Mar 28, 2018 - I wanted the textbox to autocomplete if there was a match to a list. Demonstration, I'm going to match to a list of random sentences in a listbox.
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Excel offers tools and characteristics that make it an ideal platform for you to create data entry forms. One such feature is form controls, which allow you to enhance user forms with objects such as lists. Combo boxes are one type of list. They incorporate aspects of both drop-down lists and text boxes so that users can start typing a word and Excel will automatically complete it based on the combo box's properties.
![Excel Excel](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125844712/761944573.jpg)
Type the list you want the combo box to use to auto-complete entries somewhere on your worksheet. Choose an area of the spreadsheet that you don't plan to use and type one list item into each cell in one column. For instance, you might enter list items in cells P40 through P50.
2.Open the Forms toolbar. Go to the 'View' menu, point to 'Toolbars' and select 'Forms.' Click on the 'Combo Box' button on the toolbar.
3.Draw the combo box onto the spreadsheet by clicking the mouse button and dragging it into the shape and size you want. Move the combo box by clicking on it and dragging it if desired. Right-click the combo box and choose 'Format Control' to open the Format Control dialog box.
4.Click inside the 'Input Range' box on the Control tab. Scroll down to the list you created on the spreadsheet and select those cells by clicking and dragging your mouse over them. This enters the cell range into the Format Control dialog box.
5.Type the cell that you want the combo box linked to into the 'Cell Link' box, such as 'F2.' This is where the auto-complete entry will appear. Click 'OK' to apply the formatting and add the combo box to your worksheet.
![Listbox Listbox](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/j3FMEDNgLmM/0.jpg)
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About the Author
Tricia Goss' credits include Fitness Plus, Good News Tucson and Layover Magazine. She is certified in Microsoft application and served as the newsletter editor for OfficeUsers.org. She has also contributed to The Dollar Stretcher, Life Tips and Childcare Magazine.
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Goss, Tricia. 'How to Use Auto Complete in a Combo Box in Excel 2003.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/use-auto-complete-combo-box-excel-2003-42641.html. Accessed 14 September 2019.
Goss, Tricia. (n.d.). How to Use Auto Complete in a Combo Box in Excel 2003. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/use-auto-complete-combo-box-excel-2003-42641.html
Goss, Tricia. 'How to Use Auto Complete in a Combo Box in Excel 2003' accessed September 14, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/use-auto-complete-combo-box-excel-2003-42641.html
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