I'm conducting a VBA code where I use a function defined by the company. This function is contained in a Project which is Password protected, which I will not get access to, and I'm rather sure it should not be needed.
I can call the function through the worksheet "directly", i.e. in a cell I can write =TONNES(B2,B3,B4) and the cell output is the correct value. However in VBA when I use:
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Dim param1 as String, param2 as String, param3 as String
param1 = Cells(2,2)
param2 = Cells(2,3)
param3 = Cells(2,4)
Cells(1,3) = TONNES(param1, param2, param3)
End sub
I get the error that the function TONNES is not a sub or function.
I have saved my Macro in a Module, and I don't have access to the actual code of the User defined function. Is there a way to be able to use this through VBA? As it can be used directly in the worksheet, but not through VBA, can that conclude that the function is disabled through VBA for some reason?
EDIT: The function is an add-in (more specifically I have a Company add-in which contains the data from production in a summarization page, which has created these functions in order to present these in the summarization page).
So I've finally found a solution. Basically going into Tools -> References in the VBA Environment (Alt + F11) and adding in the specific references caused a solution to this issue. Hopefully this may be of help for someone else with this problem.
Related
*Note: Editing this question to reach out to VBA people, since it might be the same process that Excel uses. SVB is just a specialized form of VBA.
I have a macro stored in file FileA.svb.
In this case, it's Main(), which calls other functions in the file.
I need my macro to find out the name of the file it's saved in.
The following works, but of course it will get a wrong answer if there is more than one macro open.
' Get the name of this macro / analysis
Dim strMacroName As String
strMacroName = Application.Macros.Item(1)
Debug.Print strMacroName
In Statistica (or Excel), is there a property that will allow the a function/macro to see the name of the file in which it is stored? For Excel, I don't want the XLS file, but rather the name of the code module containing the functions. I don't think SVB has the "Me" keyword, unfortunately.
In Excel, the following only really work while you're in the VBE:
Application.VBE.VBProjects(1).FileName
Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject.Name
Application.VBE.ActiveCodePane.CodeModule
I'm not aware of a way to figure it out, other then having it hard-coded into your macros.
See Mathieu Guindon's post: Code Review: Managing a programmatically accessible stack trace
It goes something like this...but with the CallStack Class fully implemented:
Option Explicit
Private Const ModuleName As String = "Module1"
Sub DoSomething(ByVal value1 As Integer, ByVal value2 As Integer, ByVal value3 As String)
CallStack.Push ModuleName, "DoSomething", value1, value2, value3
TestSomethingElse value1
CallStack.Pop
End Sub
MsgBox Application.ActiveMacroEx(False).Name
or
MsgBox Application.ActiveMacroEx(False).FullName
Edit: The real solution to what I wanted to do can be found on this post here. I just wanted to expose some compiled functions to excel. This proved to be very easy using the Excel DNA nuget package. You just add a class library, add the nuget package, and copy paste the code found in the readme. Click F5 and it launches excel with the add-in already loaded. If you want your functions to be persisted you just need to manually add the add-in to the excel file through the "developer" ribbon section.
Original Post:
I was following the instructions from this microsoft post on how to create an automation add-in. Code compiles fine and I can access the functions from within Excel. However the functions do not work. I almost always get a #value or a #ref error when I try to assign to a cell the result of a function call. To be more specific:
The following function that is provided by Microsoft does not work. It shows me a #value error in the cell where I try to use it. I select using the mouse a random cell range as a parameter for the function.
Public Function NumberOfCells(ByVal range As Object) As Double
Dim r As Excel.Range = TryCast(range, Excel.Range)
Return CDbl(r.get_Cells.get_Count)
End Function
The following function that I created does not work. I get a #ref error. I called it by passing either directly integers ( Add1(1,2) ) or cells that contain numbers.
