Excel All Versions - Level 7 Course Book Revised PDF

MICROSOFT EXCEL
VISUAL BASIC FOR APPLICATIONS

ADVANCED
WWP Training Limited Page 1

NOTE
 Unless otherwise stated, screenshots of dialog boxes and screens in this
book were taken using Excel 2003 running on Window XP Professional.
There may, therefore, be minor differences if you are using other versions of
Excel, or if you are running on Windows 2000, Windows Vista or Windows
7.
 Concepts, discussions, procedures and functionality, however, remain
unchanged.

Contents
NOTE.............................................................................................................................................................. 2
LESSON 1 – ERROR HANDLING & TRAPPING ..................................................................................... 5
ERROR HANDLING USING IF .......................................................................................................................... 6
ERROR TRAPPING ......................................................................................................................................... 8
TRAPPING ERRORS WITH ERR NUMBERS ...................................................................................................... 12
Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 17
LESSON 2 - BUILT-IN DIALOG BOXES AND CUSTOM USERFORMS.............................................. 19
EXCEL DIALOG BOXES ................................................................................................................................ 20
USER-DEFINED FORMS................................................................................................................................ 20
INSERTING A USERFORM INTO A WORKBOOK............................................................................................... 21
ADDING CONTROLS TO A FORM ................................................................................................................... 21
FORM CONTROLS DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES ..................................................................................... 24
CONTROL PROPERTIES ................................................................................................................................ 25
PROGRAMMING A USERFORM ...................................................................................................................... 27
FORM E VENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 31
DISPLAYING A USERFORM .......................................................................................................................... 32
Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 34
LESSON 3 – ACTIVEX WORKSHEET CONTROLS .............................................................................. 37
OVERVIEW AND DEFINITION ........................................................................................................................ 38
ACTIVEX CONTROLS .................................................................................................................................. 39
CONTROL PROPERTIES ................................................................................................................................ 40
ADDING ACTIVEX CONTROLS TO A WORKSHEET ......................................................................................... 41
MOVING A CONTROL .................................................................................................................................. 43
SIZING A CONTROL ..................................................................................................................................... 44
DELETING A CONTROL................................................................................................................................ 44
RETURNING A CONTROL’S VALUE ............................................................................................................... 44
CREATING A LIST BOX................................................................................................................................ 48
CREATING OPTION BUTTONS....................................................................................................................... 49
CREATING A SPIN BUTTON ......................................................................................................................... 50
CREATING A COMBO BOX ........................................................................................................................... 51
Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 53
LESSON 4 – EVENT PROCEDURES........................................................................................................ 54
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 55
TYPES OF EVENT ......................................................................................................................................... 55
WRITING CODE TO EVENTS ......................................................................................................................... 57
EVENT PROCEDURE ARGUMENTS ................................................................................................................ 59
COMMON WORKBOOK E XAMPLES ............................................................................................................... 60
NON OBJECT-RELATED E VENTS (ONTIME) ............................................................................................... 62
Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 64
LESSON 5 – WORKING WITH CHARTS ................................................................................................ 65
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 66
CREATING CHARTS...................................................................................................................................... 66
SIZING AND POSITIONING CHARTS ............................................................................................................... 67
SIZING AND POSITIONING MULTIPLE CHARTS .............................................................................................. 70
NAMING A CHART ....................................................................................................................................... 71
ADDING A SERIES TO A CHART .................................................................................................................... 72
DELETING SERIES FROM A CHART ............................................................................................................... 73
Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 74
LESSON 6 – WORKING WITH PIVOT TABLES.................................................................................... 75
THE PIVOT TABLE OBJECT .......................................................................................................................... 76
CREATING A PIVOT TABLE .......................................................................................................................... 77
NAMING PIVOT TABLES .............................................................................................................................. 79
MANIPULATING PIVOT TABLE FIELDS .......................................................................................................... 80

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Contents
REFRESHING PIVOT TABLES ........................................................................................................................ 82

Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 84
LESSON 7 – COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER OFFICE APPLICATIONS ...................................... 86
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 87
ADDING A REFERENCE TO THE APPLICATION’S OBJECT LIBRARY.................................................................. 87
DECLARING THE OBJECT VARIABLE ............................................................................................................ 88
SETTING THE VARIABLE .............................................................................................................................. 89
USE METHODS AND PROPERTIES TO AUTOMATE THE OTHER APPLICATION ................................................... 90
EXAMPLES .................................................................................................................................................. 90
Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 91
APPENDIX I – LIST OF TRAPPABLE ERRORS AND THEIR CODES................................................. 92
APPENDIX II – ADDING INTERACTIVITY TO A MESSAGE BOX ..................................................... 96
APPENDIX III – SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES..................................................................................... 101
INDEX ........................................................................................................................................................ 115

LESSON 1 –
ERROR HANDLING & TRAPPING
In this lesson, you will learn how to:
 Handle errors using an If statement

 Trap errors using the On Error statement
 Trap errors by means of their error codes

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Lesson 1 - Error Handling & Trapping
ERROR HANDLING USING IF

Discussion
If an error occurs whilst a macro is running, it will either cause the macro to fail (run-
time error), or make it behave unpredictably.
If the error is anticipated, however, the code can be written in such a way that makes
the procedure continue to execute, or informs the user what the problem is and gives
them the opportunity to take corrective action and continue, or take an alternative
course of action.
While it is almost impossible to anticipate every run-time error that might occur, a
good developer will always add some error handling code which as a minimum,
terminates the procedure with a user-friendly message instead of the infamous and
often inexplicable Run-time error window!
The simplest way to deal with errors, if possible, is to use an If... Then... Else statement.
This can check for a criteria and allow execution of the rest of the code only if that
criteria is true, otherwise, it could terminates the procedure or make it follow a
different course of action.
Consider the examples below:
If Selection.Cells.Count >1 Then

...code
Else
MsgBox “This macro requires more than one cell to be selected.”
Exit Sub
End If
Or,
If ActiveCell.Address = “$A$1” Then
...code
Else
MsgBox “Incorrect cell selected. Select A1 and run again”
Exit Sub
End If
In both cases, the selection is tested and if true, a message is displayed to explain the
problem before terminating execution of the procedure.
In the following example, an input box is displayed for the user to enter a number. If
the user accidentally enters a text value or clicks Cancel (both string values), a run-time
error occurs when the procedure attempts to use the string in the calculation.
interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

Range("B1").Value = Range("A1").Value * interestRate

Type mismatch run-time error
By using an If... Then... Else function, together with the IsNumeric function to check
that the input is valid before attempting the calculation, the run time error can be
handled in a more user-friendly way, eg:
If IsNumeric(interestRate) And interestRate >= 0 Then

Else
MsgBox "Input is not valid or user clicked Cancel"
End If
There are several Is... functions in VBA that can be used in a similar way:
 IsArray
 IsDate
 IsEmpty
 IsError
 IsMissing
 IsNull
 IsObject
Procedures
1. Launch or switch to the VB Editor.
2. Identify in the Project Explorer pane, the workbook (VBA
project) that you want to add code to.
3. Open the module sheet containing the code or, insert a new
module.
4. Position the cursor in the procedure where you want to add
the error handling code.
5. Type If.
6. Enter a valid test to validate a condition encountered by the
procedure at that point.
7. Type Then.

8. Press Enter.
9. Type code to execute if the test is true.
10. Press Enter.
11. Type Else.
12. Press Enter.
13. Type code to execute if the test is false.
14. Press Enter
15. Type End If.
ERROR TRAPPING
Discussion
While If...Then...Else is a good, simple way of testing for correct input, it is not able to
handle all errors under all circumstances. In most cases, error trapping code will almost
certainly be needed. This comes in three forms:
 On Error Resume Next
 On Error GoTo
 Resume
The error “trap” is “turned on” and “sits in wait” until an error occurs or until the
“trap” is “turned off”. The On Error statement is normally written into the procedure
just above where the anticipated error may occur. In many cases, this will be at the top
of the procedure just below any variable and/or constant declarations.
On Error Resume Next

Some errors can be safely ignored; a procedure encountering non-significant errors can
often still execute successfully through to the end.
On Error Resume Next tells the procedure to ignore any statements producing a run-
time error, and continue with the next statement.
The code below is designed to hide all toolbars. Some toolbars, however, do not have a
visible property and the following run-time error will be generated.
For Each cmdbar In Application.CommandBars

