Excel non-sequential order notification?

Excel non-sequential order notification?
I am doing an inventory of some files that are in number order. I will scan a barcode number into excel. I want excel to tell me when something is not where it is supposed to be. Anyone know how I can do this? I would just like the scanned number to change color if I could.

Best answer:

you could use conditional formatting for that.

open up a new blank sheet to test…i am assuming you have excel 2003 or earlier
- in A1 to A10 just type the numbers 1 to 10
- highlight A2 to A10
- click Format
- click conditional formatting
-1st Box should say “cell value is”
- 2nd box should say not between
- 3rd box should say =A1
- 4th box should say =A3
- click Format… and chose your color in the patterns tab
- click OK

so now 10 should be highlighted (thats just because there is no 11)
- but change numbers in the middle rows, and if it goes out of order, you will get a highlight.

Excel 2007 has the big conditional formatting icon right on the front Home ribbon.
let me know if you need something more specific.

that will do the color change…but
you might also want to consider “data validation” this will give you an error message as soon as you try to enter a number thats smaller then the one before it.
feel free to email me for details on data validation.

Tags: Excel, nonsequential, notification, order

Under Forum