Create new Excel workbook and copy information with certain characteristics - vba

Question

I'm interning and was given an assignment in VBA, which I know very little about. I found code that is similar to the functions I need and have commented it with my best guesses. If you could help me understand what each piece does and where to replace the generic code with my own information, it would be greatly appreciated!
When patrons have an overdue record, they are sent a spreadsheet with a list of the records they must return and the records' attributes in the following columns.
I need to create a macro which will
Create a new workbook
Copy row 1 (headings)
Copy rows with the same User
Name the file “UniqueUserrecordsrecall.xlsx”
Save to C:\Users\xxx\Documents\xxx\xxx
Attributes: Records, Description, Client, Engagement, Days, Date, Type, LOS, Location, State, Final, User.
Workbook Name: RecordsRecall
Worksheet Name: Main
Sub details()
'Declaration
Dim thisWB As String
Dim newWB As String
thisWB = ActiveWorkbook.Name
'?
On Error Resume Next
Sheets("tempsheet").Delete
On Error GoTo 0
'CreateTempSheet
Sheets.Add
ActiveSheet.Name = "tempsheet"
'?
Sheets("Main").Select
If ActiveSheet.AutoFilterMode Then
Cells.Select
On Error Resume Next
ActiveSheet.ShowAllData
On Error GoTo 0
End If
'Copy User Column
Columns("L:L").Select
Selection.Copy
'Paste User Column in TempSheet
Sheets("tempsheet").Select
Range("A1").Select
ActiveSheet.Paste
Application.CutCopyMode = False
'?
If (Cells(1, 1) = "") Then
LastRow = Cells(1, 1).End(xlDown).Row
If LastRow <> Rows.Count Then
Range("A1:A" & LastRow - 1).Select
Selection.Delete Shift:=xlUp
End If
End If
'Apply Unique Filters in Tempsheet
Columns("A:A").Select
Columns("A:A").AdvancedFilter Action:=xlFilterCopy, _
CopyToRange:=Range("B1"), Unique:=True
'?
Columns("A:A").Delete
Cells.Select
Selection.Sort _
Key1:=Range("A2"), Order1:=xlAscending, _
Header:=xlYes, OrderCustom:=1, _
MatchCase:=False, Orientation:=xlTopToBottom, _
DataOption1:=xlSortNormal
lMaxSupp = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
For suppno = 2 To lMaxSupp
Windows(thisWB).Activate
supName = Sheets("tempsheet").Range("A" & suppno)
If supName <> "" Then
Workbooks.Add
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs supName
newWB = ActiveWorkbook.Name
Windows(thisWB).Activate
Sheets("Main").Select
Cells.Select
If ActiveSheet.AutoFilterMode = False Then
Selection.AutoFilter
End If
Selection.AutoFilter Field:=2, Criteria1:="=" & supName, _
Operator:=xlAnd, Criteria2:="<>"
LastRow = Cells(Rows.Count, 2).End(xlUp).Row
'Copy from TempSheet
Rows("1:" & LastRow).Copy
'Paste in newWB in TempSheet
Windows(newWB).Activate
ActiveSheet.Paste
'Save and Close newWB
ActiveWorkbook.Save
ActiveWorkbook.Close
End If
Next
'Delete TempSheet
Sheets("tempsheet").Delete
Sheets("Main").Select
If ActiveSheet.AutoFilterMode Then
Cells.Select
ActiveSheet.ShowAllData
End If
End Sub
Thanks for the help!

Answer 1

I am guessing this code does not achieve the effect you seek and you do not know where to start fixing it.
You are attempting too much in one go when you do not really know what you are doing.
I suggest you start by writing simple macros each of which achieves one step of your total requirement or adds one step to a previous macro. If you run into difficulties with one of these macros, you can post it with an explanation of what it does and what you want it to do. Questions with macros that isolate a single problem get answered very quickly. I would not know where to start debugging your current macro.
You have an AutoFilter but I cannot see how that selects the records of a patron with an overdue record. I think that is your first problem: how does the macro know which patron’s records are to be output? Could this be supName? Where has this come from?
Can you write a macro that creates an empty workbook and saves it with the desired name? Call that Macro1.
Write Macro2 by updating Macro1, to rename Sheet1 as “Overdue” or something more meaningful and then delete the other worksheets.
Can you write a macro that uses AutoFilter to select the required records? Write this as new macro Macro3.
Merge Macro2 and Macro3 and try copying the rows selected by AutoFilter to the new workbook. The statement SourceRange.Copy Destination:=FirstDestCell is likely to be easier to use than Copy and Paste.
I hope you can see why little macros which expand your knowledge one step at a time will be an easier path to your objective than trying to debug your current code.