← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10

Scroll bar and spin button form controls

A form control that changes a linked cell's number between a minimum and maximum, in steps, so a chart can move through values like years. A spin button does the same.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Analysing and Visualising Data — Module 66

Understanding Scroll bar and spin button form controls in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10

What it does: The cell link is the single cell where the scroll bar or spin button stores its number. It uses an absolute reference so it never shifts. INDEX returns the value in the position given by the linked cell, so moving the scroll bar changes which value the chart reads. The minimum value sets the lowest number the control can store. The maximum sets the highest. The incremental change is the step size. A step of 1 moves one year at a time, and the minimum must be lower than the maximum. Set the maximum to match the number of items, here 8. Otherwise INDEX returns #REF! for positions beyond the range.

Common mistakes: The minimum must be lower than the maximum. A minimum of 2030 is above the maximum of 2024, so the scroll bar can't move through the years. It should be 'Minimum value: 2015'. The maximum is lower than the minimum of 1, so the spin button has no range to move through. It should be a number above the minimum, such as 'Maximum value: 10'.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 413–424) and word search (Modules 413–451).

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Learning
Duo
A scroll bar form control is linked to cell H1. What does the scroll bar change when you move it?
The number stored in cell H1The font size of the chart title
Matches
Minimum value: 2024, Maximum value: 2018
↓
The minimum is bigger than the maximum, so the control cannot count through the years. The minimum must be the smaller number.
Applying
Meanings
Term
Scroll bar
Meaning
A form control that changes a linked cell's number between a minimum and maximum, in steps, so a chart can move through values like years. A spin button does the same.
Practice
=INDEX(B2:B8,MAX(1,F1))
Testing
Gaps
=(B2:B11,$E$1)
Check Answer
Spots
1Scroll bar settings
2Minimum value: 2030

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Quick Questions

1. A scroll bar form control is linked to cell H1. What does the scroll bar change when you move it?
A. The number stored in cell H1 ✓
B. The font size of the chart title
The cell link is the cell where the control stores its current number. Charts and formulas then read that cell.
2. Which setting stops a scroll bar's number going below 2015?
A. Maximum value = 2015
B. Minimum value = 2015 ✓
The minimum value sets the lowest number the control can store. The maximum sets the highest.
3. You want a scroll bar to move through the years 2015 to 2024 one year at a time. Which settings are correct?
A. Minimum 2015, Maximum 2024, Incremental change 1 ✓
B. Minimum 2024, Maximum 2015, Incremental change 10
The incremental change is the step size. A step of 1 moves one year at a time, and the minimum must be lower than the maximum.
4. A spin button is linked to cell H1 with minimum 1, maximum 5 and incremental change 1. H1 shows 5. What happens when you click the up arrow?
A. H1 changes to 6
B. H1 stays at 5, because it is the maximum ✓
A form control cannot go past its maximum value, so the number stays at 5.
5. How is a spin button different from a scroll bar?
A. It has up and down arrows but no slider, and it still changes a linked cell ✓
B. It changes the chart directly without using a linked cell
Both controls store a number in a linked cell within a minimum and maximum. They only look different.

Match the Pairs

Minimum value: 2018, Maximum value: 2024 → Sets the lowest and highest numbers the scroll bar or spin button can put in the linked cell, such as the first and last year.
Incremental change: 1 → Each click on the arrow of a scroll bar or spin button moves the linked number by 1, so the chart steps one year at a time.
A cell link makes the control write its current number into one cell, so other formulas can read it. → Cell link: $H$1
The linked number can be used with INDEX to pick the matching row, so the chart shows the chosen year. → =INDEX(B2:B8,$H$1)
Minimum value: 2024, Maximum value: 2018 → The minimum is bigger than the maximum, so the control cannot count through the years. The minimum must be the smaller number.
Cell link: (blank), chart reads =INDEX(B2:B8,$H$1) → No cell link has been set, so the control has no cell to write its number into. INDEX reads an empty cell and the chart never changes.

Key Term

Scroll bar
A form control that changes a linked cell's number between a minimum and maximum, in steps, so a chart can move through values like years. A spin button does the same.

Fill in the Blanks

1. =INDEX(B2:B11,$E$1)
Hint: Type the function that returns the item at a position number taken from the linked cell.
2. Cell link: $E$1 =INDEX(B2:B11,$E$1)
Hint: Type the cell reference that holds the scroll bar's number, which tells INDEX which position to return.
3. Data rows: B2:B11 (10 years) Minimum value: 1 Maximum value: 10
Hint: Type the number that stops the scroll bar at the last of the ten years.
4. Show every 2nd year only Incremental change: 2
Hint: Type the step size that the linked number moves by on each click.
5. Data in A2:A8 (7 years) Minimum value: 1
Hint: Type the lowest linked number, which points to the first year in the list.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A Scroll bar settings
B Minimum value: 2030
C Maximum value: 2024
D Incremental change: 1
E Cell link: $H$1
Line B — The minimum must be lower than the maximum. A minimum of 2030 is above the maximum of 2024, so the scroll bar can't move through the years. It should be 'Minimum value: 2015'.
Question 2
A Spin button settings
B Minimum value: 1
C Maximum value: 0
D Incremental change: 1
Line C — The maximum is lower than the minimum of 1, so the spin button has no range to move through. It should be a number above the minimum, such as 'Maximum value: 10'.
Question 3
A Scroll bar min: 1
B Scroll bar max: 10
C Cell link: $H$1
D =INDEX($H$1,B2:B11)
Line D — The INDEX arguments are in the wrong order. The range comes first and the row number (the linked cell) comes second: =INDEX(B2:B11,$H$1).
Question 4
A Spin button settings
B Cell link: $H$1:$H$5
C Maximum value: 2024
Line B — The cell link must be one single cell, because the control puts one number into it. A range like $H$1:$H$5 is not allowed. It should be 'Cell link: $H$1'.
Question 5
A Minimum value: 2015.5
B Maximum value: 2024
C Incremental change: 1
Line A — Scroll bar and spin button settings only accept whole numbers, so a decimal like 2015.5 is not allowed. It should be 'Minimum value: 2015'.

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