Finding the LastRow in multiple column ranges? - vba

Question

I'm trying to find the LastRow in multiple column ranges ignoring certain columns... I have two attempts but can't get either working correctly:
BOTH Examples are ignoring columns N and O
My first attempt is the following, however it doesn't get the correct last range, if I have something in A15 for example and T10, it thinks the last row is 10 when it should be 15.
Sub LastRowMacro()
LastRowString = "A1:M" & Rows.Count & ", P1:Z" & Rows.Count
LastRowTest = Range(LastRowString).Find(What:="*", After:=[A1], SearchOrder:=xlByRows, searchDirection:=xlPrevious).Row
End Sub
My second attempt is as follows, but it seems rather long winded.
Sub LastRowMacro()
Dim i As Long
LastRow = 1
IgnoreColumnList = "N;O"
For i = 1 To Cells(1, Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
ColumnLetter = Split(Cells(1, i).Address(True, False), "$")(0)
For Each varFind In Split(IgnoreColumnList, ";")
If varFind = ColumnLetter Then
varNotFound = False
Exit For
End If
varNotFound = True
Next
If varNotFound Then
CurrentLastRow = Cells(Rows.Count, i).End(xlUp).Row
If CurrentLastRow >= LastRow Then
LastRow = CurrentLastRow
End If
varNotFound = False
End If
Next
End Sub
Ideally I'd like my first attempt to work however if it just doesn't work then someone surely can improve my second version...

Answer 1

Try this
*There is an ignoreList variable with all the columns that you want to ignore. Make sure you populate this correctly - currently ignoring N, O, P
*You may need to set the sh variable to the correct sheet - currently it's Sheet1
*btw. this snippet will always find the last last row on the spreadsheet. you can add another elseif to check whether there are 2 columns with the same high last row in case there was 2 columns with the highest lastRows.
Sub FindingLastRow() ' ignoring some columns
Dim ignoreList
ignoreList = Array("N", "O", "P") ' MODIFY IGNORE LIST
Dim sh As Worksheet
Set sh = Sheet1 ' SET CORRECT SHEET
Dim currentlast As Range
Set currentlast = sh.Cells(1, 1)
Dim iteratingCell As Range
With sh
For j = 1 To .UsedRange.Columns.Count
Set iteratingCell = .Cells(1, j)
If Not isIgnored(iteratingCell, ignoreList) Then
If iteratingCell.Cells(Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row >= currentlast.Cells(Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row Then
Set currentlast = iteratingCell
End If
End If
Next
Set currentlast = .Range("$" & Split(currentlast.Address, "$")(1) & "$" & currentlast.Cells(Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row)
End With
MsgBox currentlast.Address
End Sub
Function isIgnored(currentlast As Range, ignoreList As Variant) As Boolean
Dim ignore As Boolean
Dim letter As Variant
For Each letter In ignoreList
If StrComp(Split(currentlast.Address, "$")(1), letter, vbTextCompare) = 0 Then
ignore = True
Exit For
End If
Next
isIgnored = ignore
End Function