Minimal Footprint Dropdowns in Excel Oct 2025

And now I offer an updated, more compact version of the universal dropdown for Excel.
My previous version was based on a PyXLL macro; the new version is based on a PyXLL function (set as macro=True).

Link to the new function

@xl_func(
    "str dropdown_name, str filter_string: var",
    none_value="  » » »",
    volatile=False,
    macro=True,
)

def select_from_PyXLL_dropdown_function_TR(dropdown_name=None, filter_string=""):
    """[PyXLL] Execute a PySide6 dialog based on a (pre-coded) list of lists

    :param dropdown_name:  [apples,countries,three letter names,cars] Defaults to None
    :param filter_strung: a filter pattern (regex allowed). Defaults to ""
    """

When called, this new function presents a PySide6 QDialog dropdown incorporating the following features:

• short and simple
• dropdown lists can be set in Python as a global variable (executed once, no recalculation)
• avoids the restrictions of Excel built-in dropdowns
• dropdown is available in any workbook, any sheet
• regex filtering
• dropdown index is set to current value
• custom None value is returned to avoid formula overwrite
• calling cell address or cell name (if the cell is named) is built into the dialog title
• a default list is coded
• no macro buttons, clean interface
• thanks to Tony Roberts for his assistance

Video Screenshot

Excel video snippet

Excel screenshot