If you're filling in an order form in Excel, you can use the VLOOKUP function to find the selling price for each item in the sales order. For example, in the screen shot below, the order form is on the Orders worksheet, and a VLOOKUP formula in column D pulls the cost from a pricing [...]

In Monday's blog, you saw how to make simple dependent data validation drop down lists. After creating the drop downs, you added some flexibility by using the IF function in the data validation formula.
Today you'll see a couple of problems that can occur when you refer to other cells in your data validation, and [...]

You can use data validation to create drop down lists in Excel. With a bit of Excel magic, you can create dependent drop down lists, so the selection in one drop down controls what appears in the next drop down.
We'll take a quick look at how a basic dependent drop down works, then [...]

August seems to be a very popular birthday month among my Excel friends. I won't mention any names here, because most of them are quite elderly, and the shock might upset them. Anyway, to all of them, and you, if you're celebrating this month -- happy birthday!
The Birthday List
If you're in charge of an [...]

It's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, so here are a couple of handy Excel functions you can use in case of a shark attack. Of course, if you stay home and watch television, you should be safe. The infamous land shark rarely attacks.
That Shark is Large
Sharks are pretty big, with the shark types in [...]

Good news, if you're spelling challenged -- or too lazy to type long words. You can combine cell values in Excel, without using the CONCATENATE function. Keep reading, to learn the easy way to combine cells, and add some fancy formatting to the dates and numbers.
Use the & Operator
Yes, instead of using CONCATENATE, you [...]

How many students got a grade between 50 and 70? How many golfers scored between 70 and 80? How many orders were for a quantity between 5 and 10?
In Excel 2007 and higher, you can use the COUNTIF and COUNTIFS functions to calculate the answers to those questions. In earlier versions, COUNTIFS is not [...]

Automatic or manual makes me think of cars, and choosing a transmission type, but an Excel workbook can also be on Automatic or Manual calculation. And just like a car, it's safest if you know what type of Excel calculation mode you're driving, before you head for the information highway.
In a car, you can tell [...]

You're comfortable with Excel, and can change formulas on the fly, when necessary. If you're creating Excel workbooks for other people to use, their Excel skills probably aren't as strong as yours.
Last month we looked at the COUNTIF formula, and how you can type an operator, then refer to a worksheet cell, to set a [...]

One of the tasks you have to do quite often in Excel is to count things. For example, you could have a list of students and their test scores.

If the passing score is 50, how can you get Excel to count the number of students who passed the test?
Use COUNTIF and an Operator
The Excel COUNTIF [...]