How can I control cell movement with the Tab key?

[Bojo]

I'm using Excel 2003
I've created a spredsheet and can't seem to figure out how to control the
movement of the Tab key. What I'm trying to accomplish is to be able to use
the Tab key to move from the cells that need to ahve data entered into them
without having to go all over the spreadsheet.

Yes I know I can just click in the required cells, but I'm trying to make
this as simple as possible for other users to be able to use while they are
inputting information.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[David Billigmeier]

2 ways:

1) you can just select the area you want to enter information in, then when
you press tab it will cycle through only that selection.

2) you can lock the cells you don't want information to be entered in
(Format->Cells->Protection tab->Select 'Locked'). Then go to
Tools->Protection->Protect sheet and uncheck "Select locked cells"

Regards,
Dave

 

[sLynetta]

This was helpful for me too.

But how do you then control the order of cells when using your tab key to
navigate the final form? I created a worksheet. Made it so you can only
navigate to selected cells. Now I want to be able to control the direction of
the cells when a user uses the tab key to navigate.

Can you help?

slynetta

 

[Bojo]

David thanks for trying to help me here.

I'm not sure that I either didn't explain myself well enogh or, I'm not
understanding your instructions well enogh.

To try and carify it; I created the form in Excel and I want other employees
to be able to open it and enter data to a set of predetermened cells. I want
them to be able to just enter data in those cells ONLY and either cycle
through them with the Tab or Enter key to get to the next predetermened cell
untill they get all the way through the form.

I read through your instructions and either am missing something in
interpretation or just am not getting it correctly. I believe I tried to
follow what you had entered previously but couldn't quite get it to perform
the way I'd like it to?

If I Tab through the cells that I want to have the data only entered in and
hold down the Ctrl key at the same time, it will highlight just those
particular cells and then if I resave the spreadsheet it comes up with those
cells that will work to tab through in the correct way that I'm trying to set
it up, however if I then happen to click outside of one of those cells by
hitting the "down arrow" key, it will jump outside of the predetermined cells
and then not have the Tabbed settings working properly in longer.

I'm not sure if you understand that or not?

Thanks again for any help you can give.

 

[Ken Johnson]

slynetta,
I found this interesting too.
Tab moves selection right, shift+tab left, enter down and shift+enter
up.
Ken Johnson