Public Function Add1(ByVal i1 As Integer, ByVal i2 As Integer) As Integer
return i1+i2
End Function
The following function that I created works(?!?):
Public Function Add1(ByVal i1 As Integer, ByVal i2 As Integer) As Integer
return 222
End Function
I am quite experienced in c# but not at all in vb.net, however for this add-in I need to use vb.net. I suspect that there is something simple that I am missing here but I have no idea what it is. It is also strange that the code provided by Microsoft doesn't work.
Edit: I also copy pasted the function presented here and I get the same #Value error inside excel. I did not follow the tutorial from this post from the beginning but I will during the day.
Edit 2: I figured out that the code from Microsoft doesn't work for some reason whenever you add a number in the function name. If I renamed Add1 on the sample code above to Addqweqew it would work!
MSDN Ref: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/andreww/archive/2008/01/23/managed-automation-add-ins.aspx
It has to do with a locale ID (LCID) issue. This is a known issue when
developing Excel solutions in a mixed culture environment. For more
information, see here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/246501/.
VSTO solves this problem via its LCID Proxy. Although you can only use
this with VSTO solutions, its worth reading the documentation so you
can understand the problem:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.office.tools.excel.excellocale1033proxy.aspx
and
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.office.tools.excel.excellocale1033attribute.aspx.
I got the same problem #Value results, I mucked around a bit and got this working (obviously it could be cleared up - but this code definitely works for me while keeping my PC set to my Australian locale ID. I'm not sure which part of the world you live but I am guessing not the United States as that's the locale where it works by default)
Public Function AddNumbers1(ByVal num1 As Double, _
ByVal num2 As Double) As Double
Dim oldCI As CultureInfo = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture
Dim english As System.Globalization.CultureInfo = System.Globalization.CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("en-US")
System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = english
System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = english
Dim valresult As Double = num1 + num2
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = oldCI
Return valresult
End Function
Related question: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/dafe71c5-d390-44bc-b4d3-b133444a02fe/excel-automation-addin-udf-returns-error-on-different-regional-settings?forum=vsto
I have an UDF named IP_Transpose, which is located under a standard module in Personal.xslb (so that every Excel workbook has access to it).
What I wanted to do is to register this function, so that it is accessible when user presses '=' key and it shows proper description just like any other Excel function (gives you hint when entering arguments).
Here is how I normally would register a function:
Public Sub RegisterFunction()
Dim vArg(1 To 2) As Variant
vArg(1) = "argument description 1"
vArg(1) = "argument description 2"
Application.MacroOptions Macro:="IP_Transpose", Description:="Some overall description", Category:="IP_UDF", ArgumentDescriptions:=vArg
End Sub
The problem is that not only that this does not work (uness I change MacroOptions Macro:="IP_Transpose" to MacroOptions Macro:="Personal.xslb!IP_Transpose"), but also when I start typing '=IP_Tra....' I cannot see it under function list.
How can to solve this issue? (I don't want to call my function as ='Personal.xslb'!IP_Transpose, but directly typing =IP_Transpose(...).
Thanks!
I need to automatize a process which execute various (a lot) user-defined function with different input parameters.
I am using the solution of timer API found in I don't want my Excel Add-In to return an array (instead I need a UDF to change other cells) .
My question is the following: "Does anybody can explain to me HOW IT IS WORKING?" If I debug this code in order to understand and change what I need, I simply go crazy.
1) Let say that I am passing to the public function AddTwoNumbers 14 and 45. While inside AddTwoNumber, the Application.Caller and the Application.Caller.Address are chached into a collection (ok, easier than vectors in order not to bother with type). Application.Caller is kind of a structured object where I can find the function called as a string (in this case "my_function"), for example in Application.Caller.Formula.
!!! Nowhere in the collection mCalculatedCells I can find the result 59 stored.
2)Ok, fair enough. Now I pass through the two UDF routines, set the timers, kill the timers.
As soon as I am inside the AfterUDFRoutine2 sub, the mCalculatedCell(1) (the first -- and sole -- item of my collection) has MAGICALLY (??!?!?!!!??) obtained in its Text field exactly the result "59" and apparently the command Set Cell = mCalculatedCells(1) (where on the left I have a Range and on the right I have ... I don't know) is able to put this result "59" into the variable Cell that afterward I can write with the .Offset(0,1) Range property on the cell to the right.
