I am trying to create a user-defined Excel Function that, in part, counts all non-blank cells above the cell in which the formula is placed (technically from a specific cell that defines the first cell in the range). The trouble I am having is that copying the formula down is causing a circular reference. I don't want other users to encounter this problem. How can I avoid the circular reference?
I have been trying to solve the problem with:
Set CellOne = Range(“A10”)
Set CellTwo = Range(Selection.Address).Offset(-1, 0)
Set MyRange = Application.Range(Cell1:=CellOne.Address, Cell2:=CellTwo.Address)
CountNonBlanks = Application.WorksheetFunction.CountA(MyRange)
This code also causes the circular reference when copying down:
Set CellTwo = Range(ActiveCell.Address).Offset(-1, 0)
The problem appears to be caused by the reference being relative to which cell is selected or active. I just want MyRange to end one cell above where the formula is placed irrespective of which cell is active or selected.
FWIW, the ultimate purpose of the user-defined formula is to return the next letter in the alphabet no matter how many rows below the prior letter the formula is placed. This native function works, but I was hoping for a more elegant appearing solution:
=MID("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz",COUNTA(A$10:A10)+1,1)
Thank you.
You shouldn't be using Selection or Activecell in a worksheet's udf since those are constantly changing. Either pass a range reference into the udf or use application.caller to refer to the cell containing the udf as a range object.
I could edit this response to provide more specific help if you posted the whole udf or at least the declaration. Here's an example.
Public Function nextLetter()
'since no reference is passed in, you might want to make this volatile
Application.Volatile
With Application.Caller.Parent
nextLetter = Chr(97 + Application.CountA(.Range(.Cells(10, "A"), _
.Cells(Application.Caller.Row - 1, "A"))))
End With
End Function
Alternative with starting cell passed in.
Public Function nextLetter2(startRng As Range)
'since only a single cell reference is passed in, you might want to make this volatile
Application.Volatile
With Application.Caller.Parent
nextLetter2 = Chr(97 + Application.CountA(.Range(startRng, _
.Cells(Application.Caller.Row-1, startRng.Column))))
End With
End Function
Use like =nextLetter2(A$10)
Related
I need to pull a range of data from a sheet where the top 16 rows will always be the same but the data below will vary. I can find the starting cell with this
Sheets("AA").Next.Select
Range("A17").Select
Selection.End(xlDown).Offset(2, 2).Select
and then I want to count the cells using (starting cell selected above) to end of cells containing data. I have tried this
Range(Selection, Range(Selection.End(xlDown)).Rows.Count
and all kinds of variations on it but cannot seem to make it work. I need to be able refer back to both the start cell and the number of rows to pull data from that cell down to the last cell using a loop (another topic I will probably ask questions on when I get that far)
Can someone help?
Your explanation as to why you are trying to do this makes it appear you are placing more work on yourself than you need to.
Let's create a couple functions.
The first function we will call nextBlankCell, which will automatically grab the last cell before an empty range. In your case, we can even use your selection to determine this - which we will do in our next function.
nextBlankCell Function
Function nextBlankCell(ByVal startRng As Range) As Range
Set nextBlankCell = startRng.End(xlDown)
End Function
Next, let's create a function that will automatically set your entire range for you. In this case, it will be the range from your current selection to the last row containing data that we get from using the above function.
getRngDownwards Function
Function getRngDownwards() As Range
Dim celStart As Range, celEnd As Range, ws As Worksheet
Set celStart = Selection
Set ws = celStart.Parent
Set celEnd = nextBlankCell(celStart)
Set getRngDownwards = ws.Range(celStart, celEnd)
End Function
In the above function, we have two ranges celStart and celEnd. celStart is simply your current selection. I always prefer to immediately set your selection to a static range if you must use Selection (most cases it’s not necessary).
celEnd is the range that will contain the last used cell in your column.
We also determine the worksheet ws by using the selection's parent object. Protip: We avoided ActiveSheet!
Now you can put it to the test:
Sub test()
' This test shows you the address of the range
MsgBox getRngDownwards.Address
' This test visually shows you the range
getRngDownwards.Select
End Sub
I'm having some issues with an insheet function that I am writing in VBA for Excel. What I eventually am trying to achieve is an excel function which is called from within a cell on your worksheet, that outputs a range of data points underneath the cell from which it is called (like the excel function =BDP() of financial data provider Bloomberg). I cannot specify the output range beforehand because I don't know how many data points it is going to output.