If cmdbar.Visible = False Then cmdbar.Visible = True
Next cmdBar

By writing the code as follows, the run-time error window will be ignored and the
procedure will successfully continue and hide all the toolbars.
For Each cmdbar In Application.CommandBars

If cmdbar.Visible = False Then cmdbar.Visible = True
Next
The following example deletes ALL files from three folders (Data1, Data2 and Data3)
on the H:\ drive.
Kill "h:\Data1\*.*"
Kill "h:\Data2\*.*"
Kill "h:\Data3\*.*"
If a folder does not contain any files, the following run-time error message will occur:
This is a classic case of where the error can be ignored; if the folder is already empty,
then it does not need emptying, so VBA can safely ignore it and continue with the next
one.
Kill "h:\Data1\*.*"
Kill "h:\Data2\*.*"
Kill "h:\Data3\*.*"
In the earlier example on page 6 where the user is prompted for a numeric input, On
Error Resume Next would negate the need for the If... Then... Else.


The result in this case, however, is hardly ideal because although the run-time error
message does not appear, the procedure results in nothing happening! This is where a
different On Error statement is needed.
On Error GoTo <label>

On Error GoTo diverts the code to a specific location further down the procedure
(usually at the end just above End Sub) where an "error handling routine" takes over.
This location can be marked with a "label" (a made-up word followed by a colon (:)) or
a line number.
The error handling routine can just be a message explaining the problem and ending
the procedure. Alternatively, it could explain the problem, advice on how to rectify it
and provide the opportunity to return to where the error occurred and try again.
In the example on page 9, using On Error GoTo would be as follows:
On Error GoTo errhandle

errhandle:
MsgBox "Invalid Data entered or user clicked Cancel"
End Sub
It is true that this code in its current form does not contribute any more than using the
If...Then...Else explained on page 7. Its advantage, however, lies in its ability to return
to where the error occurred and attempt the statement again. This involves the use of
the word Resume.
Resume
The keyword Resume tells VBA to retry the statement that failed. It can only be used as
part of an error handling routine, and is always used on its own (eg. On Error Resume
will cause an error). The error handling routine above, therefore, could explain the
problem the return the user to try again as follows:

errhandle:
MsgBox "Invalid Data entered or user clicked Cancel"
Resume
End Sub

The code above, however, does not give the user an opportunity NOT to return and try
again. So the next step in making the error handling routine as user-friendly as
possible, is to provide an interactive message box displaying a message explaining the
problem, asking whether the user WANTS to try again, and providing two buttons
(Yes and No) with which to respond.
Creating an interactive message box is covered in the Excel Introduction to VBA
Course. An extract of the course materials are given in Appendix IV on page 96. The
example below assumes knowledge and experience of this topic.

errhandle:
response = MsgBox("Invalid Data Entered. Do you want to try again?", vbYesNo)
If response = vbYes Then Resume
The final (and very important!) step is to prevent the error handling routine being
executed when the procedure runs WITHOUT any errors. This is achieved by including
the words Exit Sub immediately above the error routine label. The complete procedure
with error handling code is given below:
Sub CalculateInterest
Dim interestRate as Single

Exit Sub
errhandle:
If response = vbYes Then
Resume
End If
End Sub

Resume Next can be used as an alternative to Resume in

 an error handling routine. It passes control to the line
following the statement that caused the error.
Procedures
module.
4. Position the cursor on the line below the Sub statement.
5. Type On Error GoTo errhandle (or other “label” to identify a
point further down in the procedure where the procedure
must divert to if a runtime error occurs.
6. A the bottom of the procedure and immediately above the End
Sub statement, type errhandle (or other label used).
7. Type a colon.
8. Press Enter.
9. Type appropriate error handling code for the anticipated error
using the examples above.
10. Position the cursor on the line immediately above the
errhandle label.
11. Type Exit Sub.
12. Press Enter.
TRAPPING ERRORS WITH ERR NUMBERS

Discussion
Most run-time errors generate error numbers (see Appendix II on page 37). When the
On Error Goto <Label> is used to trap errors, the number of any error is returned by the
Err Function that acts like a public variable. The value of Err, therefore, can be tested
and acted upon using an If... Then... Else statement.
In the example below, there exists the possibility of two different run-time errors
occurring:
 Err number 13 - due to incorrect data being entered
 Err number 9 – due to the Interest Calcs sheet not existing in the workbook

