Your formula for the third dropdown should work, assuming you have a
range named with the Symptom and Group names, e.g. PainBack, and the
items for the third dropdown are in that range.

wrote:
On Jan 23, 12:17 am, Debra Dalgleish wrote:

How are the item lists in your workbook set up?

wrote:

On Jan 12, 11:37 pm, Debra Dalgleish
wrote:
Debra,

Can you please explain to me how I can make the Illegal character
formula work for a 3rd category? I want to have the 3rd category
options dependent upon the combination of what is selected for both
categories 1 & 2. Please keep in mind that both categories 1 & 2
contain multiple words with illegal characters.

--
Debra Dalgleish
Contextureshttp://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html


Hi Debra,

I set everything up as described in the Illegal character section of
this article: http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal02.html#Illegal.

I created name lookup tables "SymptomNameLookup" and
"GroupNameLookup". The data is extensive, so I had to use multiple
sheets within the same workbook, but it is working, except I cannot
get the list in category 3 to show the options available based on the
combination of selections from the 1st & 2nd category lists.

I'm pretty sure it is a syntax error in the data validation source for
category 3 (cell C2).

This is what I entered for the data validation source:

A2: =Symptom
B2: =INDIRECT(VLOOKUP(A2,SymptomNameLookup,2,0))
C2: =INDIRECT(VLOOKUP(A2,SymptomNameLookup,
2,0))&(VLOOKUP(B2,GroupNameLookup,2,0))

I simplified my workbook and so I could attach a sample file that may
help you understand what I've done, but I don't know how to attach
it. Do you?

Thanks for your help!

Tom


--
Debra Dalgleish
Contextures
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html