Cell retention from a drop down list? 1

[Phil115]

Hi everyone,
I'm fairly new to Excel over normal usage. I am creating a spreadsheet that will keep track of things I do through my day, and I want to list them in order. I have created a drop down menu of tasks. The cell just above the list is the task that I select from the list. I copy this cell to another cell (say D3)on the sheet, where it will be printed as a growing list. The problem is, when the menu item changes, the info in D3 changes as well. How do I get the cell to retain the info, so I can build the next item in the list in D4? It's probably so very simple, I just don't know how to do it. Thanks in advance for any help!
Phil

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

I suggest a dynamic named range

How can I rename a table as it changes size faq68-1331

Could you please explain your problem clearer? Maybe a specific example would help.

Skip,

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[Phil115]

Here's what I want to do. Create a form of tasks I perform using two hour periods (breaking the day up into quarters).
I have created a drop down menu of the tasks I perform during a normal day, so I can create a running list of tasks I have performed. The list is generated by selecting a task from the menu. That task is displayed immediately above the menu (H6) (by default, I think) I copy the data (text) to cell D3, which begins to build a task list.. As I choose more tasks from the list, the result of D3 changes to the new selection from the menu. What I would like to happen is for D3 to get the data from H6 and then the new place for the next menu choice would be D4, then the next choice to D5, and so on, building the list in column D. How can I get D3 (and D4, D5, etc) to ignore any changes to H6 after it gets the original entry from H6?

In a nutshell, I want cells in column D to "forget" where they got their information from once it is received. I hope this helps.

Also, can I get Excel to automatically drop from D3 to D4 and so on after the data is copied?

Thank you so much for your help.

 

[Gavona]

Name the range containing the list of tasks "Tasklist". The link Skip gave you will tell you how the range can automatically expand as you add a new task to the bottom.

In another sheet 'your form' you will have a column that identifies the 2 hour periods. In the next column you want to input the task.
Select the cells to contain the task then Data, Validation...Allow = List Source=Tasklist

You now have a dropdown list beside each time period. You may want to pre-populate all these cells with a formula to pick up the value from the cell above? In that way if you are working on a task all day you won't need to enter it more than once.




Gavin