How to stop VBA code running? - vba

Question

Say I have a button embedded into my spreadsheet that launches some VBA function.
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
SomeVBASub
End Sub
Private Sub SomeVBASub
DoStuff
DoAnotherStuff
AndFinallyDothis
End Sub
I'd like to have an opportunity to have some sort of a "cancel" button that would stop SomeVBASub execution at an arbitrary moment, and I'm not into involving Ctrl+Break here, 'cause I'd like to do it silently.
I guess this should be quite common issue, any ideas?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Add another button called "CancelButton" that sets a flag, and then check for that flag.
If you have long loops in the "stuff" then check for it there too and exit if it's set. Use DoEvents inside long loops to ensure that the UI works.
Bool Cancel
Private Sub CancelButton_OnClick()
Cancel=True
End Sub
...
Private Sub SomeVBASub
Cancel=False
DoStuff
If Cancel Then Exit Sub
DoAnotherStuff
If Cancel Then Exit Sub
AndFinallyDothis
End Sub

Answer 2

How about Application.EnableCancelKey - Use the Esc button
On Error GoTo handleCancel
Application.EnableCancelKey = xlErrorHandler
MsgBox "This may take a long time: press ESC to cancel"
For x = 1 To 1000000 ' Do something 1,000,000 times (long!)
' do something here
Next x
handleCancel:
If Err = 18 Then
MsgBox "You cancelled"
End If
Snippet from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa214566(office.11).aspx

Answer 3

Or, if you want to avoid the use of a global variable you could use the rarely used .Tag property of the userform:
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Me.CommandButton1.Enabled = False 'Disabling button so user cannot push it
'multiple times
Me.CommandButton1.caption = "Wait..." 'Jamie's suggestion
Me.Tag = "Cancel"
End Sub
Private Sub SomeVBASub
If LCase(UserForm1.Tag) = "cancel" Then
GoTo StopProcess
Else
'DoStuff
End If
Exit Sub
StopProcess:
'Here you can do some steps to be able to cancel process adequately
'i.e. setting collections to "Nothing" deleting some files...
End Sub

Answer 4

what jamietre said, but
Private Sub SomeVBASub
Cancel=False
DoStuff
If not Cancel Then DoAnotherStuff
If not Cancel Then AndFinallyDothis
End Sub

Answer 5

I do this a lot. A lot. :-)
I have got used to using "DoEvents" more often, but still tend to set things running without really double checking a sure stop method.
Then, today, having done it again, I thought, "Well just wait for the end in 3 hours", and started paddling around in the ribbon. Earlier, I had noticed in the "View" section of the Ribbon a "Macros" pull down, and thought I have a look to see if I could see my interminable Macro running....
I now realise you can also get this up using Alt-F8.
Then I thought, well what if I "Step into" a different Macro, would that rescue me? It did :-)
It also works if you step into your running Macro (but you still lose where you're upto), unless you are a very lazy programmer like me and declare lots of "Global" variables, in which case the Global data is retained :-)
K

Answer 6

~ For those using custom input box
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
DoCmd.Close acForm, Me.Name
End
End Sub

Answer 7

This is an old post, but given the title of this question, the END option should be described in more detail. This can be used to stop ALL PROCEDURES (not just the subroutine running). It can also be used within a function to stop other Subroutines (which I find useful for some add-ins I work with).
As Microsoft states:
Terminates execution immediately. Never required by itself but may be placed anywhere in a procedure to end code execution, close files opened with the Open statement, and to clear variables*. I noticed that the END method is not described in much detail. This can be used to stop ALL PROCEDURES (not just the subroutine running).
Here is an illustrative example:
Sub RunSomeMacros()
Call FirstPart
Call SecondPart
'the below code will not be executed if user clicks yes during SecondPart.
Call ThirdPart
MsgBox "All of the macros have been run."
End Sub
Private Sub FirstPart()
MsgBox "This is the first macro"
End Sub
Private Sub SecondPart()
Dim answer As Long
answer = MsgBox("Do you want to stop the macros?", vbYesNo)
If answer = vbYes Then
'Stops All macros!
End
End If
MsgBox "You clicked ""NO"" so the macros are still rolling..."
End Sub
Private Sub ThirdPart()
MsgBox "Final Macro was run."
End Sub