Users, we are a frustrating lot, eh?! <g I'm having to deal with
useres myself after being called back to a great place to work that
I'd left after that first contract's end last summer. The Excel file
I'd created then for my own use and that of my supervisor only is now
shared with an additional 6 people! Boy, the trouble they get into!
<g

They're messing up one of my reports because the cell that should only
be blank or have an "X" in it for completed, as per the pulldown
boxes!, has comments in it that should go in an adjacent cell. Since
we now have several hundred entries hadn't noticed this till now.

Is there a way to restrict input to either a blank cell or the "X"?
It would be too limiting to not have the blank cell in the value list
for the data validation field because once you've selected that "X",
watch out, you can't then take the X off to change the state to still
pending. That's the only way I know to restrict the data and it's too
much restriction.

Is there a way to do this? Tx.

Data validation does not restrict you from deleteing the value in the cell.
So I don't know how it can be too restricting if the cell can only be blank
or have an X.

Perhaps you are trying to clear the cell with the spacebar - use the delete
key.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

"StargateFan" wrote in message
...
Users, we are a frustrating lot, eh?! <g I'm having to deal with
useres myself after being called back to a great place to work that
I'd left after that first contract's end last summer. The Excel file
I'd created then for my own use and that of my supervisor only is now
shared with an additional 6 people! Boy, the trouble they get into!
<g

They're messing up one of my reports because the cell that should only
be blank or have an "X" in it for completed, as per the pulldown
boxes!, has comments in it that should go in an adjacent cell. Since
we now have several hundred entries hadn't noticed this till now.

Is there a way to restrict input to either a blank cell or the "X"?
It would be too limiting to not have the blank cell in the value list
for the data validation field because once you've selected that "X",
watch out, you can't then take the X off to change the state to still
pending. That's the only way I know to restrict the data and it's too
much restriction.

Is there a way to do this? Tx.

On Fri, 6 May 2005 08:20:21 -0400, "Tom Ogilvy"
wrote:

Data validation does not restrict you from deleteing the value in the cell.
So I don't know how it can be too restricting if the cell can only be blank
or have an X.

Well, in Excel 2000 if I didn't have that extra blank cell, if one
chose the X because it represents that a file is close, it the file
became active for any reason and one needed to show this by taking the
X out, too late. You couldn't go back to change it to a blank cell
again (without being someone like me who knows how to go
behind-the-scenes, as it were).

Perhaps you are trying to clear the cell with the spacebar - use the delete
key.

Ah, I'm not sure. I'll have to try this again, then, to test this
exact behaviour. I've never been able to do this, but maybe what you
describe is where the problem lies. Tx.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

"StargateFan" wrote in message
.. .
Users, we are a frustrating lot, eh?! <g I'm having to deal with
useres myself after being called back to a great place to work that
I'd left after that first contract's end last summer. The Excel file
I'd created then for my own use and that of my supervisor only is now
shared with an additional 6 people! Boy, the trouble they get into!
<g

They're messing up one of my reports because the cell that should only
be blank or have an "X" in it for completed, as per the pulldown
boxes!, has comments in it that should go in an adjacent cell. Since
we now have several hundred entries hadn't noticed this till now.

Is there a way to restrict input to either a blank cell or the "X"?
It would be too limiting to not have the blank cell in the value list
for the data validation field because once you've selected that "X",
watch out, you can't then take the X off to change the state to still
pending. That's the only way I know to restrict the data and it's too
much restriction.

Is there a way to do this? Tx.

On Fri, 06 May 2005 21:25:49 -0400, StargateFan
wrote:

On Fri, 6 May 2005 08:20:21 -0400, "Tom Ogilvy"
wrote:

Data validation does not restrict you from deleteing the value in the cell.
So I don't know how it can be too restricting if the cell can only be blank
or have an X.

Well, in Excel 2000 if I didn't have that extra blank cell, if one
chose the X because it represents that a file is close, it the file
became active for any reason and one needed to show this by taking the
X out, too late. You couldn't go back to change it to a blank cell
again (without being someone like me who knows how to go
behind-the-scenes, as it were).

Perhaps you are trying to clear the cell with the spacebar - use the delete
key.

Ah, I'm not sure. I'll have to try this again, then, to test this
exact behaviour. I've never been able to do this, but maybe what you
describe is where the problem lies. Tx.

[snip]

This is too funny for words. That must be what I always do without
thinking. Oh, I think I know where this false idea came from. I
think that unlike the case now, I needed to have the X as one of the
possible entries but left the blank cell for complete flexibility.
That must be it; but I somehow got mixed up in my mind that that's the
only way to be able to have a blank cell <g. Funny. This ng keeps
me humble, let me tell you! <lol

Thanks. In this one case, the cell can only be blank or have an X and
my users are making my life so much fun that I'm going to impose it on
them! No more false reporting, pls, for all our closed dockets! <g

Thanks!