The issue seems to be that excel does not allow you to edit cells on a sheet from within a function, apart from the cell from which the function is called.
I have created a simple program to isolate the problem, for the sake of this question.
The following function, when called from within an excel sheet via =test(10), should produce a list of integers from 1 to 10 underneath the cell from which it is called.
Function test(number As Integer)
For i = 1 To number
Application.Caller.Offset(i, 0) = i
Next i
End Function
The code is very simple, yet nothing happens on the worksheet from which this formula is called (except a #Value error sometimes). I have tried several other specifications of the code, like for instance:
Function test(number As Integer)
Dim tempRange As Range
Set tempRange = Worksheets("Sheet1").Range(Application.Caller.Address)
For i = 1 To number
tempRange.Offset(i, 0) = i
Next i
End Function
Strangely enough, in this last piece of code, the command "debug.print tempRange.address" does print out the address from which the function is called.
The problem seems to be updating values on the worksheet from within an insheet function. Could anybody please give some guidance as to whether it is possible to achieve this via a different method?
Thanks a lot, J
User defined functions are only allowed to alter the values of the cells they are entered into, because Excel's calculation method is built on that assumption.
Methods of bypassing this limitation usually involve scary things like caching the results and locations you want to change and then rewriting them in an after calculate event, whilst taking care of any possible circularity or infinite loops.
The simplest solution is to enter a multi-cell array formula into more cells than you will ever need.
But if you really need to do this I would recommend looking at Govert's Excel DNA which has some array resizer function.
Resizing Excel UDF results
Consider:
Public Function test(number As Integer)
Dim i As Long, ary()
ReDim ary(1 To number, 1 To 1)
For i = 1 To number
ary(i, 1) = i
Next i
test = ary
End Function
Select a block of cells (in this case from C1 through C10), and array enter:
=test(10)
Array formulas must be entered with Ctrl + Shift + Enter rather than just the Enter key.
I've been looking around stack overflow for an answer to this for longer than I care to admit now.
Here's what I have: In a worksheet I have a bunch of discontinuous cells which I need to check for the existence of specific text. I've created a simple function to do this and can do this easily when I define that range manually (in code).
However, when I procedurally create a named range (while doing other stuff) and then try passing in the named range, the function never executes.
I know that the named range is being properly created because I have auto-formatting on it and also I can reference the range with excel formula which accept discontinuous ranges (SUM and whatnot).
Here's the pertinent portions of my code:
Function customProcess1(NamedRange As Range) As Long
For Each c in NamedRange.Cells
...
Next c
End Function
In Excel when I type the formula as "=customProcess1(A1:A2)" I get my number back after the function runs. When I type in "=customProcess1(NamedRange)" my function never even executes.
Again, I'm using the named range as defined already in the document. I can observe the name in the name manager, it references the appropriate cells, i can use the range in formula which accept non-continuous ranges, etc. I can't figure out how to get my working named range into my function.
When I put the formula as "=customProcess1("NamedRange")" the function executes, but since the named range is not ""NamedRange"" but is "NamedRange" it fails to set the object as Range (the object is not found). I've tried taking the named range as a string, but again, if I don't put the quotes around the name, it won't even run the function. So then I've tried passing in a string with the quotes and taking the quotes off inside the function, but this isn't exactly working well either.
In short, I just want to get my non-continuous named range in my custom function. Once I do that, everything is golden.
Anyone have any ideas? I'm not sure why this has been such a chore.
I'm not sure why what you're trying doesn't work and don't really have time to research that part of it, but you could do the following:
Function customProcess1(NamedRange As String) As Long
Dim TheRange As Range
Set TheRange = Range(NamedRange)
For Each c in TheRange.Cells
...
Next c
End Function
Hope this helps.
Adapting your UDF(), I coded:
Function customProcess1(NamedRange As Range) As Long
For Each c In NamedRange.Cells
customProcess1 = customProcess1 + c.Value
Next c
End Function
I then assigned the name Mike to the cells B6,C8,D10 and placed values in these cells. I then placed the formula:
=customProcess1(Mike)
in a cell and got the following:
NOTE:
I did not use =customProcess("Mike")
I've gotten into the habit of marking outlying data by changing cell styles. I'd like to write a UDF in excel to take a Range of cells as input, and return the subset of that range that is not marked as an outlier.
