How To Create Cutom List And Its Advantages?

You must have observed when you are typing Month names, Excel suggests the next Month Name. Also, you can drag the cursor using the anchor at the right bottom of cell and the series of month names can be filled into dragged cells.

This is applicable for Weekday Names too. Excel helps to autofill the series of data.

Consider a scenario, where I have to prepare data of Fruits. The fruit list is limited to 6-7 items. This list I will be requiring in my various Excel Worksheets.  

Is there any way in Excel using that I can get series automatically in any Worksheet?

Let’s understand the method:

Click on File → Options. Select Advanced option.

Go to General section. Click on Edit Custom List button.

You can view existing custom lists. In this section you can  view Month Names, Weekday names as a list.

I will add my list of fruits as a custom list here.

I click on List Entries section and type in names in the sequence as I desire

Banana, Chiku, Orange.

After completing the list I click on, Add button

Alternate method can be, I have already typed the list. I will select the Range for Import list from cells.

Click on Import button.

Once I have a my list created as a Custom List, I can use it in any worksheet.

The Custom list is also useful in data sorting. I have list of fruits in alpabatical order. This list I want to sort in my Custom sequence. i.e. Banana, Chiku etc.

As I have defined the sequence as a cutom list, I can easily sort the list in customised sequence.

• Select the list for Sorting.
• Select Sort option from Data menu.
• Select Fruit as sort column. In Order dropdown Select Custom List.
• Select Custom list of fruits.
• Click OK in Custom List. Click OK in Sort option.

The list will be sorted in customised sequence.

You can apply Custom list suitable to your needs. 

e.g.

Bank Names, Categories of Product, Employee Grades etc.

Go ahead & try it!