When writing VBA code, if you know you're going to be operating in the same workbook and on a certain worksheet, should you specify ActiveWorkbook for the workbook objects in your code there?
Example:
ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1").Range("$A$1")
vs
Range("$A$1")
Above code assumes you are working off of Sheet1 through local macros(under Sheet1 object in VBA).
Better than using ActiveWorkbook in most situations is using WorkBooks("Book1") This is more specific and robust and I believe faster to execute than activating a workbook and then pointing to it when referencing ranges.
The VBA will default to the last active workbook if you do not designate one when using lines of code like Range("A1") So if you are working in just one workbook it is not necessary since the last active workbook should always be the workbook you want the code to execute in. I typically only designate sheets and ranges when I'm working in a single workbook since it is a little redundant to tell excel to select the active workbook when it already does by default in the absence of a specific workbook designation.
Just make sure that you will be running the macro from the open workbook that you want the code to execute in.
Including a workbook designation will never hurt and it will make your code more robust. But if you will only ever have the code execute in a single workbook it is not necessary.
Related
So, I've done a lot of research on this and my code isn't working still. As per the title, the problem is this:
I pull a data report off of a website, this report is downloaded as an .xlsx file. I created a macro on the ribbon so I when I click it, it will then open another workbook and run that macro. The code I'm using is as below:
Option Explicit
Sub NotHardAtAll()
Dim ws As Worksheet,
Dim wb As Workbook
Set wb = ActiveWorkbook
Set ws = ActiveSheet
Workbooks.Open Filename:="C:\Users\a0c27n\Desktop\Projects\incident_extended_report1.xlsm"
'With Sheets("Sheet4").Activate '*Not sure if this is enter code here
necessary...at all*
Application.Run "!ADDHMKRFID"
'End With
End Sub
I've tried putting the path before the macro (i.e. Application.Run"'incident_extended_report1.xlsm!ADDHMKRFID") but it doesn't work either*
I'm aware, at least form the research I've done, that I should be able to just use the 'Application.Run' Method, however I couldn't get it to access the correct sheet.
When I run the Macro, it pulls a Run-time error '1004' error, a '400', or the it pulls the most is: "Cannot run the macro '!ADDHMKRFID'. The macro may not be available in this workbook or all macros may be disable."
The file that I'm trying to pull the macro from is below:
Workbook name: incident_extended_report1.xlsm
Worksheet name: Sheet4 (TEST MACRO)
Macro Name:
Sub ADDHMKRFID()
End Sub
I understand that the C:\ is not a shared network, the one I will be working out of will be the S:\, however I'm not sure how much information I can post due to confidentiality.
Please ask for any clarification or questions you may have. I've been stuck for a bit and am not sure what I'm doing wrong. Thanks in advance!
The string you need to pass to Application.Run depends on whether the workbook containing the macro is active, and if it isn't, the filename of the macro-containing workbook (IE: what's in the workbook.Name property).
if the macro is supposed to be run while the data report workbook is active, you want:
dim wb_data as Workbook: set wb_data = ActiveWorkbook
dim ws_data as Worksheet: set ws_data = ActiveSheet
dim wb_macro as Workbook
set wb_macro = Workbooks.Open(Filename:="C:\Users\a0c27n\Desktop\Projects\incident_extended_report1.xlsm")
ws_data.Activate
Application.Run wb_macro.Name & "!ADDHMKRFID"
This will guarantee that the correct string is supplied, even if you change the name of the macro file.
Otherwise, if the macro workbook is supposed to be active, skip activating the data worksheet, as the last opened workbook will be active by default, then use "ADDHMKRFID" as your string. Note that the "!" is missing. You need that only if you are specifying a macro in another workbook. It's the same kind of notation used when referring to data in other worksheets.
First of all, I solved my own problem. I would, however, be grateful if someone might explain to me why it worked the way it did.
I saved the original macro on the shared network, but I had to save it as a module (in this case Module1). I also saved the 2nd macro (to run the original one) in a different workbook (though it shouldn't matter, as long it is not a .xlsx file).