This is what I have tried:
Function ValidCells(rCells As Range) As Range
Dim c As Range
For Each c In rCells
If c.Style <> "Bad" Then
Set ValidCells = Range(c, ValidCells)
End If
Next
End Function
My intent is to be able to do =Sum(ValidCells(A1:D1)), and have it only sum the non-styled data.
However, ValidCells seems to return an empty range every time. What am I doing wrong?
Are you sure it's returning an empty range? When I try running this, VBA raises an error on your 'Set' line. If you're calling the routine as a UDF from the worksheet you won't see the VBA error, but the UDF should stop executing and return #VALUE!.
In any case, you can do what you want, but there is one big caveat. First, the code:
Function ValidCells(rCells As Range) As Range
Dim valid As Range
Dim c As Range
For Each c In rCells
If c.Style <> "Bad" Then
If valid Is Nothing Then
Set valid = c
Else
Set valid = Union(valid, c)
End If
End If
Next
Set ValidCells = valid
End Function
The idea is to build up a multi-area range using VBA's 'Union' method. So, for example, if I put a bad cell in C8, and call ValidCells(B7:D9), this returns the multi-area range $B$7:$D$7,$D$8,$B$8:$B$9,$C$9:$D$9. You can then use the result with SUM just fine.
The caveat is that changing cell styles won't trigger this UDF to recalculate. Normally, you'd be able to add a line like this:
Call Application.Volatile(True)
to your UDF and it would recalc on every change to the workbook. However, it seems like changing a cell style doesn't qualify as a "change" for volatility purposes. So, you can get what you want out of the UDF, but there appears to be no real way to make it work like a "normal" one as far as recalculation goes, even if you mark it as volatile. You'll have to remain aware of that if you use it.
I want to have/define a unique id for each data row in my Excel data sheet - such that I can use it when passing the data onwards and it stays the same when rows are added/deleted above it.
My thoughts are to use the ID attribute of Range (msdn link)
So, I have a user defined function (UDF) which I place in each row that gets/sets the ID as follows:
Dim gNextUniqueId As Integer
Public Function rbGetId(ticker As String)
On Error GoTo rbGetId_Error
Dim currCell As Range
'tried using Application.Caller direct, but gives same error
Set currCell = Range(Application.Caller.Address)
If currCell.id = "" Then
gNextUniqueId = gNextUniqueId + 1
'this line fails no matter what value I set it to.
currCell.id = Str(gNextUniqueId)
End If
rbGetId = ticker & currCell.id
Exit Function
rbGetId_Error:
rbGetId = "!ERROR:" & Err.Description
End Function
But this fails at the line mentioned with
"Application-defined or object-defined error"
I thought perhaps its one of those limitations of UDFs, but I also get the same error if I try it from code triggered from a ribbon button...
Any other suggestions on how to keep consistent ids - perhaps I should populate the cells via my ribbon button, finding cells without IDs and generating/setting the cell value of those...
EDIT:
As Ant thought, I have the sheet protected, but even in an unlocked cell it still fails. Unprotecting the sheet fixes the problem.... but I have used "Protect UserInterFaceOnly:=True" which should allow me to do this. If I manually allow "Edit Objects" when I protect the sheet it also works, but I don't see a programmatic option for that - and I need to call the Protect function in AutoOpen to enable the UserInterfaceOnly feature...
I guess I need to turn off/on protect around my ID setting - assuming that can be done in a UDF... which it seems it cannot, as that does not work - neither ActiveSheet.unprotect nor ActiveWorkbook.unprotect :(
Thanks in advance.
Chris
Okay...
It does appear that if the sheet is locked, macros do not have write access to low-level information such as ID.
However, I do not think it is possible to unprotect the sheet within a UDF. By design, UDFs are heavily restricted; I think having a cell formula control the sheet protection would break the formula paradigm that a cell formula affects a cell only.
See this page on the Microsoft website for more details.
I think this limits your options. You must either:
give up sheet protection
give up the UDF, use a Worksheet_Change event to capture cell changes and write to ID there
use a UDF that writes the ID into the cell value, rather than save to ID
The UDF approach is fraught with problems as you are trying to use something designed for calculation of a cell to make a permanent mark on the sheet.
