Alternative to Vlookup in VBA? - vba

Question

A strange question perhaps, but is there an alternative way of opening a workbook, searching for a particular reference in a column, and then pulling the data from a another column in that row using VBA, without using VLookup?
The table I am trying to get data from contains a mixture of numbers, text, dates, and the lookup value is often >13 digits long.
I sort of had something working with VLookup, but it was too inconsistent - every so often it would just break because the data type didn't match. An awful lot of 'type mismatch' or 'ByRef' errors - I'd get one right and then another breaks.
Unfortunately I don't know enough to know what to search to get me in the right direction.
If it helps explain what I'm trying to do, here's my code using VLookup that errors all the time:
Sub getData()
Application.EnableEvents = False
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Application.Calculation = xlManual
Dim wb As Workbook, src As Workbook
Dim srcRange As Range
Dim InputString
Dim strStatus
Dim strStatusNum
Dim strD1
Dim I As Integer
Set wb = ActiveWorkbook
I = 7
Set src = Workbooks.Open("D:\Files\test2.xlsx", True, True)
With src.Sheets(1)
Set srcRange = .Range(.Range("A1"), .Range("H1").End(xlDown))
End With
Do While wb.ActiveSheet.Cells(I, 1) <> ""
'Makes sure src.Close is called if errors
'On Error Resume Next
InputString = wb.Worksheets("Sheet 1").Cells(I, 1)
strStatus = Application.VLookup(InputString, srcRange, 3, False)
strD1 = Application.VLookup(InputString, srcRange, 4, False)
'Convert strStatus to actual number e.g. "03. no d1"
strStatusNum = Left(strStatus, 2)
wb.Worksheets("Sheet 1").Cells(I, 4) = strStatusNum
If (strStatusNum <> 3) Then
wb.Worksheets("Sheet 1").Cells(I, 2) = "Not at 03. No Work Order"
ElseIf (strStatusNum = 3) And (strD1 <> "") Then
wb.Worksheets("Sheet 1").Cells(I, 2) = "D1 Received"
wb.Worksheets("Sheet 1").Cells(I, 3) = strD1
Else
wb.Worksheets("Sheet 1").Cells(I, 2) = "No D1"
End If
I = I + 1
Loop
src.Close (False)
Application.EnableEvents = True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Application.Calculation = xlAutomatic
End Sub
EDIT: Corrected some syntax.

Answer 1

You can use the Find method of the Range object, in your case of the column. The return value is the first cell (represented as another Range object) with a matching value, unless there is no match at all. Then Nothing is returned.
On the returned (single cell) range you can use the EntireRow method to get a Range that represents all the cells on the row of the found cell. On the returned (row) range you can use the Cells method to select the cell matching the column in the same row, that you want to return (again represented as another Range object).
By the way, a more flexible alternative to VLOOKUP in workbook functions is a combination of INDEX and MATCH.

Answer 2

Untested but compiled:
Sub getData()
Dim src As Workbook
Dim srcRange As Range
Dim strStatus, strStatusNum, strD1
Dim m, rw As Range
Set rw = ActiveSheet.Rows(7)
Set src = Workbooks.Open("D:\Files\test2.xlsx", True, True)
With src.Sheets(1)
Set srcRange = .Range(.Range("A1"), .Range("H1").End(xlDown))
End With
Do While rw.Cells(1).Value <> ""
m = Application.Match(rw.Cells(1), srcRange.Columns(1), 0)
If Not IsError(m) Then 'proceed only if got match
strStatus = srcRange.Cells(m, 3).Value
strD1 = srcRange.Cells(m, 4).Value
strStatusNum = Left(strStatus, 2)
rw.Cells(4).Value = strStatusNum
If strStatusNum <> 3 Then
rw.Cells(2) = "Not at 03. No Work Order"
ElseIf strStatusNum = 3 And strD1 <> "" Then
rw.Cells(2) = "D1 Received"
rw.Cells(3) = strD1
Else
rw.Cells(2) = "No D1"
End If
End If
Set rw = rw.Offset(1, 0)
Loop
src.Close False
End Sub

Answer 3

you may be after this refactoring of your code
Sub getData()
Dim wbRng As Range, cell As Range, f As Range
Dim strStatus, strStatusNum, strD1
Application.EnableEvents = False
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Application.Calculation = xlManual
With ActiveWorkbook.ActiveSheet
Set wbRng = .Range("A7:A" & WorksheetFunction.Max(7, .Cells(.Rows.count, 1).End(xlUp).Row)) '<--| set the range of values to be searched for
If WorksheetFunction.CountA(wbRng) = 0 Then Exit Sub '<--| exit if no values under row 7
Set wbRng = wbRng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants) '<--| narrow the range of values to be searched for down to not blank values only
End With
With Workbooks.Open("D:\Files\test2.xlsx", True, True).Sheets(1) '<--| open wanted workbook and reference its first sheet
With .Range("A1:A" & .Cells(.Rows.count, "H").End(xlUp).Row) '<--| reference its column A range from row 1 down to column H last not empty cell (this is your former "srcRange")
For Each cell In wbRng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants) '<--| loop through range of values to be searched for
Set f = .Find(what:=cell.Value, lookat:=xlWhole, LookIn:=xlValues) '<--| look referenced range for current value to be searched for
If Not f Is Nothing Then '<--| if found
strStatus = f.Offset(, 2).Value
strD1 = f.Offset(, 3).Value
'Convert strStatus to actual number e.g. "03. no d1"
strStatusNum = val(Left(strStatus, 2)) '<--| use 'Val()' function to convert string "03" to "3"
cell.Offset(, 3) = strStatusNum
Select Case True
Case strStatusNum <> 3
cell.Offset(, 1).Value = "Not at 03. No Work Order"
Case strStatusNum = 3 And (strD1 <> "")
cell.Offset(, 1).Resize(, 2).Value = Array("D1 Received", strD1)
Case Else
cell.Offset(, 1).Value = "No D1"
End Select
End If
Next
End With
.Parent.Close False
End With
Application.EnableEvents = True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Application.Calculation = xlAutomatic
End Sub