When you set up a worksheet for other people to use, data validation messages can help them get started. The messages appear, like little ToolTips, when a user clicks on a cell.
Users Show or Hide Messages
After using the Excel workbook for a while, users might not need those messages anymore, and the pop-up messages become annoying, rather than helpful.
AlexJ, who recently shared his technique for hiding rows with Excel outlining, has created another useful sample.
In this file, he lets users turn those data validation messages on or off, by choosing TRUE or FALSE from a drop down list.
Show Messages – TRUE
When TRUE is selected, the label cells, such as Name, are green. Click on a label cell and a data validation input message appears, with instructions for that field.
Choose FALSE for No Messages
Select FALSE and the label cells turn white, and no data validation input message appears when you click on a label cell.
How Show/Hide Messages Works
The TRUE/FALSE drop down list is in a cell named ShowUserMsg, and the list is created with data validation.
The labels cells also have data validation, which is set to allow Any value.
For each label, an Input Message is entered in the Data Validation dialog box.
Colour Cells with Conditional Formatting
The label cells and ShowUserMsg cell are coloured with Conditional Formatting.
Excel VBA Code -Show or Hide the Messages
When you select an option from the TRUE/FALSE list, a Worksheet_Change event runs, and turns the messages on or off.
To see the code in Alex’s sample file, right-click the Show User Messages sheet tab, and click on View Code.
Download the Sample File
You can download the Show or Hide Messages file from AlexJ’s Sample Spreadsheets page on the Contextures website.
In the Data Validation section, look for DV0001 – Show or Hide User Tips
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