Sub CalculateInterest
Dim interestRate as Single


Sheets("Interest Calcs").Activate
Exit Sub
errhandle:
response = MsgBox("Invalid Data Entered. Do you want to try again?",
vbYesNo)
Resume
End If
End Sub
The solution is to substitute the following code as the error handling routine:
errhandle:
If Err.Number = 13 Then
End If

Resume
ElseIf Err.Number = 9 Then
MsgBox ("Sheet not found. Please check sheet names and re-run procedure")
Else
MsgBox "Unexpected error. Procedure will terminate"
End If
Procedures
module.
4. Position the cursor on the line below the Sub statement.

5. Type On Error GoTo errhandle (or other “label” to identify a

point further down in the procedure where the procedure
must divert to if a runtime error occurs.
6. A the bottom of the procedure and immediately above the End
Sub statement, type errhandle (or other label used).
7. Type a colon.
8. Press Enter.
9. Type If.
10. Type a space.
11. Type Err.Number =
12. Type the anticipated error number.
13. Type a space.
14. Type Then.
15. Press Enter.
16. Type appropriate code to handle the error generated by the
error number in the previous test.
17. Press Enter.
18. If it is anticipated that the procedure may generate additional
error numbers, type ElseIf.
19. Type a space.
20. Type Err.Number = .
21. Type the anticipated error number.
22. Type a space.
23. Type Then.
24. Press Enter.
25. Type appropriate code to handle the error generated by the
error number in the previous test.
26. Press Enter.
27. Continue as described in 18 – 26 above for any further
anticipated error codes.
28. Press Enter.
29. Type Else:
30. Press Enter.
31. Type MsgBox “An unexpected error has occurred”. This is to
cover any errors NOT anticipated by the If/ElseIf(s) above.
32. Press Enter.
33. Type End If.
34. Position the cursor on the line immediately above the
errhandle label.

35. Type Exit Sub.

36. Press Enter.
On Error GoTo 0
This statement disables a previous On Error Resume Next or On Error Goto Label
statement. When the next error occurs, an error message will be generated and the
procedure will fail, eg:
On Error Resume Next ' trap errors from here onwards
Kill "h:\Data1\*.*"
Kill "h:\Data2\*.*"
Kill "h:\Data3\*.*"
On Error GoTo 0 'stop trapping errors from here onwards
Procedures
module.
4. Position the cursor in the procedure where you want the error
handling no longer to have an effect.
5. Type On Error GoTo 0.
6. Press Enter.
Err.Description
A common way of creating a user-friendly run time error message is by creating a
custom message box quoting the error number and the error description. For example,
the code could be as follows (line continuation characters have been used for clarity but
are not required):
MsgBox "The error " & Err.Description & _

" has occurred. Please contact the Helpdesk and quote error number " _
& Err.Number & ". Thank you."

It is true to say that this message box does not say much more than the normal, run-
time error window, but it is rather less scary and upon clicking OK, does not
potentially leave the procedure hanging in break mode.

EXERCISE
DEALING WITH POTENTIAL ERRORS IN PROCEDURES
Task 1: To effectively handle errors using a simple IF statement.
1. Open the file Error Handle.

2. Run the sub procedure CircData (click the Circle worksheet button), which
calculates the circumference and area of a circle.
3. Enter a value of 10 for the radius of the circle.
4. A message box should appear giving you the area and circumference.
5. Run the sub procedure again but just click the Cancel button.
6. Note the run-time error message and click End.
7. Repeat running the sub procedure but this time enter a text value as the radius of
the circle.
8. Note the run-time error message and click End.
9. Add a simple IF statement to deal with the above-demonstrated errors.
10. Repeat 5 and/or 7 above and check that the procedure now works correctly.
11. Save and close the file.
Task 2: Trapping errors in a sub procedure.
1. Open the file Trap Error.

