).

Thanks!

**JBeaucaire** · 01-06-2009, 05:44 PM

Dependent Lists could work. It would take some setting up on your part, but afterward might be smooth. A lot of websites use that approach to shorten picklists...pick a letter first.

Here's a fun sheet I created when I was fiddling with Dependent Lists. Makes it clear the flow, at least to me. Might be helpful.