Just one minor problem:
As the formula in B1 refers to the address of the cell to which the data
validation applies, it seems that I am going to have to copy this formula
down to each row in column B for which a corresponding entry is to be made
in column A. I would have preferred as solution that just requires the
formula to be stored once, simply to reduce the processing overhead on the
workbook. I can live with it as it stands, but is there a way around that?


"Bernie Deitrick" <deitbe @ consumer dot org wrote in message
...
Actually, I forgot about the positive integral part.

Change the Data validation formula to

=B1

and in B1, enter the formula


=OR(A1="BR",A1="NT",AND(NOT(ISERROR(FIND(RIGHT(A1, 1),"LPTVY"))),IF(NOT(ISERR

OR(VALUE(LEFT(A1,LEN(A1)-1)))),AND(VALUE(LEFT(A1,LEN(A1)-1))0,INT(VALUE(LEF

T(A1,LEN(A1)-1)))=VALUE(LEFT(A1,LEN(A1)-1))),FALSE)),AND(NOT(ISERROR(FIND(LE

FT(A1,1),"KD"))),IF(NOT(ISERROR(VALUE(RIGHT(A1,LEN (A1)-1)))),AND(VALUE(RIGHT

(A1,LEN(A1)-1))0,INT(VALUE(RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-1)))=VALUE(RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-1))
),FALSE)))

You need to use cell B1 because the formula is longer than the data
validation formula length limit.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP


"Jack Sheet" wrote in message
...
Hi all

I want to set data validation on a cell so that it will accept the
following
(and only the following) text strings:
(1) "BR" (literally)
or
(2) "NT" (literally)
or
(3) "nA" where n is any positive integral numerical value including zero
and
A may take any of the values "L", "P", "T", "V" or "Y"
or
(4) "An" where n is any positive integral numerical value including zero
and
A may take either of the values "K" or "D".

Is this possible, please, and if so how? thanks

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