2. This workbook contains a macro that is designed to delete a file.
3. The macro already contains a simple IF statement to handle the error generated if
the user clicks the Cancel button.
4. Run the macro by clicking the worksheet button on Sheet1 and enter the
filename, Remove Me (not case sensitive) into the input box.
5. You should receive confirmation that the file has been successfully deleted.
6. Repeat 4 above. Note the error message and write down the error number.
7. Add code to deal with the error in a more user-friendly way. The code should:
a. display a message explaining the error (eg. File not found);
b. offer options to either try again or cancel the task;
c. return control to where the error occurred, if applicable.
8. Run and test the sub procedure again. Correct any errors.
9. Open the file Remove Me Too.

10. Leave this file open and switch back to the Trap Error workbook.
11. Run the Delete Old File macro and attempt to delete Remove Me Too. Is your
previous code handling the error correctly?
12. De-activate the error handling code by commenting out the On Error GoTo
statement at the top of your procedure.
13. Run the Delete Old File macro again.
14. Note the error message. How does it differ from the one displayed in 4 above?
(Tip: note the error number)
15. Edit the DeleteOldFile sub procedure with some additional error-trapping code
to deal with both potential errors in a more user-friendly way.
16. Re-activate the error handling code at the top of the procedure.
17. Test the macro by attempting again to delete Remove Me Too.
18. The file should be successfully deleted.
19. Save and close all open files.
BEWARE - files deleted by a macro cannot be recovered.

LESSON 2 -
BUILT-IN DIALOG BOXES AND CUSTOM
USERFORMS
 Display built-in dialog boxes

 Create and display user defined forms
 Use controls on user forms
 Add code to create event procedures for the user form

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Lesson 2 - Dialog Boxes and Userforms
EXCEL DIALOG BOXES

Discussion
Dialog boxes allow applications to interact with their users. A built-in Excel dialog box
can be used in a procedure giving a quick, easy way to request information from, or
display information to, the user.
Excel contains approximately 200 built-in dialog boxes. Each dialog box is identified by
a constant (referred to as enumerators). These constants are all prefixed with xlDialog.
Use the Object Browser to browse the list of dialog box constants or pick from the list of
constants displayed when typing in the VB Editor.
The Show method of the Dialogs property displays and executes any action taken in a
built-in Excel dialog box. To access a particular built-in Excel dialog box, specify an
xlDialog constant with the dialogs property of the Application object. For example, the
following line of code displays the Save As dialog box, eg:
Application.Dialogs(xlDialogSaveAs).Show
Procedures
module.
4. Position the cursor in the procedure where you want to show
the built-in dialog box.
5. Type Application.
6. Type a full stop.
7. Type Dialogs.
8. Type an opening bracket (.
9. Type or select from the list the dialog box required.
10. Type a closing bracket ).
11. Press Enter.
USER-DEFINED FORMS
Discussion
As with built-in dialog boxes, User-Defined Forms (or just User Forms) can be created
to allow an applications to interact with the user. UserForms are, in essence, dialog
boxes that you design yourself for a special purpose that is not met by the built-in ones.

Creating a functioning UserForm can be broken down into five steps:

1. Inserting a blank UserForm into a workbook
2. Adding controls to the form.
3. Giving the controls necessary properties.
4. Adding VBA code “behind” the form in order to make it respond to the user
input.
5. Adding code to display the form.
Controls can also be added directly on to a worksheet or

 a chart. This topic is covered in the Microsoft Excel Level
4 Course.
INSERTING A USERFORM INTO A WORKBOOK

Before a UserForm can be created, a blank form has to be inserted into the workbook
that the form applies to. It is a good idea to have clearly in your mind what you want
the UserForm to achieve before making a start as this will determine the controls that
need to be placed on it and how they are setup and programmed.
Procedures
1. Launch the VB Editor.
2. Right-click the workbook that you want to insert the
UserForm into.
3. Point to Insert .
4. Select UserForm.
ADDING CONTROLS TO A FORM

Controls are the objects that you can add to a user form so that the user can “talk” with
it (hence, dialog box). These appear on the Toolbox toolbar when a UserForm is
inserted into a workbook in the VB Editor, and are quite literally drawn onto the form.
The UserForm Toolbox toolbar

These are as follows:

