Assigning numeric values to drop down menu options

I want to assign a unique numeric value to each of the options in a drop down menu column, and have that numeric value display in an adjacent cell.

Drop down menu options in each cell are:

Needs Contributor

Contributor Reviewing

Ready for Production

If 'Needs Contributor,' is chosen, then adjacent cell is populated '1'

If 'Contributor Reviewing,' is chosen, then adjacent cell is populated '2'

If 'Ready for Production,' is chosen, then adjacent cell is populated '3'

Is there a formula for this kind of thing?

Thanks.

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Mike Wilday

Yes, absolutely! Try this IF statement in the column you created adjacent to the dropdown. Be sure to update Dropdown Column Name with your actual Dropdown column name.

=IF([Dropdown Column Name]@row = "Needs Contributor", 1, IF([Dropdown Column Name]@row = "Contributor Reviewing", 2, IF([Dropdown Column Name]@row = "Ready for Production", 3)))

jtlsf1

Thanks Mike for responding, I appreciate it. It worked! Then I added a few more options, and expanded the formula you provided, but I must be doing something wrong because I get the #UNPARSEABLE message. This is what I entered:

=IF([Content Status]@row = “MVP Content", 1, IF([Content Status]@row = "Needs Contributor", 2, IF([Content Status]@row = "Contributor Reviewing", 3, IF([Content Status]@row = "Ready for Production", 4, IF([Content Status]@row = "Ready for Contentful", 5, IF([Content Status]@row = "Posted in Contentful", 6)))

Do I need to add more closed parentheses at the end? I tried that and it didn't seem to work.

Andrée Starå

Hi,

There was an error with one (the first one) of the " was “. Easy to miss! How did you edit the formula?

The closing parenthesis will correct itself for this formula.

Try this one.

=IF([Content Status]@row = "MVP Content", 1, IF([Content Status]@row = "Needs Contributor", 2, IF([Content Status]@row = "Contributor Reviewing", 3, IF([Content Status]@row = "Ready for Production", 4, IF([Content Status]@row = "Ready for Contentful", 5, IF([Content Status]@row = "Posted in Contentful", 6)))

Hope that helps!

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

Debbie Sawyer

Still need a further 3 ))) at the end of this example!

Mike Wilday

Upon review, yes you need more closing parenthesis. Its kind of tedious to count them out but you have to one for each IF( statement. Smartsheet has a little known helper though. If you delete all of the closing parenthesis at the end of your formula, it will add them for you! Give it a try.

Mike Wilday

Ah yes, Andree pointed out the first quotation mark is a slanted quotation mark. if you try to edit your formulas in a word processor it will substitute a smart quote for a regular quote. Always use wordpad or another Simple Text tool like notepad++ or Atom for Mac to edit and compose your formulas.

Kazarenko

There is a much simpler (and easier to maintain if your list gets longer) way to do this. If you can number your items in the dropdown list to:

Needs Contributor
Contributor Reviewing
Ready for Production
Ready for Contentful
Posted in Contentful

then the formula can be simplified to :

=LEFT([Content Status]@row, 1)

This just takes the first character of the dropdown and means you won't lose count of those ))))))

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