excel help...

[builder22]

might not be using the proper terms here but I want to be able to select from a drop down list in one cell then it populates another cell with a linked value, have a few uses for this but one example is...

the main list is different materials and the linked cell is supplier...so I have a list in column A of the different materials with the relevant supplier in column B, have those 2 columns formatted as a table.
I know how to select a cell where I want the drop down list by going Data Validation/Allow-List/select source, which lets you select from the 'materials' column...but how would I have another (adjacent or any) cell fill with the linked 'supplier' column in the table?

 

[1nsignia]

I would just use a formula for what I think you are trying to do. If you have a table of materials and its suppliers, and in another table, you want to show the supplier for the material you have entered, try something like this:

=LOOKUP(G2, $A$2:$A$10, $B$2:$B$10)

G2 would be the cell with the meterial for which you want the supplier. $A$2:$A$10 is the range that contains meterials, while $B$2:$B$10 contains suppliers. Just change the number values based on how short/long the table is. The $ is so the range doesn't change when filling the formula to other cells (using absolute cell reference rather than relative).

 

[builder22]

thanks...I found A solution using VLOOKUP...sure there's other ways...might make more sense now...

I've made a list of materials/suppliers then formatted as table, named that table 'materialslist'
say I want the Materials to be in cell A1 then the Suppliers to auto populate in B1...
I have the drop down list in A1 (data validation/allow-list, the source is the materials column of the 'materialslist' table)
then to get the suppliers showing in B1 I have =VLOOKUP(A1,materialslist,2,FALSE)