1.3 Data Entry & Validation Techniques

Best Practices for Error-Free Data Input

• Structured data vs. unstructured data

• Data standardization rules (e.g., dates, currencies)

• Avoiding merged cells (they break sorting & filtering)

Advanced Data Validation Rules

• Allow only specific inputs (e.g., numbers between 1-100)

• Custom formula-based validation (e.g., "Must be future date")

• Input error messages to guide users

Dropdowns, Checkboxes & Dynamic Lists

• Creating dropdowns from a list (Data Validation in Excel/Sheets)

• Dynamic named ranges (auto-expanding lists)

• Checkboxes for task tracking (Excel: Developer Tab, Sheets: Insert > Checkbox)

Assignment:

• Build a dynamic employee attendance tracker with dropdowns & validation.