<div>
Would you be fine with space or you want to consider that as invalid too??<br />
<br />
Saurabh...
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<div>
Wow! Such a quick response - thank you! <br />
<br />
Yes - in this instance, a space is a valid character. <br />
<br />
I am essentially checking column names against a naming standard that only allows that list of characters - anything outside would be considered a violation.
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<div>
How/when do you want the validation to take place?
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<div>
I was hoping the user could interact with it as they do with any other formula, and received immediate feedback. <br />
<br />
Another approach I'm looking at is seeing if I can import my VBA code from Access as a function in Excel. VBA has that InStr function that would quite well when I loop through each character in the column.
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<div>
You could use Data Validation. Under the Data tab, select Data Validation. Under Settings - Allowed, select Custom. Under Formula, enter this:<br />
<br />
=ISNUMBER(SUMPRODUCT(SEARC<wbr />H(MID(A1,R<wbr />OW(INDIREC<wbr />T(&quot;1:&quot;&amp;LEN<wbr />(A1))),1),<wbr />&quot;abcdefghi<wbr />jklmnopqrs<wbr />tuvwxyzABC<wbr />DEFGHIJKLM<wbr />NOPQRSTUVW<wbr />XYZ0123456<wbr />789&quot;)))<br />
<br />
Under the Error Alert tab, set the error message you want to appear. You can define this in one cell and paste it to the rest that you need. Do this by copying the defined cell, highlight all cells that you want validated, right-click one of those cells and select Paste Special-Validation<br />
<br />
Flyster
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<div>
Hi, <br />
<br />
Here is one way to do it. <br />
<br />
attached please find an example. if you write characters which is not in your list in range (A1:G100) &nbsp;it will pop ups invalid message. <br />
<br />
Note: you can change the range to much your range. or change the range to (&quot;A:A&quot;) if you want to block the whole sheet.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<a href="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2015/11_w49/1045223/Invalid-Char.xlsb" target="_blank" class="file-inline" title="Invalid-Char.xlsb (19 KB)"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512"><path d="M67.508 468.467c-58.005-58.013-58.016-151.92 0-209.943l225.011-225.04c44.643-44.645 117.279-44.645 161.92 0 44.743 44.749 44.753 117.186 0 161.944l-189.465 189.49c-31.41 31.413-82.518 31.412-113.926.001-31.479-31.482-31.49-82.453 0-113.944L311.51 110.491c4.687-4.687 12.286-4.687 16.972 0l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.685 12.283 0 16.969L184.983 304.917c-12.724 12.724-12.73 33.328 0 46.058 12.696 12.697 33.356 12.699 46.054-.001l189.465-189.489c25.987-25.989 25.994-68.06.001-94.056-25.931-25.934-68.119-25.932-94.049 0l-225.01 225.039c-39.249 39.252-39.258 102.795-.001 142.057 39.285 39.29 102.885 39.287 142.162-.028A739446.174 739446.174 0 0 1 439.497 238.49c4.686-4.687 12.282-4.684 16.969.004l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.689 12.279.004 16.965a755654.128 755654.128 0 0 0-195.881 195.996c-58.034 58.092-152.004 58.093-210.048.041z"/></svg>Invalid-Char.xlsb</a>
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Invalid-Char.xlsb

<div>
See attached. Cell A1 has Data Validation<br />
<a href="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2015/11_w49/1045263/Validation.xlsx" target="_blank" class="file-inline" title="Data Validation (16 KB)"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512"><path d="M67.508 468.467c-58.005-58.013-58.016-151.92 0-209.943l225.011-225.04c44.643-44.645 117.279-44.645 161.92 0 44.743 44.749 44.753 117.186 0 161.944l-189.465 189.49c-31.41 31.413-82.518 31.412-113.926.001-31.479-31.482-31.49-82.453 0-113.944L311.51 110.491c4.687-4.687 12.286-4.687 16.972 0l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.685 12.283 0 16.969L184.983 304.917c-12.724 12.724-12.73 33.328 0 46.058 12.696 12.697 33.356 12.699 46.054-.001l189.465-189.489c25.987-25.989 25.994-68.06.001-94.056-25.931-25.934-68.119-25.932-94.049 0l-225.01 225.039c-39.249 39.252-39.258 102.795-.001 142.057 39.285 39.29 102.885 39.287 142.162-.028A739446.174 739446.174 0 0 1 439.497 238.49c4.686-4.687 12.282-4.684 16.969.004l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.689 12.279.004 16.965a755654.128 755654.128 0 0 0-195.881 195.996c-58.034 58.092-152.004 58.093-210.048.041z"/></svg>Validation.xlsx</a>
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Validation.xlsx

