Summary

In this chapter, you learned how to use Data Validation to limit users’ responses within specific worksheet cells. The default rules you can establish include Whole Number, Decimal, List, Date, Time, and Text length. As you saw, you can also create custom rules to establish any sort of limit that you may need.

Data Validation is an imperfect feature that users can bypass by pasting data into cells that contain validation rules. Furthermore, any data that is already in cells that you apply Data Validation to is exempted from the rules. Fortunately, you can audit Data Validation entries by having Excel draw red circles around the invalid inputs.

Finally, you saw that Form Controls offer an alternative to Data Validation that creates restrictions that users cannot bypass by pasting data. In short, Data Validation and Form Controls are all about adding interactivity to spreadsheets.

In the following chapter, you’ll see how you can use What-If Analysis tools...