XL: How to Add Data to a Drop-Down or List Box

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, there are two ways of populating a list or drop-down box: you can link worksheet data to the control, or you can run a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro to add data to the control.

MORE INFORMATION

To link the list box or drop-down box to a range of cells on a worksheet

1. Create a list box or drop-down on a custom dialog box.

2. Select the control.

3. On the Format menu, click Object, and click the Control tab.

4. In the Input Range box, enter a reference to a vertical range of cells (for example, Sheet1!$A$1:$A$10).

   Do not include a header row unless you want that row to be included in the list or drop-down box.

To use a Visual Basic Macro to populate the drop-down or list box

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   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

1. Insert a dialog sheet. Name this sheet "Dialog1" (without the quotation marks).

   NOTE: To name a dialog box element, type the name in the Name box (the box at the left end of the formula bar).

2. Create a list box control on the dialog box. Name the list box "List Box 4" (without the quotation marks).

3. Create a drop-down box on the dialog box. Name drop-down box "Drop Down 5" (without the quotation marks).

4. In a module sheet, enter the following macro code:

         Sub Fill_Control()
            Dim diag As Object
            Dim mylist As Object
            Dim mydrop As Object
   
            Set diag = DialogSheets("Dialog1")
            Set mylist = diag.ListBoxes("List Box 4")
            Set mydrop = diag.DropDowns("Drop Down 5")
   
            'Remove all items from drop-down and list box
            mylist.RemoveAllItems
            mydrop.RemoveAllItems
   
            'Insert data into List Box and Drop Down
            myarray = Array("Tom", "Fred", "Sam", "Wilma", "Sandy")
   
            For x = 0 To 4
               mylist.AddItem myarray(x)
               mydrop.AddItem myarray(x)
            Next x
   
            'Show Dialog Box
            diag.Show
   
         End Sub
   
   

5. To run the macro, position the insertion point on the line that reads,

      Sub Fill_Control(), and press F5.
   
   

REFERENCES

"Visual Basic User's Guide," version 5.0, page 231