Forum Discussion
JRees405
Oct 10, 2024Copper Contributor
Insert Multiple checkboxes at once.
Hi, I'm finding this very frustrating; I have an Excel 365 sheet of around 400 lines which I am constantly adding new columns to. I wish some of these new columns to be populated by checkboxes...
JRees405
Oct 10, 2024Copper Contributor
Not sure why it would be difficult to manage and who would it be difficult for?
This has been standard practice for me for years across dozens of sheets, not too difficult in any way, shape, or form.
And if it is too difficult to manage, why is it a simple 2 button click to implement in the browser version?
Your answer was literally:
- It's too difficult (not sure for who).
- Here's a cheap and nasty work around that doesn't have the same visual appearance or useability.
- By the way, this thing we said was too difficult, can actually be done really simply if you use the browser version.
Now here's the kicker, the Excel 365 version doesn't seem to know what to do with these new checkboxes, and so when i open the sheet in the desktop Excel all the lines change back from checkboxes to the text 'FALSE'
Guess my future work will be done in googlesheets as much as possible, at least they can handle a simple Boolean checkbox.
How is it that Microsoft have developed two versions of the same program, designed to run in parallel but which aren't fully compatible with each other?
And why have they removed such a simple thing as inserting a checkbox from one of these programs?
This has been standard practice for me for years across dozens of sheets, not too difficult in any way, shape, or form.
And if it is too difficult to manage, why is it a simple 2 button click to implement in the browser version?
Your answer was literally:
- It's too difficult (not sure for who).
- Here's a cheap and nasty work around that doesn't have the same visual appearance or useability.
- By the way, this thing we said was too difficult, can actually be done really simply if you use the browser version.
Now here's the kicker, the Excel 365 version doesn't seem to know what to do with these new checkboxes, and so when i open the sheet in the desktop Excel all the lines change back from checkboxes to the text 'FALSE'
Guess my future work will be done in googlesheets as much as possible, at least they can handle a simple Boolean checkbox.
How is it that Microsoft have developed two versions of the same program, designed to run in parallel but which aren't fully compatible with each other?
And why have they removed such a simple thing as inserting a checkbox from one of these programs?
HansVogelaar
Oct 10, 2024MVP
The in-cell check box works in the desktop version of Excel if your version of Microsoft 365 is recent enough.
Clicking it sets the value of the cell it is in to TRUE/FALSE.
- JRees405Oct 10, 2024Copper ContributorSo the function was removed from some previous version, only to be readded later?
How do io find out if my version of 365 is recent enough?
I simply want to make it so that someone can change the value of each cell from false to true with a single click.
Yes, I realise that another work around could be a dropdown box with a true/false condition, but that turns a single click into 2 clicks interspaced with a precise mouse movement.
More effort, more time, and more chance of someone screwing up.
Multiplied by 400 lines this is a lot of opportunity for screwups, not to mention to time and frustration added.- SergeiBaklanOct 11, 2024Diamond Contributor
How do io find out if my version of 365 is recent enough?
Assuming you are on Windows, in Excel check File->Account. If you are on Current channel checkboxes shall be available.