I would like to understand this point because I would like to give MORE task to to inside a single collection or able to wait for the current task to be finished before asking for a new one (otherwise I am over-writing the 59 with the other result). Indeed I read somewhere that all the tasks scheduled with the API setTimer will wait for all the callback to be execute before execute itself (or something like this).
As you can see I am at a loss. Any help would be really really welcomed.
In the following I try to be more specific on what (as a whole)
I am planning to achieved.
To be more specific, I have the function
public function my_function(input1 as string, Field2 as string) as double
/*some code */
end function
I have (let's say) 10 different strings to be given as Field2.
My strategy is as follow:
1)I defined (with a xlw wrapper from a C++ code) the grid of all my input values
2)define as string all the functions "my_function" with the various inputs
3)use the nested API timer as in the link to write my functions IN THE RIGHT CELLS as FORMULAS (not string anymore)
3)use a macro to build the entire worksheet and then retrieve the results.
4)use my xlw wrapper xll to process further my data.
You may wonder WHY should I pass through Excel instead of doing everything in C++. (Sometime I ask myself the same thing...) The prototype my_function that I gave above has inside some Excel Add-In that I need to use and they work only inside Excel.
It is working pretty well IN THE CASE I HAVE ONLY 1 "instance" of my_function to write for the give grid of input. I can even put inside the same worksheet more grids, then use the API trick to write various different my_functions for the different grids and then make a full calculation rebuild of the entire worksheet to obtain the result. It works.
However, as soon as I want to give more tasks inside the same API trick (because for the same grid of input I need more calls to my_function) I am not able to proceed any further.
After Axel Richter's comment I would like to ad some other information
#Axel Richter
Thank you very much for your reply.
Sorry for that, almost surely I wasn't clear with my purposes.
Here I try to sketch an example, I use integer for simplicity and let's say that my_function works pretty much as the SUM function of Excel (even if being an Excel native function I could call SUM directly into VBA but it is for the sake of an example).
If I have these inputs:
input1 = "14.5"
a vector of different values for Field2, for instance (11;0.52;45139)
and then I want to write somewhere my_function (which makes the sum of the two values given as input).
I have to write down in a cell =my_function(14.5;11), in the other =my_function(14.5;0.52) and in a third one =my_function(14.5;45139).
These input changes any time I need to refresh my data, then I cannot use directly a sub (I think) and, in any case, as far as I understand, in writing directly without the trick I linked, I will always obtain strings : something like '=my_function(14.5;0.52). Once evaluated (for example by a full rebuild or going over the written cell and make F2 + return) will give me only the string "=my_function(14.5;0.52)" and not its result.
I tried at the beginning to use an Evaluate method which works well as soon as I write something like 14.5+0.52, but it doesn't work as soon as a function (nor a user-defined function) is used instead.
This is "as far as I can understand". In the case you can enlighten me (and maybe show an easier track to follow), it would be simply GREAT.
So far the comments are correct in that they repeat the simple point that a User-Defined Function called a worksheet can only return a value, and all other actions that might inject values elsewhere into the worksheet calculation tree are forbidden.
That's not the end of the story. You'll notice that there are add-ins, like the Reuters Eikon market data service and Bloomberg for Excel, that provide functions which exist in a single cell but which write blocks of data onto the sheet outside the calling cell.
These functions use the RTD (Real Time Data) API, which is documented on MSDN:
How to create a RTD server for Excel
How to set up and use the RTD function in Excel
You may find this link useful, too:
Excel RTD Servers: Minimal C# Implementation
However, RTD is all about COM servers outside Excel.exe, you have to write them in another language (usually C# or C++), and that isn't the question you asked: you want to do this in VBA.
But I have, at least, made a token effort to give the 'right' answer.
Now for the 'wrong' answer, and actually doing something Microsoft would rather you didn't do. You can't just call a function, call a subroutine or method from the function, and write to the secondary target using the subroutine: Excel will follow the chain and detect that you're injecting values into the sheet calculation, and the write will fail.
