Create empty drop down that can be filled later?

[CuriousSoul]

Hi Everyone ,

This is my first post here. I am very fond of excel as a program, but not very smart with it.

I am trying to create an Accountability chart for myself. On one column, I have the information and on the next column, I want to create a drop down menu with blank portions in it that I can fill with information.

Can this be done? I do not want to click pre-fixed answers. I want to fill in/write information as it pertains to that particular situation.

For example: Column B: 9.00 AM
Column C: Empty drop down box with five empty spaces that I can fill, based on what I actually did at 9.00 AM.

Would truly appreciate any help in this regard! (As I don't know the intricacies of the program, hope I am not asking for the moon.)

Thanks!

[Richard Buttrey]

Hi,

Drop down boxes are used for selecting pre-determined entries - which is not what you want.
Cells are a single empty space but you can enter as much text as you want, (well not strictly true since there are limits on the number of characters but almost certainly enough for what you want if I understand your request correctly.

Regards,

[CuriousSoul]

Hi Richard,

Thanks a lot for taking time to reply!

Was hoping to keep my charts a little clean.

BTW, if it is not too much of a bother, can we also create tree structures in excel? I suppose that would be the next logical attempt for what I am trying to build.

Regards,
CuriousSoul

[Richard Buttrey]

Hi,

It's the nature of Excel that most of your design will need to fit into the cell matrix. You can no doubt mimic a tree structure using cells in adjacent columns and / or rows but you may find that setting row heights or column widths for some of your tree will spoil other parts of the tree structure.

I see that you have Excel 2007. Have you looked at the Smart Art graphics. There's a section in there specifically for hierarchies, (trees by any other name). Unless you need the tree structure to contain calculations/formulae (in which case you would need to use cells), you may find that this is more use to you.

Regards