Hi Larry

To set up a dynamic range for your list using the Offset() function, you
need to do the following (assuming your list is in column A, starting in
row 1 and could be of any length, as you add new data.

InsertNameDefine
In the Name pane at the top of the dialogue enter Initials
In the Refers to pane at the bottom enter
=OFFSET($A$1,0,0,COUNTA($A:$A))
Next Click Add

If you have done it correctly, clicking on the icon at the end of the
Refers to pane, should highlight the range of cells that the Name
Initials refers to.

How Offset works
$A$1 is the reference point
,0,0 is saying use an offset of 0 Rows and 0 Columns from this cell as
the start position - which is still A1
,COUNTA(A:A) counts the number of non-blank cells in column A, and uses
this as the depth of the range.

I have omitted the final parameter in the formula, which therefore cause
it to default to 1, as your list is only one column wide, but you could
have a final , and number (or , and variable) which would define a range
which had a number of columns width.

If you had entries in cells A1 down to A12, CountA() would return 12,
and the range would get defined as A1:A12.
As soon as you enter a new value in your list, CountA() would increase
to 13, and the range would grow to A1:A13

I hope this aids your understanding and allows you to create the ranges
you want.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


"Larry" wrote in message
...
I'm having a terrible time getting something to work. I want two lists
that
will automatically update when a new item is added that is not in the
list.

I have a work book, representing a year. In the workbook are several
sheets,
representing autos. In the workbook I have created one sheet that has
two
lists in it, one for initials (Initial) and one for recording
damages(Descrepency). I have named the lists and set the target clumns
in the
auto sheets to validate to the lists.
I read Debra Dalgleish's contextures on dynamic ranges but when I
follow the
guidance there and insert the if= in defined name, the list names
disappear
and the worksheets return an error that no list name can be found. I
have
done everything my limited knowledge allows but have gotten nowhere
with
this. I got some code from a fine gentleman for lists but it also has
failed
to allow me to auto update, always returning some error.
I love this bulletin, but so far none of the recommended solutions out
there
are working, I feel I am missing some simple step here. Help??