I need to use Excel as a "database programme" (even though I know there are other solutions actually built for that). Because of that, I need to find a way to create a filterable column with TAGS/LABELS

What I use right now is plain old table with two columns filled with comma separated values. That makes the data easily filterable (filter > search), but doesn't do the following:

1) When filtering the table by column "Furniture", offer separated values (as in "tables" and "chairs", not "tables, chairs" or "chairs, tables"). 2) When adding new entries/lines to the table, offer existing tags (as in use "tables" instead of "table" under column "Furniture").

EDIT

Let me be more specific.

I need to create a media list. Each contact is labeled with multiple tags (such as "design", "music", "tourism", "government institution") in ONE COLUMN.

E.g., Users of the media list need to filter out contacts "design". There are rows with columns "cinema, design, exhibition" and "design, tourism". I need them to be able to select under the "filter context menu" specific tags and not the full columns.

That means - not "cinema, design, exhibition" but "cinema", "design" and "exhibition".

If you're familiar with Wordpress administration, its "tags" administration works pretty rad. :)

2 Answers

There is a very simple solution:

First column contains the filterable data. Second column contains the tags, each tag in new row. Then merge the data rows in the first column related to its tags as you see in the video link. Use the auto filter.

That's all.

According to Douglaslps and this question I duplicated - Filter comma-delimited Excel column - the thing I'm trying to achieve is not possible in Excel.

At least the problem serves as a good reminder that we should use applications to solve the problems they were designed to solve. :)

Alternative sollution (which doesn't really work for me) can be found here: How to Label / Tag Items in a Spreadsheet