Managed to get a wider-than-column dropdown list, but can't reproduce how ...

[pwhooftman]

Hi,

Somehow i have managed to achieve what i thought was impossible: get a drop-down list with data validation that is wider than the column. See attachment.

Now i'm trying to reproduce this much wanted behaviour, but it puzzles me how this happened. Any new data validation i define always lead to drop-down listst the width of the column.
I have been able to determine that this behaviour is tied to the specific worksheet. Defining this exact data validation in other cells on the same sheet lead to the wide dropdown list, defining on an other sheet leads to the default behaviour (drop down list with width of the column).
The sheet does not have any VBA in it.
Copying and pasting the formatting of the cell to other sheets does'nt work.
Redefining the name range on which the data validation makes the drop-down list revert to normal column-width.

Posting a sample file won't work; i can't reproduce the behavoiur & the original file contains my private salary information...

any ideas?

[davesexcel]

I am sure the jpg you have presented is from a combobox from the controls toolbar not from data validation

if you produced the combobox from the controls toolbar........then
you can set the width by going to properties, then go to listwidth set the width according to what you want like 200 or something like that

[pwhooftman]

I am sure the jpg you have presented is from a combobox from the controls toolbar not from data validation

if you produced the combobox from the controls toolbar........then
you can set the width by going to properties, then go to listwidth set the width according to what you want like 200 or something like that

Thanks for your reply.
I understand that this is your reply (it's the only way i know how to achieve such a wide drop-down list through regular Excel funtionality), but i assure you it isn't a combo box. I didn't define a combo box myself, and also, if i delete and recreate the name range on which the data validation is based, the drop down box returns to normal column width. A combo box wouldn't do that.
It seems like a quirck in the workbook file itself, on an other sheet, deleting a pivot table crashes Excel. Now if i only could reproduce this quirck

[davesexcel]

That is a good question, I can't wait to see an answer on that one myself

[pwhooftman]

I have determined that the zoom factor has influence on the width of the pop-up column. At 50%, the pop-up validation list is two columns wide, at 25%, the pop up column is almost 4 columns wide...

It still doesnt explain why the pop-up was wider in my original attachment (where zoom was at 100% ...), but i'll keep tinkering with it (or maybe i'll start working with 50% zoom level and buy glasses )

[davesexcel]

I have determined that the zoom factor has influence on the width of the pop-up column. At 50%, the pop-up validation list is two columns wide, at 25%, the pop up column is almost 4 columns wide...

It still doesnt explain why the pop-up was wider in my original attachment (where zoom was at 100% ...), but i'll keep tinkering with it (or maybe i'll start working with 50% zoom level and buy glasses )

I don't agree,
I am still sure it is the combo from control tool bar.

Anyway good luck with that

[pwhooftman]

Hi Dave,

I have attached a sample sheet to illustrate the different behaviour that occurs with data validation & combo boxes when the zoom factor is changed. Note that the como box lists stay the same width when scaled down to 50%, but the data validation gets wider.

Also note that a combo box shows a down arrow in the cell, even if the cell is not selected. In my original sheet (with the wide drop-down list) , there wasn't an arrow visible until the cell was selected.

Greetings from Pieter