The main advantage of data validation in Microsoft Excel is quick error free data entry.
How to implement data validation in Excel:
- Select a single Excel cell or range of cells
- Click Data on the menu bar and select validation
- From the dialog box under settings select 'Allow' Date.
- Under 'Data' select 'between'
- Under 'Start Date' define the start date, for example, 1-apr-2008
- Under 'End Date' define the end date, for example, 31-mar-2008
- Next click on 'input message', enter a title, for example, 'Date of joining'
- In the 'input message' area write an appropriate message for the data entry operator or user
- Finally select 'error message' and input an appropriate 'title' and an 'error message' if the data entry operator doesn't follow the data entry instructions. Now click 'OK' to complete the data validation process
- Now when you enter data in the Excel spreadsheet you can see the input message that you defined above
- If you do not follow the data input instructions you get the defined error message
- The Excel training video below shows the data validation in action.
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