Name of Control Button Image Description
Select Objects Selects objects on a form
Label Static text that is displayed to inform the

user
Text Box Mostly used when a typed-in input is
requested from the user
Combo Box Displays a dropdown list of values to
choose from
List Box Displays a fixed list of values to choose
from (possibly with scroll bar)
Check Box A box allowing the user to set a yes/no,
true/false value
Option Button A button (often referred to as radio button)
allowing the user to set a yes/no, true/false
value. Usually used in groups (see below)
Toggle Button A button allowing the user to set a yes/no ,
true/false value. The button appears
pressed in when “on” and out when “off.”
Frame Used to create group of option buttons. This
allows only one option button at a time to
be active.
Command Button A button for running a command. Most
commonly used to OK or Cancel the
UserForm.
Tab Strip A TabStrip is used to view different sets of
information for related controls
MultiPage Used generally for large amounts of data
that needs to be shown in separate tabs
Spin Button Allows the user to select a numerical value
by clicking up and down buttons. The Spin
Button needs a text box to display (return)
its values.
Scroll Bar Similar to a Spin Button but in the form of a
bar with a sliding “lever.”
Image Displays a picture. File formats vary with
Excel versions but most common are: .bmp,
.jpg, .wmf, .gif, .ico.
RefEdit Similar to a text box control but contains a
button at the right that collapses the form
thus allowing easier selection of cells
behind it.

It is advisable to have clear in your mind what controls the form should contain before
you start. Design the form on paper before you start.
Procedures
1. Click in the Toolbox, the button for the control that you want
to draw on the form.
2. Click the mouse pointer (black cross) on the form where you
want the top left corner of the control to be placed.
3. Point to the grey border on the edge of the control (mouse
pointer changes to a crosshair.

4. Click and drag to move the control, if necessary.
5. Point to one of the white square on the corners or edges of the
control (mouse pointer changes to a double headed arrow.
6. Click and drag to resize the control, if necessary.

7. In the case of:
 Labels
 Command buttons
 Check boxes
 Options buttons
Click on any visible text (Caption property) and replace it with
a description of what the control stores or does, eg. a
command button might have the text OK or Cancel on it.
8. Continue drawing, moving and resizing controls as necessary.
In cases where text cannot be written directly on the

 control (eg. Frames, MultiPage and the form title), use
the Caption property for the control.
Double-clicking a button on the Toolbox toolbar allows

multiple controls of that type to be drawn on the form.
 Clicking the button again (or pressing ESC) cancels this
operation.

FORM CONTROLS DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

Grouping
Grouping controls, temporarily joins them together so that they can be moved, resized,
aligned and formatted simultaneously.
Controls can also be grouped together permanently.
Procedures
1. Click the first control that you want to include in the group.
2. Hold down the SHIFT key.
3. Click the next control that you want to include in the group.
4. Continue holding down the SHIFT key and clicking control to
include in the group.
5. Release the SHIFT key when all the controls have been
selected.
6. Move or resize any of the grouped control.
7. Click the Format menu.
8. Point to the appropriate command to format and layout the
grouped controls.
9. Click away from the grouped controls to cancel the selection.
Grouped Labels and Text Boxes on a UserForm

 To permanently group controls together, select them as

described above and then click the Format menu, Group
command in the VB Editor.
 To gain quicker and easier access to control layout and

formatting commands, the UserForm toolbar can be
displayed in the VB Editor.
Click the View menu, point to Toolbars and select
UserForm from the side menu.
The UserForm Toolbar in the VB Editor
CONTROL PROPERTIES
Each form control has a list of properties that can be displayed and (if necessary)
changed in the Properties pane.
Many properties can be modified by directly formatting the control on the form; others
are set from the properties window. Properties can also be set or modified at run-time,
ie. when the form is displayed.
A comprehensive list of all properties for all form control would be too long and
unnecessary for this booklet, but help can be sought by clicking onto a property in the
properties pane and pressing F1.
VB Editor showing the Properties Pane in lower left corner

If the Properties pane is not visible, click View –
 Properties, press F4 or click the Properties button

on the VB Editor toolbar.
For the purposes of a UserForm, the property that would usually need to be set for all
controls on the form is the Name property. Giving the controls a clear, consistent and
descriptive name makes them easier to identify when it comes to programming the
form.
Adding a Name Property to a Text Box Control
Control Naming Convention