The Code I wrote was:
Sub Test() 'Name doesn't matter
Application.Run "'S:\xxxx\xxxx\xxxx\incident_extended_report.xlsm'!module1.ADDHMKRFID"
End Sub
Then I saved this macro to the ribbon so I could run it on the data report.xlsx file I have to download. Now, anytime I want to run the original macro, I just click the Test Macro, and it'll run the other one!
I'm guessing if you want to close the other workbook that you opened, you can just add a
Workbooks (“S:\xxxx\xxxx\xxxx\incident_extended_report.xlsm").Close Savechanges:=False
Good Luck!
Im wondering if it's possible to reference an excel sheet from another work book without making a copy of that sheet?
The situation : I have some very large worksheets filled with various data, but i don't want to keep a copy of them open in my workbooks because while each workbook uses the same data source, they're slightly different.
I have a vba routine that takes this data and creates input files for other codes, vba expects this data to be available on the defined sheet names.
Is it possible to make either excel or vba to know that when i request worksheet("Example_1") it instead knows that i mean example_1 from a different workbook?
Thanks
Yes, it is possible.
You need to add those lines to your code:
Dim wkb As Excel.Workbook
Dim wks As Excel.Worksheet
Set wkb = Excel.Workbooks("name_of_workbook.xlsx")
Set wks = wkb.Worksheets("Example_1")
Now, every time you want to refer to a range from this other workbook, you need to add wks. before, i.e.:
'Printing value in cell.
wks.Range("A1") = "x"
'Selecting range.
call wks.Range(wks.Cells(1,1), wks.Cells(2,2)).Select
=SUM('C:\test\[test.xlsx]sheet_name'!A1:A25)
is an example of a formula which references sheet sheet_name in workbook C:\test\text.xlsx.
Note that when the other workbook is opened, the formula automatically changes to
=SUM([test.xlsx]sheet_name!A1:A25)
and then when it is closed, the formula will change back.
I run a spreadsheet report that holds about 50 columns of data for anywhere from 1 to 5000 rows. I'm only interested in 4 columns, but they are never in the same location as these reports are set-up a bit differently for each client. I then take those 4 columns and paste into a new workbook that I can import into another program.
I have three macros created that accomplish this task flawlessy if ran from the local file. When I load them into the personal.xls for use on various files I have issues. Specifically workbook/worksheet referencing issues.
Parts of the macro run to the sheet I intend from them to result on, while other parts act on the personal.xls file itself. This confuses me because I don't have any lines that use commands such as 'thisworkbook' or 'activeworksheet'.
For example:
- The first line is coded to rename Sheet1. The macro renames Sheet1 in personal.xls.
- The next line is the first of four Find commands that locate where the columns i'm interested are located and then move them. This macro runs perfectly on the sheet I intend.
I think my best course is to begin each macro by naming the active workbook and then breaking out each command to the workbook level instead of starting with Worksheets, Range, etc.
Can anyone help me understand what VBA is thinking when performing macros from personal.xls and how to best avoid the macros being run on that sheet itself?
There are two approaches you can take. I use one or both in my code - it's not a one or the other situations.
Declare Variables
Start by defining each sheet that you want to work on in a variable. I generally stay at the sheet level, but that's just a personal choice. If you'd rather be at the workbook level, that's OK too. A procedure might looks like:
Dim shSource as Worksheet
Dim shDest as Worksheet
Set shSource = Workbooks("SomeBook").Worksheets(1)
Set shDest = ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets("Summary")
then whenever I reference a Range or Cells or anything else on a sheet, I preface it with that sheet object variable. Even if I need to get to the workbook, I start with the sheet. If I needed to, for instance, close the Source workbook from the above example, I would use
shSource.Parent.Close False
I set up the sheet variables I need and then everything I do is in terms of those variables.
Edit
If you're opening or creating workbooks, then variables is definitely the way to go. For example, if you're opening a workbook, you could use one of these two examples
Dim wb As Workbook
Set wb = Workbooks.Open(C:\...)
