The Gnumeric Manual
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# Protection and Validation Tabs

These two tabs are used to control user's access to cells and restrict values of data allowed in a cell. Unlike other formatting options, these two tabs have no effect on a cells appearance. These options are mostly used for writing templates and forms to be filled by others.

## Protection Tab

Figure 6. Protection Tab

This tab allows you to see and change cell protection in imported Excel workbooks. Cell protection has no effect in `Gnumeric`: you can edit cells whether or not they are marked as protected. However, `Gnumeric` keeps the protection setting of imported Excel workbooks. If you later save your workbook in Excel format, `Gnumeric` will save the protection information too. For more information about cell protection in `Excel`, please refer to `Excel` documentation.

## Validation Tab

This tab allows you to set restrictions on allowed values of data in the cells. If you (or someone else) attempts to enter a data that does not meet the set criteria, a warning (or an error message, depending on the options set in this tab) will be shown.

Figure 7. Validation Tab

This tab consists of two part. The first part, `Criteria` is used to set the criteria for the cell values. The second part, `Error Alert`, is used to choose the action when data entered does not meet the criteria.

To set the criteria for cell values, follow these steps:

1. Choose the type of data contained in the cells, using the `Allow` drop-down list.

2. Choose a condition that must be satisfied by the cells value, using `Condition` drop-down list. In these conditions, `val` stands for the cells value (for text, `val` stands for the length of text string) and `min`, `max`, and `bound` are constants that you need to specify.

3. Enter the values of constants used in condition. For example, if you chose condition `min<=val<=max`, you need to enter values of constants `min` and `max`.

After specifying the criteria, you need to specify how `Gnumeric` should respond to incorrect cell value. You can choose one of four possible actions from `Action` drop-down list:

`None`

  Accept invalid value without any warning. Equivalent to having no validation.

`Stop`

  Do not accept the invalid value. Show the user an error message which you need to specify (see below).

`Warning`

  Show the user a warning dialog, giving him a choice whether to accept or reject the invalid value. You need to specify the message to use in the warning dialog (see below).

`Information`

  Accept invalid values but show the user a warning dialog. You need to specify the the message to use in the warning dialog (see below).

If you choose one of the options `Stop`, `Warning`, or `Information`, you should enter a message that will be shown to the user in the error or warning dialog. Otherwise, gnumeric will choose a message itself, which may not clearly indicate the relevant validation criteria. You should also enter a title, which will be used as the window title for the dialog window. For example, the values shown in Figure 7 will produce the dialog shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. Warning dialog in response to invalid input

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