input mask in excel?

[Andy]

Is it possible to create an input mask in excel similar to
that on an access form?

Thanks!

-Andy

 

[Harald Staff]

Hi Andy

Not really. You can do menu Data > Validation to restrict input /values/
into spreadsheet cells, but there's nothing for restricting input format.
This said, almost anything can be done with macros, and if you know VBA well
then programming a userform is an acceptable way to create "annoyingly
restricted entry procedures".
(... just kidding, those can be very helpful too if done right)

 

[Andy]

Right, that is what I thought....going to the format menu
and clicking on category and type changes the format, but
not the way that the data is entered....
Guess they will just have to remember to enter dates as
mm/dd/yyyy!

-Andy

 

[Harald Staff]

Dates are dates. You can enter them in alomst all common ways. mm/dd or
dd/mm for entry is decided by the computer's regional settings, not by
different cell formattings. But once Excel understands it's a date then a
date it is and it transports well between different systems without changes.

 

[Ken]

AT worst you could add comments to the cell that specify the format ie.

Enter in dd/mm/yyyy format,

so that when the cell is entered the comment shows

Ken