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = Workbooks.Open("C:\...).Worksheets(1)
or creating new, one of these two examples:
Dim wb As Workbook
Set wb = Workbooks.Add
Dim ws as Worksheet
Set ws = Workbooks.Add.Worksheets(1)
With Blocks
When I'm only trying to get at something one time, it seems like a waste to set up a bunch of variables. In those cases, I use a With Block so I can still have fully qualified references, but without a bunch of clutter in my code.
With Workbook("MyBook")
With .Worksheets("First_Sheet")
.Range("A1").Value = "stuff"
End With
With .Worksheets("Second_Sheet")
.Range("G10").Formula = "=A1"
End With
End With
I probably prefer the variable method, but I use them both.
Edit 2: Implicit Referencing
You should always explicitly reference your workbooks and worksheets, but it's still instructional to know how Excel will behave if you don't. A line of code that starts like Range("A1").Value = ... is called an unqualified reference. You're referencing a range, but you're not saying which sheet its on or which workbook that sheet is in. Excel handles unqualified references differently depending on where your code is.
In a Sheet's Class Module (like where you use sheet events like SelectionChange), unqualified references refer to the sheet represented by that module. If you're in the Sheet1 module working in the Change event and you code x = Range("G1").Value then the G1 you are referring to is on Sheet1. In this case, you should be using the Me keyword rather than relying on Excel.
In any other module (like a Standard Module), unqualified references refer to the ActiveSheet. The same x = Range("G1").Value code in a Standard Module refers to G1 on whichever sheet has the focus.
Excel's treatment of unqualified references is very reliable. You could easily create robust code by relying on Excel to resolve the qualified references. But you shouldn't. Your code will be more readable and easier to debug if you qualify every reference. I qualify every reference. And that's not one of those things I "always" do except when I'm lazy - I really do it 100% of the time.
I am trying to update some formulas from one workbook, to another workbook. Everything is working great until I run into a formula that has a reference to another workbook. For example a formula like this =IF(ISERROR(W!Var1),0,W!Var2) It will prompt me to open this workbook, I am assuming so that it can evaluate the formula. So my question is this. Is there a way for me to handle these situations on the fly, so if there is a workbook reference needed it will prompt me and then save it to memory? Because if I have more than one cell that contains these formulas it will prompt me to open the referenced workbook for every cell that contains the link. Alternatively, is there a way that I can just push my formula into the cell without having excel evaluate it?
So in my code I have this line which works for any value that doesn't contain a workbook reference. TheRange.RefersToRange.FormulaR1C1 = RangeFormula
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I understand that you refer to Worksheets (each of the "tabs" in a given Excel file), the Workbook is the whole file. The popping-up message appears when the referred Worksheet cannot be found. Example: range.Value = "=sheet5!A3" (in a Workbook having just "sheet1", "sheet2" and "sheet3"). If you want to avoid this message (although bear in mind that the Worksheet is not there and thus the calculations will be wrong anyway), you can write:
excelApp.DisplayAlerts = False
Where excelApp is the Excel.Application you are currently using.
What I am doing is copying a sheet from a different workbook to my current workbook. I'm basically doing the following:
Delete the current Worksheet in the current Workbook
Open the external Workbook and Copy the Worksheet required
This all works as expected but all references in the other sheets are lost and replaced with #REF.
Is there a workaround (other than find and replace hack) that can be done to avoid this.
Regards,
Lloyd
You could try using Clear and Copy-Paste instead:
- Clear the contents of the current worksheet
- copy the external worksheet
- paste into the current sheet
Why don't you just copy the values contained in the sheet instead of the whole sheet object?
v = Workbooks("Book1").Worksheets("Sheet2").Range("A1:IV65536")
Workbooks("Book3").Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1:IV65536") = v
where v is a Variant. Or,
Workbooks("Book3").Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1:IV65536") = _
Workbooks("Book1").Worksheets("Sheet2").Range("A1:IV65536")
This takes a couple of seconds, but will be faster if you reduce the range to what you really need ("A1:IV65536" is presumably exaggerated...)
Of course this won't do if you also have formulas in the sheet you're copying and you need those formulas in the destination sheet. It isn't clear from your question what exactly you're trying to accomplish.