I'm looking to create an excel file with drop down menus.

I'd like to have a category. Click on the "+" symbol and the category opens
up and shows all of the subcategories.

Each category can further be opened if I so choose.

Each category can be have a number total associated with it.

When you click the "-" symbol. The subcategories close and the sum total of
all subcategories is shown in the category total.

example. creating a budget.

Category is utilities
sub categories a phone, cable, electric, gas, etc...

Monthly utility total is $500

click on "+" symbol to open the category and see the subcategory breakdown.
click on "-" symbol to hide the subcategories.

Does this make sense?

Thank you.

Mike

Put your headers in row 1.

Include the category on each row (rows 2:###). (If you don't like the way it
looks, you can hide the duplicates with conditional formatting.)

Include the subcategory on each row.

Sort your data by the category and subcategory (and date or anything else you
want). Data|sort in xl2003 menus.

Then Select A1:x999 (last used row in the last used column).

Apply Subtotals (data|subtotals in xl2003 menus).

You'll see the outlining symbols to the left of the worksheet. You can expand
and contract each group as much as you want. In fact, if you look at the top of
those outlining symbols, you'll see clickable symbols that you can hide or show
at each level (you can use data|subtotals multiple times -- do the category
first and the subcategory second).

If you want to hide those duplicate categories/subcategories, you can use the
technique that Debra Dalgleish shares:
http://contextures.com/xlCondFormat03.html#Duplicate

One day, you may find that you only want summary reports from your data. You
can still set up the data nicely and then ignore the data|subtotals stuff (and
even ignore the sorting). But then you'll be able to use that data in a
pivottable report.

Pivottables make very nice summaries and really flexible once you learn how to
use them.

If you've never used pivottables, here are a few links:

Debra Dalgleish's pictures at Jon Peltier's site:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Pivots/pivottables.htm
And Debra's own site:
http://www.contextures.com/xlPivot01.html

John Walkenbach also has some at:
http://j-walk.com/ss/excel/files/general.htm
(look for Tony Gwynn's Hit Database)

Chip Pearson keeps Harald Staff's notes at:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/pivots.htm

MS has some at (xl2000 and xl2002):
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/XCrtPiv.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/assistan...lconPT101.aspx


changeyourbodychallenge.com wrote:

I'm looking to create an excel file with drop down menus.

I'd like to have a category. Click on the "+" symbol and the category opens
up and shows all of the subcategories.

Each category can further be opened if I so choose.

Each category can be have a number total associated with it.

When you click the "-" symbol. The subcategories close and the sum total of
all subcategories is shown in the category total.

example. creating a budget.

Category is utilities
sub categories a phone, cable, electric, gas, etc...

Monthly utility total is $500

click on "+" symbol to open the category and see the subcategory breakdown.
click on "-" symbol to hide the subcategories.

Does this make sense?

Thank you.

Mike

--

Dave Peterson