Multiple Drop Down Menus in one column

surveys

I sent this to Smart Sheet via Twitter yesterday:

"I need to set up a template document which will have A. Description Column (permanent), B. Drop Down Selection (each line requires different drop down), C. Measurement column (manual input), D. Notes column. I will require to copy this document for each individual project, select the drop downs relevant to that project and input the data. This may have to be done 100 - 200 times a year, so you see why I am trying to find a solution."

This is the response that I received from Smart Sheet this morning:

"If the available dropdown options in rows need to be different then we would typically suggest that they are split out into different columns or different sheets (and then group the sheets together in a report).

To discuss this in greater detail and check if there are any other options that might fit your business use case, you may wish to ask the question on our Community page here: https://t.co/ezprLDhXPj"

Has anyone tried to do something similar on Smart Sheet?

Paul Newcome

Are you able to provide some screenshots with manually entered data and more details regarding the expected operation of this dropdown column?

surveys

This is just a simple example:

I would like to create a template doc containing manual entries (blue cells) as well as drop down options (grey cells) in one column. Each drop down will only be required once/twice in the sheet. I would like all the white (permanent) cells to be in the first column, and the manual and dropdown entries in the second column. A third column for notes would be handy.

This an example of the types of dropdown entries that I would require.

Thanks

surveys

Another example:

One dropdown would include all these options, which will only be selected once in a project.

Paul Newcome

Are you looking to have one set of options in (for example) Column C row 1 and a different set of options in Column C row 2?

surveys

yes, exactly.

Paul Newcome

For something like that you would definitely need to use separate columns for each set of dropdown options as those are set at the column level and not the row level.

My personal suggestion would be to turn your rows into columns. Then you can have those unique dropdown options for each piece. It will also make it easier to gather metrics on multiple submissions if you were wanting to eventually go that route.

surveys

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/314255#Comment_314255

Thanks,

I have altered my sheet to accommodate indenting lines to create dropdowns, its working well, so far.

Paul Newcome

Happy to help and glad to hear it is working well for you. 👍️