You have to insert a break into that chain; and this means using events, or a timer call, or (as in RTD) an external process.
I can suggest two methods that will actually work:
1: Monitor the cell in the Worksheet_Change event:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim strFunc As String strFunc = "NukeThePrimaryTargets" If Left(Target.Formula, Len(strFunc) + 1) = strFunc Then Call NukeTheSecondaryTargets End If End Sub
Alternatively...
2: Use the Timer callback API:
However, I'm not posting code for that: it's complex, clunky, and it takes a lot of testing (so I'd end up posting untested code on StackOverflow). But it does actually work.
I can give you an example of a tested Timer Callback in VBA:
Using the VBA InputBox for passwords and hiding the user's keyboard input with asterisks.
But this is for an unrelated task. Feel free to adapt it if you wish.
Edited with following requirements: It is necessary to run a user defined worksheet function, because there are addins called in this function and those work only within a Excel sheet. The function has to run multiple times with different parameters and its results have to be gotten from the sheet.
So this is my solution now:
Public Function my_function(input1 As Double, input2 As Double) As Double
my_function = input1 + input2
End Function
Private Function getMy_Function_Results(input1 As Double, input2() As Double) As Variant
Dim results() As Double
'set the Formulas
With Worksheets(1)
For i = LBound(input2) To UBound(input2)
strFormula = "=my_function(" & Str(input1) & ", " & Str(input2(i)) & ")"
.Cells(1, i + 1).Formula = strFormula
Next
'get the Results
.Calculate
For i = LBound(input2) To UBound(input2)
ReDim Preserve results(i)
results(i) = .Cells(1, i + 1).Value
Next
End With
getMy_Function_Results = results
End Function
Sub test()
Dim dFieldInput2() As Double
Dim dInput1 As Double
dInput1 = Val(InputBox("Value for input1"))
dInput = 0
iIter = 0
Do
dInput = InputBox("Values for fieldInput2; 0=END")
If Val(dInput) <> 0 Then
ReDim Preserve dFieldInput2(iIter)
dFieldInput2(iIter) = Val(dInput)
iIter = iIter + 1
End If
Loop While dInput <> 0
On Error GoTo noFieldInput2
i = UBound(dFieldInput2)
On Error GoTo 0
vResults = getMy_Function_Results(dInput1, dFieldInput2)
For i = LBound(vResults) To UBound(vResults)
MsgBox vResults(i)
Next
noFieldInput2:
End Sub
The user can input first a value input1 and then input multiple fieldInput2 until he inputs the value 0. Then the results will be calculated and presented.
Greetings
Axel
I want to do this but it won't compile:
Public MyVariable as Integer = 123
What's the best way of achieving this?
.NET has spoiled us :)
Your declaration is not valid for VBA.
Only constants can be given a value upon application load. You declare them like so:
Public Const APOSTROPHE_KEYCODE = 222
Here's a sample declaration from one of my vba projects:
If you're looking for something where you declare a public variable and then want to initialize its value, you need to create a Workbook_Open sub and do your initialization there.
Example:
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Dim iAnswer As Integer
InitializeListSheetDataColumns_S
HideAllMonths_S
If sheetSetupInfo.Range("D6").Value = "Enter Facility Name" Then
iAnswer = MsgBox("It appears you have not yet set up this workbook. Would you like to do so now?", vbYesNo)
If iAnswer = vbYes Then
sheetSetupInfo.Activate
sheetSetupInfo.Range("D6").Select
Exit Sub
End If
End If
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic
sheetGeneralInfo.Activate
Load frmInfoSheet
frmInfoSheet.Show
End Sub
Make sure you declare the sub in the Workbook Object itself:
Just to offer you a different angle -
I find it's not a good idea to maintain public variables between function calls. Any variables you need to use should be stored in Subs and Functions and passed as parameters. Once the code is done running, you shouldn't expect the VBA Project to maintain the values of any variables.
