microsoft, excel, 2000 Tab to list box

hi janos,
I will have to figure out how to attach a file for you to look at...I will try to do that today but must go to work first....thanks for your patience! Zemaor

Excel has two types of combo boxes...one from the Forms menu and one from the Control Toolbox menu.  I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Neither of mine allow me to tab from a cell into the combobox so I'm curious to see how that works without VBA code.

Hi Spahitz,
"Excel has two types of combo boxes"
you have right. I used the combo box which you find on the standard Control Toolbox of Excel and not of VB. Using TAB key I can't reach the combo box too.

Zemaor,
waiting your file.

wbr Janos

this is the link to the spreadsheet. Hopefully, i have uploaded this correctly!

http://www.ee-stuff.com/Expert/Upload/getFile.php?fid=6321

                                              

1:

Yeah,
downloaded. Using tab will skip. BUT.
try to use SHIFT F4

I hope this will help you
wbr Janos

Thanks anyway, but i think i figured it out. Seems you cannot have sheet protection on.....go figure! Zemaor

although i now know what is causing the skip over of my data validation boxes, I find I still need to protect the sheet. I have searched other answers but do not see a good solution. Can anyone suggest something that will allow me to have the data validation boxes, have my formulas protected, still be able to enter data by tabbing to each field? thank you, zemaor

The best suggestion I can offer is to create a VBA form and use the form for all data entry.  You actually get better control over the data and the form, but at the expense of user-flexibility (since you have to add extra functionality yourself to give the user back some of those functions.

It really depends on how important it is and what your users expect.

What I usually do is add a button on the sheet to launch the form, then give access to those special things that are not practical in a protected sheet.  Then the user can use the sheet for most things but the form for the special things.

thanks rspahitz.... i think that is beyond my capabilites at this time....although i will try to research it and see how it works....zemaor

Well, let me get you started...

From your spreadsheet, press Alt-F11 (or menu Tools |  Macro... |  Visual Basic Editor).
Add a userform with menu Insert | UserForm

A toolbox will appear.  Click on an item such as a textbox.  Then click on the form and a textbox will appear.
In the lower left corner you should see a "Properties" window (or F4 to show it) which will let you change settings, like foreground color.

To do a quick test, make sure the form is selected (and the toolbox is showing) then press F5 (or menu Run | Run Sub/UserForm, or press the blue triangle in the toolbar under the menus)

Next, try to add a CommandButton from the toolbox.
Change the Caption to "Exit"
Double-click the button on the form to open the VBA code window and you'll see this:

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()

End Sub

in between, add: Unload Me:

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
    Unload Me
End Sub

Run the form and click the Exit button and it will close.

I'll leave you with that until you have more questions about this process, such as how to launch it from Excel.

thank you rspahitz! I will give it a try...tomorrow is my day off so I will get back to you on how it goes! zemaor

Hello rspahitz,
I have made the form as you suggested...this might work very well! can you tell me how to launch it?Thank you, zema!