While there seem to be no hard and fast rules to naming form controls, the use of
prefixes to describe the type of control is a recommended approach. For example,
naming a control txtDate or chkMkItalic makes it clear what type of control it is (text
box / check box), and what it holds or does (date / makes italic).
The following list can be used as a guide to prefixes for the more common form
controls:
Control Type Prefix
Label lbl
Text Box txt
Combo Box cbo
List Box lst
Check Box chk
Option Button opt
Command Button cmd or btn
Spin Button spn
Scroll Bar scr
Image img
 The form itself should also be named. The prefix to use is

frm, eg. frmDataEntry.
Procedures (naming a control)


2. Identify the workbook containing the UserForm that you want

to modify control properties for.
3. Display the form.
4. Select a control that you want to name.
5. Click the Name box in the Properties pane.
6. Type a name for the control, bearing in mind the naming
convention described above.
7. Press Enter.
 To add a name property for a form, click the grey form

background or its blue title bar.
PROGRAMMING A USERFORM
Discussion
UserForms and controls have a predefined set of events. For example a command
button has a “click” event, a procedure that runs when the user clicks the command
button. UserForms have an “initialise” event that runs when the form is loaded.
In order for a UserForm to work in the expected way (ie. as a dialog box), it has to have
at least two event procedure – one for when the OK button is pressed and a second for
when the Cancel button is pressed.
To write a control or form event procedure, open a module by double clicking the form
or control. A default event will appear on the module sheet but this can be changed by
selecting a different one from the procedure drop-down list at the top right of the
window.
A good analogy to the module sheet that appears when

you double click a form or control is to imagine the back
 of the form where the instructions on how to use it are
written.
Event procedures include the name of the control. For example, the name of the click
event procedure for a command button named cmdOK is
Private Sub cmdOK_Click. “Private” because the sub procedure should not show in
the Macro list in Excel, it does not need to because it is purely for use by the OK button
on the form.
 Beware of renaming a form or control after the event

procedures have been written. The name of the procedure
will not be automatically renamed and hence, the event
procedure will not run as expected.

 It is good practice to name controls as described in the

previous topic before writing event code.
Procedures
1. Double click the Cancel button on the form design.
2. Add code as necessary (see examples below).
3. Double-click the form in the Project Explorer pane.
4. Double-click the OK button on the form design.
5. Add code as necessary (see examples below).
6. Double click the form in the Project Explorer pane.
All the possible ways of programming a form and its controls’ events are too numerous
and varied to mention in any document. The examples given below, therefore, apply to
the more commonly used controls and are given as a guide only. Additional examples
and help can be obtained from the VB Editor help, and on various websites including
the Microsoft Developer Network at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa220733(office.11).aspx
The Cancel Command Button

Only one thing would normally happen when the cancel button is clicked – the form is
removed from the screen and anything typed or set in its controls discarded. The code
for this would be (assuming the form was named frmDataEntry):
Unload frmDataEntry
The OK Command Button

Many things will happen when the OK button is clicked! For example:
a) Anything typed into text boxes will have to be acted on.
b) Items selected in combo boxes and list boxes will need to be interpreted and made
to carry out commands.
c) Spin button and scroll bars will have to have their values converted into
meaningful actions.
d) Check boxes, toggle buttons, and options button on the form will need to be
tested to ascertain which condition(s) apply.
e) The form itself must be removed from the screen after all the above tasks have
been completed.
The following examples all apply to the “click event” of the OK button and can be
written in any order. When referring to the control, its name as defined in the
properties pane must always be preceded by the name of the form that it is on, eg:
frmDataEntry.txtName.Value

 The word Me can be used in place of the full form name.

