Question

I’m trying to set list validation for a cell based on the contents of another cell, using a named range that matches the contents of a cell on my data entry sheet to a range on the Validation sheet (see this SO question). The named range’s formula is:

=OFFSET(validation!$B$1,MATCH(INDIRECT(ADDRESS(CELL("row"),CELL("col")-2)),validation!$A:$A,0)-1,0,COUNTIF(validation!$A:$A,INDIRECT(ADDRESS(CELL("row"),CELL("col")-2))),1)

The problem is that if the cell referred to by ADDRESS(CELL("row"),CELL("col")-2) is empty, setting the validation with VBA using Range.Validation.Add gives an error:

Application-defined or object-defined error

and then it doesn’t add the validation to the cell. Is there any kind of error handling I can do on the Validation.Add call to make sure the validation gets set? Or a way to modify the named range formula so that it outputs a value even if the contents of ADDRESS(CELL("row"),CELL("col")-2) don’t return a match on the validation sheet?

Answer 1

As a work around try this:

1. Modify the ValList named range to refer to a simple range.
2. Set the validation.
3. Restore ‘ValList` to the original reference.

A bit clunky, but it seems to work.

Sub SetVal()
    Dim s As String

    s = ActiveWorkbook.Names("ValList").RefersTo
    ActiveWorkbook.Names("ValList").RefersTo = "=UserEntry!$A$3:$A$6"

    With Selection.Validation
        .Delete
        .Add Type:=xlValidateList, AlertStyle:=xlValidAlertStop, Operator:=xlBetween, Formula1:="=ValList"
        .IgnoreBlank = True
        .InCellDropdown = True
        .InputTitle = ""
        .ErrorTitle = ""
        .InputMessage = ""
        .ErrorMessage = ""
        .ShowInput = True
        .ShowError = True
    End With

    ThisWorkbook.Names("ValList").RefersTo = s
End Sub