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.
Related
What I want to do
I want a code in my workbook (wbDestination) that opens another workbook (wbBosOriginal) and copies an entire sheet as values (wbBosOriginal has a lot of code in it, in modules and in the worksheet in question, and I do not want this code because it references stuff in wbB that doesn't exist in wbDestination). I have had great problems pasting as values, because it will not paste columns and rows that are currently hidden. So this is why I decided to import the whole sheet instead.
What I tried and what's wrong with it
Here is a block of code I used to copy the worksheet in the destination workbook, in the last index position. The problem with it is that some links still exist to the old workbook (Formulas, validation lists, conditionnal formatting). I have deleted all these links but STILL when I paste the sheet successfully, save and reopen, I have an error saying some content is unreadable. I believe there are still some elements linked to the old workbook.
Set wbBosOriginal = Workbooks.Open(strChosenPath, ReadOnly:=True)
With wbBosOriginal.Sheets("BOS")
.Visible = True
'Pastes the ws in last position in wbDestination
.Copy after:=wbDestination.Sheets(wbDestination.Worksheets.Count)
Set wsNewBos = Worksheets(Worksheets.Count)
'Deletes VBA code in the copied sheet
ThisWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Item(wsNewBos.CodeName).CodeModule.DeleteLines 1, _
ThisWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Item(wsNewBos.CodeName).CodeModule.CountOfLines
End With
The worksheet is successfully pasted with no code in it, with everything else it had previously. I then remove all formulas, conditionnal formatting, and validation lists. Even after removing those as well, I still get an error when opening the workbook.
My question
Apart from conditional formatting, validation lists, VBA code, and formulas linking a worksheet that was pasted to a new workbook, what other elements could cause the workbook from opening in repair mode every time due to existing links to the old workbook?
If my question is not clear, comment and I will clarify.
Dealing directly with VBE seems a bit heavy-handed to me. If your code is manipulating several workbooks, I would put the code in an add-in and not have it in any workbook. (Technically *.xlam addins are workbooks, but when I say "workbook" I mean normal *.xls, *.xlsx, *.xlsm, etc.)
That said, if you're just copying cell values (which may be formulas) between different workbooks, you shouldn't have any dependencies other than cell references, named ranges, and user-defined functions in the original workbook. I would make sure there are none of those. Please also share how you are ensuring your formulas do not have broken references.
If the issue you are having is caused by trying to avoid hidden columns and rows not allowing pastevalues, why not unhide the rows and columns and then copy only the values to the new book?
Just cycle through each of the sheets in the original book and use the method .UsedRange.Hidden = False. As far as I am aware, this should unhide every cell on the sheet and allow you to do the original pastevalues calls
This works fast and smooth (it's harder to delete ALL the data Imo):
Sub tests()
Dim AllRange As Range: Set AllRange = ActiveSheet.UsedRange
Dim ItemRange As Range
Dim myWbDestination As Workbook: Set myWbDestination = ThisWorkbook
Dim SheetDestination As String: SheetDestination = ("Sheet2")
For Each ItemRange In AllRange
With myWbDestination.Sheets(SheetDestination)
.Range(ItemRange.Address) = ItemRange.Value
End With
Next ItemRange
End Sub
Repair mode can be triggered by many factors, you would need to post the code you are getting to look for an explanation, it would be like asking why vba may broke
I'm very new to VBA macros and have taught myself some code but I'm struggling with my current piece of work and can't find the answer I am looking for.
I want to copy a range of cells (B3:N21) from one workbook to another "master" workbook - which seems simple enough - but I would like it to copy into a blank/new worksheet in the Master copy every time the Macro is run.
The range contains formulas, I would only need the values copied to the Master workbook.
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("C1:C5").Copy
Worksheets("Sheet2").activate
Worksheets("Sheet2").Range("D1:D5").PasteSpecial _
Operation:=xlPasteSpecialOperationAdd
End With
I think you only need paste special, this is an example
try this
Option Explicit
Sub main()
Dim masterWb As Workbook
Dim mySht As Worksheet
Set mySht = ThisWorkbook.ActiveSheet '<~~ assuming you're copying values from active worksheet of the workbook the macro resides in
' beware: if you start the macro while the active sheet is not the one you want, this will lead to unespected results
Set masterWb = Workbooks("Master") '<~~ Change "Master" with whatever name your master workbook must have
' beware: we're assuming "Master" workbook is already open, otherwise this line will throw an error
With masterWb.Worksheets.Add
.Range("B3:N21").Value = mySht.Range("B3:N21").Value
End With
End Sub
mind the comments
the code above can be reduce to a much less verbose (and self explanatory, too) one like follows
Sub main2()
Workbooks("Master").Worksheets.Add.Range("B3:N21").Value = ThisWorkbook.ActiveSheet.Range("B3:N21").Value
End Sub
where apply the same comments of the lengthy code, which is:
assuming you're copying values from active worksheet of the workbook the macro resides in
beware: if you start the macro while the active sheet is not the one you want, this will lead to unespected results
change "Master" with whatever name your master workbook must have
beware: we're assuming "Master" workbook is already open, otherwise an error would be thrown
I have a named range in Excel that I am trying to clear using VBA.
The problem with the range is that spans across multiple sheets and I am not sure how to properly reference the named range in VBA since it covers multiple sheets.
The Named Range "Counts" is set to Workbook scope with the following cell references:
=Sheet1!$A$1, Sheet2!$A$1, Sheet3!$A$1
When clearing a named range where it only has cells referenced on one sheet I use the following:
ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1").Range("Counts").ClearContents
I have tried the following but neither seemed to work.
ThisWorkbook.Range("Counts").ClearContents
and
Range("Counts").ClearContents
The last gives me a global error.
Instead of a range that goes across multiple sheets (which does not work, as we have established), you need a worksheet scoped range in each sheet.
When defining a range name you can set its scope to workbook or the current sheet. This way you can have the same range name in many sheets.
Use VBA to loop through all worksheet, access the ws.Range("TheRangeName") on the current sheet and clear its contents.
That's a cleaner approach.
I would write something that displays the names and you can use that to remove it...
In the immediate window:
For i = 1 to names.count:Debug.print i, Names(i).RefersTo, Names(i).name:next
You can then either use th name or the index to remove the particular name you want.
Hope that helps.
Rory Archibald states on his website post about named ranges that: A Range object can only refer to cells on one worksheet. You cannot refer to cells on different sheets with one Range object.
So I am unable to accomplish what I was wanting but I should be able to just create multiple named ranges and just clear them one at a time.
I was able to complete the code for this as follows with inspiration from teylyn
Public Sub ClearRanges()
'Checks if named Range exists on sheet if it does then clear contents
Dim ws As Worksheet
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
For Each ws In ThisWorkbook.Worksheets
If Len(ws.Range("Counts").Name) <> 0 Then
ws.Range("Counts").ClearContents
End If
Next ws
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub
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.