Use Excel's built-in features to simplify data entry

Chances are, many of your users spend at least some of their time entering data into Excel worksheets. The easier you make the task, the more users will enter accurate data. You can create user forms and write VBA to help the process along. But before you do, review a few of the built-in features that ease the data entry burden. Excel’s list, AutoComplete, and data validation features will reduce keystrokes and prevent errors.

Use lists to reduce keystrokes

One of the simplest ways to control data entry is to let Excel enter as much of the data as possible using the list feature. Lists reduce keystrokes and typos. Creating a list is simple enough, and you can work with an existing worksheet or create a new one. The only requirement is that each list (column) heading be unique. If there are no headers, Excel will create generic ones.

To demonstrate the process, we’ve imported the sample Access database, Northwind. Here are the steps for creating a list:

1. Select any cell inside the worksheet for which you want to define a list.
2. Choose List from the Data menu and then select Create List. Or press [Ctrl]+L. Excel will display the Create List dialog box and display the range for the worksheet, as shown in Figure A. (If the range isn’t correct, check for a blank row in the worksheet. Excel’s list feature can accommodate blank cells, but Excel interprets a blank row as the end of the active data.) If necessary, select the My List Has Headers option. (Usually, it’s selected by default.)
   

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