<div>
Hi, <br />
<br />
I attached a revised file as you wanted the space to be valid character.<br />
<a href="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2015/11_w49/1045341/Invalid-Char.xlsb" target="_blank" class="file-inline" title="Invalid-Char.xlsb (19 KB)"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512"><path d="M67.508 468.467c-58.005-58.013-58.016-151.92 0-209.943l225.011-225.04c44.643-44.645 117.279-44.645 161.92 0 44.743 44.749 44.753 117.186 0 161.944l-189.465 189.49c-31.41 31.413-82.518 31.412-113.926.001-31.479-31.482-31.49-82.453 0-113.944L311.51 110.491c4.687-4.687 12.286-4.687 16.972 0l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.685 12.283 0 16.969L184.983 304.917c-12.724 12.724-12.73 33.328 0 46.058 12.696 12.697 33.356 12.699 46.054-.001l189.465-189.489c25.987-25.989 25.994-68.06.001-94.056-25.931-25.934-68.119-25.932-94.049 0l-225.01 225.039c-39.249 39.252-39.258 102.795-.001 142.057 39.285 39.29 102.885 39.287 142.162-.028A739446.174 739446.174 0 0 1 439.497 238.49c4.686-4.687 12.282-4.684 16.969.004l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.689 12.279.004 16.965a755654.128 755654.128 0 0 0-195.881 195.996c-58.034 58.092-152.004 58.093-210.048.041z"/></svg>Invalid-Char.xlsb</a>
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<div>
FWIW a UDF would be pretty simple:<br />
<br />

<pre><code class="code-1 nolinks" id="code-20-41347607-1"><span>Function IsValid(sText As String) As Boolean</span>
<span>    IsValid = Not VBA.UCase$(sText) Like &quot;*[! A-Z0-9]*&quot;</span>
<span>End Function</span>
</code></pre>
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<div>
1+ Flyster<br />
<br />
your solution is robust. &nbsp;i added the space into the formula to allow any possible space.<br />
<a href="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2015/12_w49/1048392/Data-Validation.xlsx" target="_blank" class="file-inline" title="Data-Validation.xlsx (10 KB)"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512"><path d="M67.508 468.467c-58.005-58.013-58.016-151.92 0-209.943l225.011-225.04c44.643-44.645 117.279-44.645 161.92 0 44.743 44.749 44.753 117.186 0 161.944l-189.465 189.49c-31.41 31.413-82.518 31.412-113.926.001-31.479-31.482-31.49-82.453 0-113.944L311.51 110.491c4.687-4.687 12.286-4.687 16.972 0l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.685 12.283 0 16.969L184.983 304.917c-12.724 12.724-12.73 33.328 0 46.058 12.696 12.697 33.356 12.699 46.054-.001l189.465-189.489c25.987-25.989 25.994-68.06.001-94.056-25.931-25.934-68.119-25.932-94.049 0l-225.01 225.039c-39.249 39.252-39.258 102.795-.001 142.057 39.285 39.29 102.885 39.287 142.162-.028A739446.174 739446.174 0 0 1 439.497 238.49c4.686-4.687 12.282-4.684 16.969.004l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.689 12.279.004 16.965a755654.128 755654.128 0 0 0-195.881 195.996c-58.034 58.092-152.004 58.093-210.048.041z"/></svg>Data-Validation.xlsx</a>
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Data-Validation.xlsx

<div>
Thank you very much for the assurance. I found a link that details the steps required to add a VBA Procedure as a function: <br />
<br />
<a href="https://support.office.com/en-in/article/Create-Custom-Functions-in-Excel-2007-2f06c10b-3622-40d6-a1b2-b6748ae8231f" rel="ugc">https://support.office.com/en-in/article/Create-Custom-Functions-in-Excel-2007-2f06c10b-3622-40d6-a1b2-b6748ae8231f</a><br />
<br />
There are a few tweaks I need to do - but I think I have the core requirement satisfied. <br />
<br />
Thanks to all for your great suggestion!
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<div>
<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
Hi Folks - <br />
<br />
I am looking for a way to validate text strings against just this list of values: &quot;&nbsp;abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz<wbr />ABCDEFGHIJ<wbr />KLMNOPQRST<wbr />UVWXYZ0123<wbr />456789&quot;. Any characters outside of this list would indicate unwanted characters, either by raising an error or somehow indicating unwanted characters such as : (&amp;,%,$,-,!) and so on. <br />
<br />
I seek to create a method for end users to replicate the validation in Excel that I have created in Oracle and MS-Access. <br />
<br />
Any thoughts about how to approach this challenge? <br />
<br />
Thanking all of you in advance, <br />
<br />
Mike
</div>
</div>


Hi Folks - 

I am looking for a way to validate text strings against just this list of values: " abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789". Any characters outside of this list would indicate unwanted characters, either by raising an error or somehow indicating unwanted characters such as : (&,%,$,-,!) and so on. 

I seek to create a method for end users to replicate the validation in Excel that I have created in Oracle and MS-Access. 

Any thoughts about how to approach this challenge? 

Thanking all of you in advance, 

Mike

Excel - validate text in the list (&quot; abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789&quot;)

Microsoft Excel topics include formulas, formatting, VBA macros and user-defined functions, and everything else related to the spreadsheet user interface, including error messages.

Microsoft Excel

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) enables building user-defined functions (UDFs), automating processes and accessing Windows API and other low-level functionality through dynamic-link libraries (DLLs). VBA is closely related to Visual Basic and uses the Visual Basic Runtime Library, but it can normally only run code within a host application rather than as a standalone program. It can, however, be used to control one application from another via OLE Automation. VBA is built into most Microsoft Office applications.

Excel - validate text in the list (&quot; abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789&quot;)

Excel - validate text in the list (" abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789")