VLOOKUP works with FormulaR1C1 but not Regular Formula? - vba

Question

I posted another question that was close to this question earlier but it is actually different. I have this VLOOKUP code that takes input from a user to get the file to use the VLOOKUP with. It works in my one macro when I run the whole thing, but if I run the private sub by itself, I get an error message 1004 on the first VLOOKUP line. I then tried changing the code to use FormulaR1C1, and it ended up working correctly using that version. Why won't it work using my current code but it works when I use FormulaR1C1?
Sub NEWTRY()
'
' Create_VLOOKUP_Using_Old_Kronos_Full_File Macro
'
'
Dim iRet As Integer
Dim strPrompt As String
Dim strTitle As String
' Promt
strPrompt = "Please select the last Kronos Full File before the dates of this HCM Report." & vbCrLf & _
"This will be used to find the Old Position, Org Unit, and Old Cost Center." & vbCrLf & _
"For example, if the date of this report is 7-28-17 thru 8-25-17, the closest Kronos Full File you would want to use is 7-27-17."
' Dialog's Title
strTitle = "Last Kronos Full File for Old Positions"
'Display MessageBox
iRet = MsgBox(strPrompt, vbOK, strTitle)
Dim LR As Long
Dim X As String
Dim lNewBracketLocation As Long
X = Application.GetOpenFilename( _
FileFilter:="Excel Files (*.xls*),*.xls*", _
Title:="Choose the Kronos Full File.", MultiSelect:=False)
Dim wbk As Workbook
Set wbk = Workbooks.Open(Filename:=X, ReadOnly:=True)
Dim shtName As String
shtName = wbk.Worksheets(1).name
wbk.Close
MsgBox "You selected " & X
'Find the last instance in the string of the path separator "\"
lNewBracketLocation = InStrRev(X, Application.PathSeparator)
'Edit the string to suit the VLOOKUP formula - insert "["
X = Left$(X, lNewBracketLocation) & "[" & Right$(X, Len(X) - lNewBracketLocation)
Range("T2").FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(RC11,'" & X & "]'!R3C2:R9846C49,13,0)"
ActiveWorkbook.ActiveSheet.Range("U2").Formula = "=VLOOKUP($E2,'" & X & "]'!$B$1:$AP$99999,41,0)"
Range("V2").Formula = "=VLOOKUP($E2,'" & X & "]shtName'!$B$1:$AP$99999,18,0)"
The issue is I believe in the last 3 lines, or how it is reading X and putting that in there. The last 3 lines with the VLOOKUPS is where it errors except now the first line with R1C1 actually works. I was trying other versions with the other lines but they don't work.
I would rather not use the R1C1 but it doesn't want to work unless I use it.

Answer 1

So, you're trying to do a lookup on a sheet whose name is the last part of the selected path?
Add a line msgbox x before your lookups so you can make sure that x is being calculated as you intended... For me it returned:
c:\path\[filename.xlsm
What is an example of x ?
...the 3 formulas getting pasted in are:
=VLOOKUP(RC11,'c:\path\[filename.xlsm]'!R3C2:R9846C49,13,0)
=VLOOKUP($E2,'c:\path\[filename.xlsm]'!$B$1:$AP$99999,41,0)
=VLOOKUP($E2,'c:\path\[filename.xlsm]shtName'!$B$1:$AP$99999,18,0)