How to prevent dropdown from executing when source list is changed programmatically - vba

Question

I have an activeX dropdown form on my spreadsheet which executes code on _Change. My code modifies the dropdowns list source (adding or deleting items). Whenever this happens, the _Change is called again.
I have various workarounds, all of which were some version of changing the list source, but with no success. The reason none of this has worked is because clearing or altering the .ListFillRange actually triggers the _Change event again.
How do I prevent the _Changeevent from getting called if I want to add or delete items in the .ListFillRange
UPDATE w EnableEvents set to false:
Public Sub SetRangeForDropdown()
On Error Resume Next
Application.EnableEvents = False
'Get new List of employees from Employee sheet
Dim rng1 As Range
With wsDB_employee
Set rng1 = .Range("A2:B" & .Range("A10000").End(xlUp).Row)
End With
With wsStage
.Cells.Clear
rng1.Copy .Range(.Cells(1, 1), .Cells(rng1.Rows.Count, 2))
End With
'Set range for dropdown on employee sheet
Dim rng2 As Range
Set rng2 = wsStage.Range("A1:B" & wsStage.Range("A10000").End(xlUp).Row)
'Update employee list named formula
ActiveWorkbook.Names.Add Name:="nfEmployeeList", RefersTo:=rng2
Dim str As String
str = rng2.Parent.Name & "!" & rng2.Address 'Source path for list fill range
wsMA.cmbEmployeeSelection.ListFillRange = str
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub
Apperantly EnableEvents does not work for ActiveX controls.
Thank you Microsoft for making life just a little bit more complicated!
Just found this: "Application.EnableEvents=False/True ONLY applies to Sheet and Workbook Events, not ActiveX Control Events" from here enter link description here

Answer 1

You can disable the events in the SetRangeForDropdown and then enable them back.
So, write the following at the start:
Application.EnableEvents = False
And the following at the end:
Application.EnableEvents = true

Answer 2

it's always a good habit to make (nearly) sure that events handling is always brought back, like follows:
Public Sub SetRangeForDropdown()
'...your code
On Error GoTo ExitSub
Application.EnableEvents = False
wsMA.cmbEmployeeSelection.ListFillRange = rng2
'Update employee list named formula
ActiveWorkbook.Names.Add name:="nfEmployeeList", RefersTo:=rng2
ExitSub:
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub
Furthermore, avoid On Error Resume Next unless you really need it

Answer 3

I have solved the problem by adding a global variable that prevents the _Change event from firing. Here is that code:
Private Sub cmbEmployeeSelection_Change()
If bNOTRUN = False Then 'Check if ActiveX event should fire or not
modEmployeeDB.SaveEmployeeData 'Save currently selected employee data
modEmployeeDB.DBSoll_To_WorkerInfo 'Get called employee data
End If
End Sub
And this is the module as modified... note the simple Boolean variable that I added:
Public Sub SetRangeForDropdown()
On Error GoTo SetRangeForDropdown_Error
bNOTRUN = True 'Global Variable that when True prevents Active X from firing
'Get new List of employees from Employee sheet
Dim rng1 As Range
With wsDB_employee
Set rng1 = .Range("A2:B" & .Range("A10000").End(xlUp).Row)
End With
With wsStage
.Cells.Clear
rng1.Copy .Range(.Cells(1, 1), .Cells(rng1.Rows.Count, 2))
End With
'Set range for dropdown on employee sheet
Dim rng2 As Range
Set rng2 = wsStage.Range("A1:B" & wsStage.Range("A10000").End(xlUp).Row)
'Update employee list named formula
ActiveWorkbook.Names.Add Name:="nfEmployeeList", RefersTo:=rng2
Dim str As String
str = rng2.Parent.Name & "!" & rng2.Address 'Source path for list fill range
wsMA.cmbEmployeeSelection.ListFillRange = str
bNOTRUN = False
On Error GoTo 0
Exit Sub
SetRangeForDropdown_Error:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & " (" & Err.Description & ") in procedure SetRangeForDropdown of Sub modEmployeeDB"
bNOTRUN = False
End Sub