Visio - How to use the same shape property for many shapes

Question

I have created one master shape with many properties. In the "Define Shape Data" windows of the master shape (of the document stencil), one of the properties (masterProp) is a variable list (so with a list of allowed values).

Is it possible to re-use the list of values allowed for this property (masterProp) to define the format of another property of type variable list in another master shape so that the list of values has to be maintained only once ?

Maybee is there a way to set up "lists" in Visio and link the expected/allowed values (format field) of a property to this list (without using excel) ?

Thanks for your advises,

Answer 1

Well, Thanks to @Surrodate, this is the correct way of doing this:

1. Add a user-defined cell in the ShapeSheet of the document (or the page)
2. Open the master shape for editing
3. In the master shape, open the shapesheet of the master shape and go to the section of the Shape Data
4. In the Format column, refer to your user-defined cell. Begin typing with a "=" otherwise it takes your entry as text (even if it recognise your data ...). To refer to the document, begin with =TheDoc!User... if your data are in the page, begin with ThePage!User... Do not forget to set the type of data to 1 or 4 (in case of list).

Answer 2

Ok, I found the shapeSheet of the Page-1. I added a user-defined section, then a cell named "User.Softwares". I set the value to ="Soft1;Soft2;Soft3". Correct for list ? Then in the field "Format" of the "Define Shape Data" windows in have written "Page-1!User.Softwares". Is that the correct way to refer to the page-1 ? When I click on the property of a shape, it proposes the text "Page-1!User.Softwares" and not the value of the user-defined cell in Page-1 ... What is the mistake ?

1. You must also change Type field ! If in this cell stores 0, it mean "String". if cell value is 1 it mean Fixed list.
2. You must write Page-1!User.Softwares, without quotation marks !

Answer 3

Is it possible to use the same property (masterProp) in another master shape to inherit the same allowed values? Or is it possible to link the values of another property of type fixed list in another master shape to the values of this masterProp property ?

You mean mastershape in document stencil or in external stencil ?
You can refer to some cell of mastershape in document stencil

To reference a cell of	Use this syntax	Example
A master	Masters[MasterName]!SheetName!CellReference	Masters[Gear]!Shaft!Geometry1.X1

About Cell References