Coding for In/Out Tracking of Tools with no repeating and text always getting added into and not deleted text input by barcode scanner - vba

Question

I am trying to make a code in Microsoft Excel Where it puts a text into a cell when another cell is filled in.
What I am looking for is that when cell A for example is filled cell C is filled in with OUT. Then when cell A is filled in again on the next line or another line below it cell C on the same line as cell A is filled in with IN.
We would like to utilize a barcode scanner for checking the tools in and out. I already figured out how to get the barcode to scan into column A
I would like this process to be repeated over and over again.
It's supposed to be a tracking sheet for when tools get taken out and get put back into stock. The text is going to constantly be added and nothing deleted. We want to utilize a barcode scanner to check tools in and out. The employees scan their barcode indicating them then they scan the tool indicating what tool they are taking. Then when they come back they scan their barcode again and then they scan the tool back into inventory. Of course just having this simple setup will lead to a mess of whether the tool is in or out and who used it last since we have a bunch of employees taking tools IN and OUT constantly. That way we can be sure of who used what tool last and whether it's IN or OUT.
Below I have the coding that I need for the time stamp.
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim B As Range, AC As Range, t As Range
Set B = Range("B:B")
Set AC = Range("A:A")
Set t = Target
If Intersect(t, AC) Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
Application.EnableEvents = False
Range("B" & t.Row).Value = Now
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub

Answer 1

It sounds like a very contrived example for asking the question "In VBA, how do I fill an Excel cell with a specific string?"
The answer to that question is:
myRange.Value = "<myString>"
Anyway, this is how I would try to tackle your problem:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim rngChange As Range
Dim rngIntersect As Range
Dim xlCell As Range
Dim inOut As String
Set rngChange = Range("A:A")
Set rngIntersect = Intersect(Target, rngChange)
If Not rngIntersect Is Nothing Then
Application.EnableEvents = False
For Each xlCell In rngIntersect
If xlCell.Value = "" Then
inOut = "OUT"
Else
inOut = "IN"
End If
xlCell.Offset(0, 1).Value = Now
xlCell.Offset(0, 2).Value = inOut
Next xlCell
Application.EnableEvents = True
End If
End Sub
Edit:
In response to the asker's comments, the following modified code should address the problem:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim rngChange As Range
Dim rngIntersect As Range
Dim inOut As String
Set rngChange = Range("A:A")
Set rngIntersect = Intersect(Target, rngChange)
If Not rngIntersect Is Nothing Then
Application.EnableEvents = False
If rngIntersect.Row = 1 Then
inOut = "OUT"
ElseIf rngIntersect.Offset(-1, 2).Value = "OUT" Then
inOut = "IN"
Else
inOut = "OUT"
End If
rngIntersect.Offset(0, 1).Value = Now
rngIntersect.Offset(0, 2).Value = inOut
Application.EnableEvents = True
End If
End Sub
Edit2:
Use this to loop backwards through your log to determine the previous bookiung status for a specific id:
Option Explicit
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim rngChange As Range
Dim rngIntersect As Range
Dim xlCell As Range
Dim scanId As String
Dim inOutOld As String
Dim inOut As String
Set rngChange = Range("A:A")
Set rngIntersect = Intersect(Target, rngChange)
If Not rngIntersect Is Nothing Then
Application.EnableEvents = False
scanId = rngIntersect.Value
Set xlCell = rngIntersect
If rngIntersect.Row = 1 Then
inOut = "OUT"
Else
Do Until xlCell.Row = 1
Set xlCell = xlCell.Offset(-1, 0)
If xlCell.Value = scanId Then
inOutOld = xlCell.Offset(0, 2).Value
Exit Do
End If
Loop
End If
If inOutOld = "IN" Then
inOut = "OUT"
Else
inOut = "IN"
End If
rngIntersect.Offset(0, 1).Value = Now
rngIntersect.Offset(0, 2).Value = inOut
Application.EnableEvents = True
End If
End Sub

Answer 2

Instead of using VBA, you could do this with a worksheet 'IF()' formula.
=IF(A3="","","OUT")
=IF(A4="","","IN")
To break it down, this means that if cell A3 = nothing ("") then put nothing ("") in cell C3, but if there is something in cell A3, then put "OUT".
Place the first formula in cell C3 and the second one in C4. If the user of the tool inputs their initials/name in cell A3 then cell C3 will say OUT. It's not until the user comes back and returns the tool and enters their initials/name in cell A4 that cell C4 will say IN.
Hope this simple, non-VBA, example helps!