Getting "like named" products to populate from drop down list

If I have products with the same name in a drop down menu, how can I get their corresponding values to auto populate. If I choose a product that has the same name within the drop down list, it will only return the values of the first listed.

Example: If the first "copper necklace" is chosen from the drop down list it will return, 5 and 2. If the second "copper necklace" is chosen it returns the same values even though the second copper necklace has values of 7,5,7?

Your problem is that you are using 2 incompatible concepts.

You have an in-cell list to select your objects. This simply returns text, not "which text". So if you have 2 items exactly the same (which you do), there is no way of telling "which text" you selected.

You are then using a vlookup on the text you have selected, and vlookup simply stops at the first occurance of the text it is looking for.

so bottom line, this will never work.

So you need a way to work out "which text" you have selected.

The solution is to use the more advanced "forms combo box" rather than in line text.

Open the forms tool bar and select the combo box. Draw a combo box on the page. If you hold down Alt when drawing, you can restrict the box so that it fits exactly in a cell border.

Double click the combo box and fill in the detail.

This will return a reference to "which text" you select into a cell. From here you can use Index to find the values.

See my attached sample.

Regards

Mallycat

Hello ssa9320,

It is a little bit difficult for the user to have to scroll through choices of the same name. Why not make the names unique? You could add a number to the end of each item, e.g. "Necklace 1", "Necklace 2".

Sincerely,
Leith Ross

Thanks, good solutions. Much appreciated.