Using VLookup in a macro - vba

Question

I'm new to VBA but I'm hooked! I've created a workbook that tracks overtime in 2 week blocks with one 2-week block per worksheet. The macro I'm trying to debug is designed to carry any changes made in a worksheet over to following worksheets. The trick is that the data in one row may be in a different row in following worksheets so I trying to use VLookup in a macro to keep it accurate.
Sub CarryForward()
Dim Answer As String
Answer = MsgBox("This should only be used for a PERMANENT crew change." & vbNewLine & "If you are adding a new person to the list," & vbNewLine & "please use the Re-Sort function." & vbNewLine & "Do you want to continue?", vbExclamation + vbYesNo, "Caution!")
If Answer = vbNo Then
Exit Sub
End If
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim ActiveWorksheet As String
ActiveWorksheet = ActiveSheet.Name
For i = (ActiveSheet.Index + 1) To Sheets("DATA").Index - 1
For x = 5 To 25
Dim a As String
Dim b As String
a = "B" & x
b = "C" & x
ActiveSheet.Range(b).Value = Application.WorksheetFunction.VLookup(a, Sheets(ActiveWorksheet).Range("B5:C25"), 2, False)
Next x
Range("A3").Select
Next i
Sheets(ActiveWorksheet).Select
Application.CutCopyMode = False
Range("A3").Select
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
I'm pretty sure it's just a syntax error in the VLookup line of code. A lot of the help posted comes close to what I'm looking for, it just doesn't get me over the finish line.
Any help would be appreciated!

Answer 1

It is a little unclear what you are trying to do, but reading between the lines I think
you want to lookup the value contained in cell named by a?
and put the result on sheet index i?
Also, there is a lot of opportunity to improve your code: see imbedded comments below
Sub CarryForward()
Dim Answer As VbMsgBoxResult ' <-- Correct Datatype
Answer = MsgBox("This should only be used for a PERMANENT crew change." & vbNewLine & _
"If you are adding a new person to the list," & vbNewLine & _
"please use the Re-Sort function." & vbNewLine & _
"Do you want to continue?", _
vbExclamation + vbYesNo, "Caution!")
If Answer = vbNo Then
Exit Sub
End If
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
' Dim ActiveWorksheet As String <-- Don't need this
'ActiveWorksheet = ActiveSheet.Name <-- use object variables
Dim wbActive As Workbook ' <-- don't select, use variables for sheet objects
Dim shActive As Worksheet
Set wbActive = ActiveWorkbook
Set shActive = ActiveSheet
'Dim a As String ' <-- no point in putting these inside the loop in VBA. And don't need these anyway
'Dim b As String
Dim SearchRange As Range
Set SearchRange = shActive.Range("B5:C25") ' <-- Use variable to hold range
Dim shDest As Worksheet
Dim i As Long, x As Long '<-- dim all your variables
For i = (shActive.Index + 1) To wbActive.Worksheets("DATA").Index - 1 ' <-- qualify references
Set shDest = wbActive.Sheets(i)
For x = 5 To 25
'a = "B" & x <-- no need to create cell names
'b = "C" & x
' I think you want to lookup the value contained in cell named by a?
' and put the result on sheet index i?
' Note: if value is not found, this will return N/A. Add an error handler
wbActive.Sheets(i).Cells(x, 3).Value = Application.VLookup(shActive.Cells(x, 2).Value, SearchRange, 2, False)
Next x
'Range("A3").Select
Next i
'Sheets(ActiveWorksheet).Select ,-- don't need these
'Application.CutCopyMode = False
'Range("A3").Select
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Answer 2

I suspect you would want to replace the vlookup statement to be something like
Application.WorksheetFunction.VLookup(ActiveWorksheet.Range(a).value, ActiveWorksheet.Range("B5:C25"), 2, False)
at the moment it looks like you're just doing a vlookup against some strings B5, B6, B7 etc instead of values in those cells