(new in Excel 97). The Data Validation menu screen pops up (Figure 3).

Under Allow, click on

the down arrow and select List from the available options.

• Under Source, enter the

name of the list that
contains your selection
options. Place the cursor
in the source box and
click.
• Go to the Insert menu
item on the main tool bar
and click.
• Click Name, Paste. A
list of named cell ranges
will pop up.
• Select the desired name
by double clicking on it
and the name will then be
entered into the source
box with the “=” sign in
front of it.
• Click OK to complete the
Figure 8. Data Validation Dialog Box
Data Validation.

The down arrow for the pop-down-list button will appear when you select cell B2 (Figure 5).
Click on the arrow and the list of options will appear. Click on the preferred option and the
description will automatically be entered into cell B2. To copy the Data Validation to cells B3
through B6 for example, select cell B2, and move the cursor to the lower right hand corner of
cell B2 (where the cursor changes to a crosshair). Click the corner and hold down the mouse
button while you drag a copy of cell B2 to the other cells (B3 through B6, Figure 4).

Figure 9. Dragging a Cell to Copy Its Formula

Figure 5 shows cell B2 with the validation list of options active and the Stanley K1 – 6-Panel
door selected. The figure also shows the “Database/Material & Price List.” This is a table with a
list of the exterior door take-off options, their units of measure, and their prices. This database,
“ExtDoorDB” (cells B18-D18), would normally be located in another worksheet or in another