The reason for this is that there is just a huge slew of things that can inadvertently reset the VBA Project while using the workbook. When this happens, any public variables get reset to 0.
If you need a value to be stored outside of your subs and functions, I highly recommend using a hidden worksheet with named ranges for any information that needs to persist.
Sure you know, but if its a constant then const MyVariable as Integer = 123 otherwise your out of luck; the variable must be assigned an initial value elsewhere.
You could:
public property get myIntegerThing() as integer
myIntegerThing= 123
end property
In a Class module then globally create it;
public cMyStuff as new MyStuffClass
So cMyStuff.myIntegerThing is available immediately.
Little-Known Fact: A named range can refer to a value instead of specific cells.
This could be leveraged to act like a "global variable", plus you can refer to the value from VBA and in a worksheet cell, and the assigned value will even persist after closing & re-opening the workbook!
To "declare" the name myVariable and assign it a value of 123:
ThisWorkbook.Names.Add "myVariable", 123
To retrieve the value (for example to display the value in a MsgBox):
MsgBox [myVariable]
Alternatively, you could refer to the name with a string: (identical result as square brackets)
MsgBox Evaluate("myVariable")
To use the value on a worksheet just use it's name in your formula as-is:
=myVariable
In fact, you could even store function expressions: (sort of like in JavaScript)
(Admittedly, I can't actually think of a situation where this would be beneficial - but I don't use them in JS either.)
ThisWorkbook.Names.Add "myDay", "=if(isodd(day(today())),""on day"",""off day"")"
Square brackets are just a shortcut for the Evaluate method. I've heard that using them is considered messy or "hacky", but I've had no issues and their use in Excel is supported by Microsoft.
There is probably also a way use the Range function to refer to these names, but I don't see any advantage so I didn't look very deeply into it.
More info:
Microsoft Office Dev Center: Names.Add method (Excel)
Microsoft Office Dev Center: Application.Evaluate method (Excel)
As told above, To declare global accessible variables you can do it outside functions preceded with the public keyword.
And, since the affectation is NOT PERMITTED outside the procedures, you can, for example, create a sub called InitGlobals that initializes your public variables, then you just call this subroutine at the beginning of your statements
Here is an example of it:
Public Coordinates(3) as Double
Public Heat as double
Public Weight as double
Sub InitGlobals()
Coordinates(1)=10.5
Coordinates(2)=22.54
Coordinates(3)=-100.5
Heat=25.5
Weight=70
End Sub
Sub MyWorkSGoesHere()
Call InitGlobals
'Now you can do your work using your global variables initialized as you wanted them to be.
End Sub
You can define the variable in General Declarations and then initialise it in the first event that fires in your environment.
Alternatively, you could create yourself a class with the relevant properties and initialise them in the Initialise method
This is what I do when I need Initialized Global Constants:
1. Add a module called Globals
2. Add Properties like this into the Globals module:
Property Get PSIStartRow() As Integer
PSIStartRow = Sheets("FOB Prices").Range("F1").Value
End Property
Property Get PSIStartCell() As String
PSIStartCell = "B" & PSIStartRow
End Property
there is one way to properly solve your question. i have the same concern with you for a long time. after searching and learning for a long time, finally i get a solution for this kind of question.
The solution is that no need to declare the variable and no need to set value to the variable, and even no need VBA code. Just need the "named range" in excel itself.
For example, the "A1" cell content is "hello, world". and we define the "A1" cell a name as "hello", that is, the "A1" cell have a name now, it's called "hello".
In VBA code, we just need use this method [hello], then we can get the "A1" value.
Sub test()
msgbox [hello]
end sub
the msgbox will show "Hello, word".
this way, we get a global variable without any declaration or assignment. it can be used in any Sub or Function.
we can define many named range in excel, and in VBA code we just use [] method to get the range value.
in fact, the [hello] is a abbreviation of the function Evaluate["Hell"], but it's more shorter.
It's been quite a while, but this may satisfy you :
Public MyVariable as Integer: MyVariable = 123
It's a bit ugly since you have to retype the variable name, but it's on one line.