Using Drop-Down List in the Invoice Template

With drop-down lists there is no need to enter the same values manually time and again, and you are sure that the spelling is right. Excel Invoice Manager, the billing software/invoice software based on Excel invoice templates, is built with flexibility in mind, allowing you to utilize all the powerful features provided by Microsoft Excel - drop-down list is just one of them.

For example, if you sell products only in certain countries, you may like to create a drop-list for the Country cell of the Bill To section. Or, if you use a Model custom field to describe the model of the products on the invoice body, and the value of the Model field is limited to a fixed list, you may want to be able to select from a drop-down list, instead of typing in the model values manually.

In this tutorial, we will look at how to create a drop-list for the Country cell of the Bill To section.

1. Copy the standard invoice template (INVOICE.xls) in the installation folder of Excel Invoice Manager, or copy your customized version of the invoice template. Name the new template DropdownInvoice.xls.
2. Open the DropdownInvoice.xls template in Microsoft Excel.
3. Unprotect the Invoice worksheet by clicking Excel menu Tools -> Protection -> Unprotect Sheet.
4. Switch the invoice template into design mode by clicking the Design Mode button on the Control Toolbox toolbar. If the Control Toolbox toolbar is not displayed, click Excel menu View -> Toolbars -> Control Toolbox.
   

   In design mode, Excel Invoice Manager does not react to the click events on the ActiveX objects, allowing you to move, resize, add or delete ActiveX objects in the invoice template.

5. Click and select the Country cell in the Bill To section.

   Tip: In fact, you can create drop-down lists for a range of cells. All you need to do is selecting the range that is to contain the drop-down list box - this may be either a single cell or a larger range

6. Click the Data menu and select Validation.
7. Using the Source box either enter the country list, or refer to a range. If you enter a country list, separate items with commas, such as "United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada" (without the quotation marks).
8. If the list is very long, you may like to refer to a range that contains your list items. In this case, you can choose an empty area of the template, such as column Z of Invoice worksheet, and type the entries you want to see in the drop-down list. After that, enter the range address in the Source box of the Validation window, such as "=$Z$12:$Z$20".
9. When finishing your customization work, exit design mode and protect the worksheet again.
10. For more information about customizing the template, please see Customizing the Invoice Template.