Problems With a Searchable Inventory Worksheet

[mmcap]

I have tried looking in past entries and in excel help but I can’t seem to
find the answers I am looking for. This is what I am trying to accomplish.
I am trying to put together a searchable tool inventory. There are over 200
boxes of tools and many tools inside each box. I would like to put the tool#
that I am searching for in cells B3-B12 and have the box# that the tool is
in show up in C3-C12. Now here is another problem. I also would like to be
able to click on the box# in C3-C12 and have it open up to the RIGHT like a
drop box so I can see all of the tools in that box.
1 A B C D E F
2 TOOL# BOX#
3 Search for tool #
4 Search for tool #
5 Search for tool #
6 Search for tool #
7 Search for tool #
8 Search for tool #
9 Search for tool #
10 Search for tool #
11 Search for tool #
12 Search for tool #
13 tool# tool# tool#
14 BOX 1 t1 t2 t3
15 BOX 2 t4 t5 t6
16 BOX 3 t7 t8 t9
17 BOX 4 t10 t11 t12

 

[Duke Carey]

Take a look at

http://contextures.com/xlDataVal02.html

It may give you a better approach to what you are trying to do

 

[NoodNutt]

try Debra Dalgliesh's website

http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal13.html

HTH
Mark.

 

[Sheeloo]

Are the box numbers sequential from 1 to say 200? Can you give a few sample
box numbers?

Also is there a limit to the number of tools in a box? Do the tools have
names or numbers? A few sample pl.

How about a matrix with box numbers down the row and tool numbers across
column and having an X or YES if the tool is there in the box?

Yes, you can build two drop boxes such that if you choose the box you can
see the tool list for that box in the adjacent col...
For details refer to http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal02.html

 

[mmcap]

I haven’t had much free time so it has taken me a while to look through and
attempt to digest the information. I think one of the answers is VLOOKUP it
sounds like it is supposed to do what I am looking for but I’m having a
little difficulty understanding why it always returns the bottom cell for the
column that is in the formula. Suppose range C14:F17 is named “boxes†and
“t2†is in cell B3. Shouldn’t this formula =VLOOKUP(B3,boxes,1)return “BOX1â€
since “BOX1†is the first column in the row that has the match with B3? You
can also look at the example that I pasted if you like.