Nonetheless, here's an example of a UDF you can use to stamp a "permanent" value onto a cell, which works on unlocked cells of a protected sheet. This one only works for single cells (although it could be adapted for an array formula).
Public Function CellMark()
Dim currCell As Range
Set currCell = Range(Application.Caller.Address)
Dim myId As String
' must be text; using .value will cause the formula to be called again
' and create a circular reference
myId = currCell.Text
If (Trim(myId) = "" Or Trim(myId) = "0") Then
myId = "ID-" & Format(CStr(gNextUniqueId), "00000")
gNextUniqueId = gNextUniqueId + 1
End If
CellMark = myId
End Function
This is quite flawed though. Using copy or the fillbox will, however, retain the previous copied value. Only by explicitly setting cells to be a new formula will it work. But if you enter in the formula into the cell again (just click it, hit ENTER) a new value is calculated - which is standard cell behaviour.
I think the Worksheet_Change event is the way to go, which has much more latitude. Here's a simple example that updates the ID of any cell changes. It could be tailored to your particular scenario. This function would need to be added to every Worksheet the ID setting behaviour is required on.
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim currCell As Range
Set currCell = Target.Cells(1, 1)
Dim currId As String
currId = currCell.ID
If Trim(currCell.ID) = "" Then
Target.Parent.Unprotect
currCell.ID = CStr(gNextUniqueId)
Target.Parent.Protect
gNextUniqueId = gNextUniqueId + 1
End If
End Sub
Last note; in all cases, your ID counter will be reset if you re-open the worksheet (at least under the limited details presented in your example).
Hope this helps.
Concur with Ant - your code works fine here on Excel 2003 SP3.
I've also been able to use:
Set currCell = Application.Caller
If Application.Caller.ID = "" Then
gNextUniqueId = gNextUniqueId + 1
'this line fails no matter what value I set it to.
currCell.ID = Str(gNextUniqueId)
End If
Aha! I think I have it.
I think you're calling this from an array formula, and it only gets called ONCE with the full range. You can't obtain an ID for a range - only a single cell. This explains why Application.Caller.ID fails for you, because Range("A1:B9").ID generates an Application-defined or object-defined error.
When you use Range(Application.Caller.Address) to get the "cell" you just defer this error down to the currCell.ID line.
I think we may have a few issues going on here, but I think they are testing issues, not problems with the code itself. First, if you call the function from anything other than a Cell, like the immediate window, other code, etc. Application.Caller will not be set. This is what is generating your object not found errors. Second, if you copy/paste the cell that has the function, they you will by copy/pasting the ID too. So wherever you paste it to, the output will stay the same. But if you just copy the text (instead of the cell), and then paste then this will work fine. (Including your original use of Application.Caller.)
The problem is with Application.Caller.
Since you are calling it from a user defined function it is going to pass you an error description. Here is the remark in the Help file.
Remarks
This property returns information about how Visual Basic was called, as shown in the following table.
Caller - Return value
A custom function entered in a single cell - A Range object specifying that cell
A custom function that is part of an array formula in a range of cells - A Range object specifying that range of cells
An Auto_Open, Auto_Close, Auto_Activate, or Auto_Deactivate macro - The name of the document as text
A macro set by either the OnDoubleClick or OnEntry property - The name of the chart object identifier or cell reference (if applicable) to which the macro applies
The Macro dialog box (Tools menu), or any caller not described above - The #REF! error value
Since you are calling it from a user defined function, what is happening is Application.Caller is returning a String of an error code to your range variable curCell. It is NOT causing an error which your error handler would pick up. What happens after that is you reference curCell, it's not actually a range anymore. On my machine it tries setting curCell = Range("Error 2023"). Whatever that object is, it might not have an ID attribute anymore and when you try to set it, it's throwing you that object error.
Here's what I would try...
Try removing your error handler and see if VBA throws up any exceptions on Range(Application.Caller.Address). This won't fix it, but it could point you in the right direction.
Either through logic or Application.ActiveCell or however you want to do it, reference the cell directly. For example Range("A1") or Cells(1,1). Application.Caller.Address just doesn't seem like a good option to use.
Try using Option Explicit. This might make the line where you set curCell throw up an error since Range(Application.Caller.Address) doesn't look like it's passing a range back, which is curCell's datatype.
I have found that if I protect the sheet with "Protect DrawingObjects:=False", the UDF can set the Id. Strange.
Thanks for all the help with this.