Trying to set up a combobox displaying two columns

[PaulN]

I am trying to get a control looking something like this (from another piece of software) The nearest I have been able to get is this 

And even this is showing an error

I have a feeling that what I want is not possible but it would be great if I could be proved wrong!

[o.svahn]

Do not use [ pKa ] - use pKa only.

regards 

Owe

[PaulN]

That's great but what about getting the dropdown to show the values (in my example 4.74, 2.69 and 5.41) as well as the names - I think that might be a problem which would be a showstopper for me.

[DJNewman]

Well, you could cheat the combo box and just put the value in the name.

But otherwise the fastest way to check all of the values of the combo box, besides evaluating its contents below it, is to right-click and select edit.

[PaulN]

I have gone for your suggestion of putting the pKa values in parentheses after the name.  What I need to do now is find a way of populating the combo with data from an Excel workbook (attached).

[PaulN]

Also, how can I set up the list programmatically rather than using the List Editor?

[o.svahn]

Try this - my best try

regards 

Owe

[PaulN]

I need the dropdown to show the values as well as the names - I don't think it can be done!

[PaulN]

I think this is the best compromise

But how can I add the list items programmatically (the source for the data could come either from a DBF database or from an Excel spreadsheet)?

[ttokoro]

You can copy & past this matrix by select all to combo box.

[PaulN]

Thank you

[PaulN]

I am attaching a worksheet with a working combo box and data from Excel using READEXCEL.  Can you please help me get that data into a new combo box on the same worksheet?

You had suggested that it is possible to copy and paste a matrix to a combo box but I can't get it to work at all.

Thank you.

P.S. Have also attached the Excel source file 

[ttokoro · Accepted solution]

I added all data from excel sheet.

Prime 8 sheet attached.

[PaulN]

Thank you so much.  I have tweaked what you sent for my needs and am very pleased with the result.  I have attached the final version in case you would like to see it.

I would hate to have to set up combo boxes on a regular basis though.  It is shame that there isn't a better way of doing it in Mathcad, and I know that somebody else was trying to do something very similar and ran into the same difficulty.

One last little niggle - it is a shame that the names of the acids are displayed with quotation marks around them.  I don't suppose there is a way around that, is there?

[ttokoro]

The acids are displayed with quotation marks around them. If without quotation, we must define each variable name and its value.
I think the variable name has no space (,), and numbers for first spell.