Limiting what it displayed from drop down menu

[Orion96]

I can set up a drop down menu using validation just fine, but would like to
be able to show more information in the menu than is actually inserted into
the cell. Is there a way to make this happen?

Ex:

The information is a list of GL codes and what expenses they represent.
While I want the user to be able to see the GL code definition, I only want
the GL code number itself to display.

I threw this out to the best Excel developer I know and he is stumped. It
seems like this is not that unusual a need and should have a way to make it
happen. Any advice?

 

[David Cox]

and where and when do you want the GL definitions to be able to be seen?

 

[Orion96]

I want the GL definitions to be seen in the drop down menu when it is opened,
but not displayed in the cell itself once the appropriate GL number is
selected. In other words, the user needs to see the GL definition and may,
but does not have to, see the GL number itself. However, once clicking on the
correct GL definition/number, only the number (not the definition) should
display in the cell.

Is this more clear?

 

[paul]

your explanation isnt clear to me but maybe i can suggest two things which
may be of use
dependent lists,where information in one drop down will change in response
to a choice in another list.Some other info there too,like two words list etc
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal02.html
The other function whch may help is Vlookup where you can return information
from a table related to your "first" item....take a look at Vlookup in help

 

[Orion96]

OK, seems I am not making what I need to have happen clear. Let me try a
clear example:

When the drop down menu is opened, the user sees:

6001-00 Travel
6001-20 Cell Phone
6001-30 Entertainment
etc...

If the user wishes to assign the expense to "Travel" and clicks on it, I
want only the "6001-00" to appear in the cell, without the word Travel.

Dependant lists arent really the answer here, the goal is much simpler than
all of that, and from what I understand of it (admitedly not a deep
understanding) VLookup is not going to give me the result I am looking for
either.

Is there any way to assign the drop down list to the cell and simply limit
the number of charachters that can be displayed in that cell/column? It seems
that that might work, but both the list and limit are Validation commands and
seem to be on a "one or the other" basis.

My issue here is that this seems like a pretty simple need and one that
others HAVE to have had. Is there any way to make it happen. It's starting to
appear that the answer may be no.