Custom Properties dropdown

**bzl** · 02-23-2013, 06:17 AM

Hi, Could someone please explain and give an example of why you would use the Custom Properties dropdown. Thanks

**Richard Buttrey** · 02-23-2013, 06:47 AM

Hi,

It's only different in that you don't see the drop down arrow, which may be somewhat confusing.

Suppose you wanted to only allow an entry if A1 contained the value "January" then you'd use
=A1="January"

or if an entry was only permitted if A1:A10 totalled more than 100
=SUM(A1:A10)>100

**bzl** · 02-23-2013, 07:06 AM

sorry for my ignorance, I don't understand your reply. I am referring to the File, Properties, Custom Tab..I have never used this feature before.

**Richard Buttrey** · 02-23-2013, 10:49 AM

Hi,

You didn't mention File Properties in your original, and because you used the words 'drop down' I naturally assumed you were referring to the cells Data Validation drop down functionality.

But in answer to your Q. Rather as the words imply it's where you can record various information about the file. It's nothing to do with Excel functionality in the sense that it 'does things' other than record information.

**bzl** · 02-23-2013, 04:43 PM

Hi, sorry for not mentioning File Properties first up....you say it "does things"... what do you mean?. I have checked the net for how to use this feature but cannot find anything. I need an actual example.

**shg** · 02-23-2013, 05:16 PM

I don't use custom doc properties in Excel, but do all the time in Word. For proposals, I create properties named 0Buyer, 0Scope, 0SubmDate, ... that get used in fields on the title page and header. (The leading 0 to to get them to appear at the top of the properties lists, which is alphabetical.)

**Richard Buttrey** · 02-23-2013, 05:18 PM

No, I specifically said it DOESN'T do things - not in the way you may have been thinking. i.e. it's not an Excel function.

Why don't you select
File...Properties

enter something in the Summary or Custom tab and save the file. If you then right click on the file name in Windows Explorer and select properties and you'll see the text of any information you stored with the file. And of course if you re-open the file the information you stored within it is still there.

At the end of the day it's just information or comments about the workbook much as cell Comments are information about a specific cell.