Validate Your Data as You Enter It

You can use the Validation command (Data menu) to help improve the speed and accuracy of data entry. With validation, you can:

• Restrict entries to specified ranges, including whole and decimal numbers, times, and dates.

• Display within cells drop-down lists of possible entries that you provide.

• Limit the number of characters in cells.

• Display helpful messages automatically when cells are selected, or display error messages when improper entries are made.

All these capabilities can be implemented directly on the worksheet, without programming.

Next Steps