XL3/XL4: Dynamic Linked List Dialog Boxes

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a
• Microsoft Excel for OS/2, version 3.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

You can modify the example macro on page 273 of the "User's Guide 2," version 4.0; on page 633 of the "User's Guide," version 3.0 for Windows; or on page 629 of the "User's Guide," version 3.0 for the Macintosh, so that you can automatically add items to the linked list if they do not already exist.

In order to successfully modify this macro, you should be familiar with the following information:

• How to set up, write, define and execute a command macro.
• How to create and use custom dialog boxes.
• The macro functions DEFINE.NAME(), IF(), MATCH(), OFFSET(), and

          FORMULA().
  
  

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1. Select the range P6:P21. On the Formula menu, click Define Name, and name the region "Instruments".

2. Replace the contents of cell N16 (R6C16:R21C16) with the Name "Instruments" (without quotation marks).

3. Move the macro code in cells N1:N3 to cells H1:H3.

4. Delete the "=RETURN()" statement in cell H3. Starting at cell H3, add the following macro commands:

         H3: =IF(H2<>FALSE)
         H4: =  MATCH(O15,Instruments,0)
         H5: =  IF(ISNA(H4))
         H6: =    FORMULA(O15,OFFSET(P6,ROWS(Instruments),0))
         H7: =    SET.NAME("Instruments",OFFSET(P6,0,0,ROWS(Instruments)+1,1))
         H8: =  END.IF()
         H9: =END.IF()
        H10: =RETURN()
   
   

Explanation of Above Macro

   H3:  Check to see if the "Cancel" button was not chosen.
   H4:  The MATCH statement checks to see if the name is on the list.
   H5:  Checks to see if MATCH returns #N/A, indicating that the name is
        not on the list.
   H6:  Places the new instrument on the list as the last item.
   H7:  Redfines the "Instruments" name to include the new item.
   H8:  Signals the ending of the first if statement.
   H9:  Signal the ending of the second if statement.
  H10: Ends the macro.

REFERENCES

"User's Guide 2", version 4.0, page 277 "User's Guide", version 3.0, page 637