12 years on, and there is still no analogue for Excel's Data Validation drop down menu.
The best I've come up with is to use numerical values to then VLOOKUP the actual value I need in another table. This is terribly clunky and makes no sense to anyone else using the spreadsheet.
Does anyone have a solution?
I have logged a feature request with Apple.
It is literally the ONLY reason I use Excel these days.
For non-static tables you can create a new pop-up when items are added/removed/reordered. It just isn't automatic. If your list isn't changing too often, this isn't too awful.
If the items are in a column in a table (like they would be for Excel's data validation),
The main difference (and it can be an important one) is that any old popups that you do not overwrite with the new one will remain as they were with the old set of items. With Excel's data validation, all cells that use the same validation get the updated list.
I usually include a "blank" row as one of my items, one with something like "---" or a space or "None" in it and use that one when I copy the popup.
For non-static tables you can create a new pop-up when items are added/removed/reordered. It just isn't automatic. If your list isn't changing too often, this isn't too awful.
If the items are in a column in a table (like they would be for Excel's data validation),
The main difference (and it can be an important one) is that any old popups that you do not overwrite with the new one will remain as they were with the old set of items. With Excel's data validation, all cells that use the same validation get the updated list.
I usually include a "blank" row as one of my items, one with something like "---" or a space or "None" in it and use that one when I copy the popup.
Numbers pop-up menus are well suited for lists that are static. I assume your list is not static, that items change or the list continually grows or the order changes or something like that? It is doubtful there is a good solution if that is the case but I am guessing at your situation.
It's not a static list as it is added to over time.
I find it strange that Apple hasn't included this very small ability. But then, it did take all this time to implement pivot tables.
Data Validation analogue
