Order of Events for the SheetFollowHyperlink Event - vba

Question

I have a workbook that lists people's names and overall performance for the past few weeks. I was asked to make it so that when their names are clicked, the details for that person would show. The solution I came up with at the time was to point all of the hyperlinks to a sheet that reminded them to turn on their macros.
In the WorkSheet_Activate event, I redirected them to another sheet that populated with the details for the person they had selected. This works fine. If the user doesn't have their macros turned on, they get a friendly reminder, but if they do, they immediately get redirected. There's just one problem. Because the hyperlink takes them somewhere else first, it causes the infamous "screen flicker".
On researching, I found the FollowHyperlink Events (I think the workbook level event would be most suitable for my purposes, though). However, before I get started rebuilding it, I wanted to make sure that this would solve the "screen flicker".
On MSDN, it states that the Event occurs when the user clicks the hyperlink. I can't seem to find anywhere that directly states whether this Event is triggered before or after the user is directed to the other sheet, though. If it gets triggered right after, that wouldn't really help me, but if it gets triggered before, I could put an Application.ScreenUpdates = False in the event, and it would solve my problem.
TL;DR (Get to the point already):
Does the Workbook_SheetFollowHyperlink Event happen before or after the user is directed to where ever the hyperlink is pointed?

Answer 1

To answer your question, the event is triggered after the hyperlink is followed. You can demonstrate this using the code below:
Private Sub Workbook_SheetFollowHyperlink(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Hyperlink)
Debug.Print "Workbook level: " & ActiveSheet.Name
End Sub
When the event is triggered, the ActiveSheet is the sheet directed to by the hyperlink.
I'm not sure of a way to solve your problem directly, even the Click() event won't be raised when you click a hyperlink. However, the Worksheet level hyperlink event handler will be called before the Workbook level handler and this may speed the process up enough to not see the flicker.
You can prove this if you leave the Workbook level event as is and add the following code to the Worksheet containing the hyperlinks:
Private Sub Worksheet_FollowHyperlink(ByVal Target As Hyperlink)
Debug.Print "Worksheet level: " & ActiveSheet.Name
Sleep 1000
Debug.Print "Leaving worksheet level event"
End Sub

Answer 2

After a few experiments (see below) I concluded that:
Allow the user to use the hyperlink columns when macros are disabled.
When macros are enabled, hide the current hyperlink column and show another column that gives the user a different "hyperlink" that takes them directly to where you want them to go.
The 2nd hyperlink can easily be "simulated" such that it picks up the other columns hyperlink. (See below)
I hope his helps
Interesting, here's a few things I tried
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
' This does not fire if the user clicks directly on the hyperlink text
' it only fires if when click on the cell space that is not text
With ActiveCell
If Hyperlinks.Count Then
MsgBox "hi" & .Hyperlinks(1).Range
.Hyperlinks(1).Follow
End If
End With
End Sub
However you could make the text in the cells look like a hyperlink but actually just be blue underlined text. You could then use the Worksheet_SelectionChange to go to a related cell.
The question then become how to store the related cell.
You want to store it so that if row and column are inserted on the destination sheet, the reference will adjust. (eg NOT in comments, or the description of named ranges etc..)
Depending on how much data you have there's a variety of ways you could choose from.
I think I would favour this:
Having a hidden column next to the cell on display that has a hyperlink. The cell on display has a formula that is set to pick up the value from the hidden column (I quite like the sound of this as you have the hyperlink column already - so just modify the above code to get the hyperlink from the column next to the clicked cell using offset perhaps)
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
' This does not fire if the user clicks directly on the hyperlink text
With ActiveCell.offset(0,1)
If Hyperlinks.Count Then
.Hyperlinks(1).Follow
End If
End With
End Sub
You could mess around with named ranges, but it will be a pain.
I've just realised that what I tried won't help much as you need the hyperlink to work when macros have not been enabled!
So to get the above to work you could change the columns displayed when the user enables macros. ie the hyperlink column is shown when macros are disabled (and the column to the left of it is not).
When macros are enabled hide the hyperlink column and show the one to the left of it that will cause the SelectionChange event to run.
(You need to beware how other hyperlinks are used as any cell with a hyperlink next to it will respond to the event. You may need to use intersection to check the cell clicked is in a namedrange that contains "all the cells that need to respond to a user clicking them in the manner".
All the above sounds a bit mad, but it would appear the event model does not facilitate stopping the screen flickering.
I hope there is a better way of doing what you want, but for what it's worth, the above might help.
Harvey