Me meaning “me, the form that I am on!”
So instead of...
frmDataEntry.txtName.Value
you can use...
Me.frmDataEntry.txtName.Value
Text Boxes
Typically, when the OK button is clicked, text entered into a text box will need to be
transferred to a cell on a sheet, eg:
ActiveSheet.Range(“A2”).Value = frmDataEntry.txtName.Value
“Value” can be omitted because VBA always defaults to the value property for a range
object if the method or property is omitted. In addition, if the form must write the text
into cell A1 of the sheet that the form is being run from, there is no need to include
ActiveSheet. Hence, the code can be abbreviated to:
Range(“A2”) = Me.txtName
Combo Boxes and List Boxes

These can be used in a similar way to a text box, to enter the selected text into a cell on
a sheet. The code, therefore, would be very similar, eg:
Range(“A3”) = Me.cmbDepartment
or
Range(“A4”) = Me.lstLocation
Under other circumstances, it may be that the combo box or list box is designed to give
the user options to choose from. In the following example, a list box has been used to
give the user a choice of files to open. The code, therefore, would be:
Workbooks.Open Filename:= Me.lstFileNames
The above code assumes that the file to open is in the active, default folder. It may be
safer, therefore, to concatenate the correct path to the value returned by the control, eg:
Workbooks.Open Filename:= s:\Excel\Stats\ & Me.lstFileNames

or
ChDir “s:\Excel\Stats\”
Workbooks.Open Filename:= Me.lstFileNames

In the following example, a combo box has been placed on the form to give the user a
selection of fonts to use. Assuming that the range to format is A1 to E1, the code would
be as follows:
Range(“A1:E1”).Font.Name = Me.cmbFontName
Option Buttons
Although not necessary if only one set of option buttons are used on a form, it is good
practice to draw them inside a frame. Only one option button can be selected at a time
so when one button is “pressed in,” another is “pushed out” (hence, radio buttons).
A Frame containing two Option Buttons
Invariably, a decision will need to be made which option button is selected and thus, an
If structure used to carry out the necessary actions.
In the following example, a frame has been set up on a form with two option buttons,
one for selecting male and one for selecting female. Whichever of the two is chosen
must be placed into cell B4 as M or F.
If Me.optMale = True Then

Range(“B4”).Value = “M”
Else
Range(“B4”).Value = “F”
End If
Check Boxes
Because a check box has two conditions – true or false, an If statement has to be used to
evaluate them. In the following example, a check box has been used for the user to state
whether to print the workbook or not.
If Me.chkPrint.Value = True Then

ActiveDocument.PrintOut
End If
Spin Buttons and Scroll Bars

A spin button or scroll bar control does not have a built in way of viewing its value.
Under usual circumstances, a text box has be placed beside the control to show its
current value.

The picture below, a spin button and a text box have been placed on a UserForm side
by side.
The code for making the value of the spin button visible in the text box would be added
to the spin button’s On_Change event. As the value in the spin button changes, it is
transferred to and made visible in the text box.
Procedures
1. Double-click the spin button on the form design.
2. Add the following code to the button’s On_Change event
procedure.
a. Private Sub spnCopies_Change()
i. Me.<text box name> = Me.<spin box name>
b. End Sub
3. Double-click the form in the Project Explorer pane.
A spin button’s values (ie. how high and low they can
 go) can be controlled by using its Max and Min
properties.
The above procedure is purely to make the value of the spin button visible to the user
while using the form. Additional code has to be added to the OK button’s on click event
to make use of the spin button’s value.
In the following example, a spin button has been created on a form to prompt the user
for how many copies to print. The code uses the spin button’s value to print the
requested number of copies.
ActiveSheet.PrintOut Copies:=Me.spnCopies
FORM EVENTS
The topic above deals with events associated with form controls. The form itself also
has “events” that can be assigned a procedure. As with control events, the number and
variety of examples is too great to cover in this booklet. A couple of commonly used
examples, however, are given below to demonstrate use of the Initialize event. The
initialize event occurs when the form loads (just before it becomes visible on the screen)
and is often used to set default values for its controls and for populating combo and list
boxes.
Example A populates a combo box with four cities and Example B applies default
values to a text box and check box.

Example A
Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
With Me.cmbLocations
.AddItem “Belfast”
.AddItem “Cardiff”
.AddItem “Edinburgh”
.AddItem “London”
End With
End Sub
A simpler way of populating a combo or list box is to

type the list in a column on a worksheet. Create a named
 range from the list and use the range name in the Row
Source property of the control.
To limit a combo box so that users can only select from

 the list, set the Style property to
frmStyleDropDownList.
Example B
Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
Me.txtLocation.Value = “London”
Me.chkPrint.Value = True
End Sub
DISPLAYING A USERFORM
To display a user form, use the Show method for the form in question. This would be
written on a normal module sheet in the same workbook that the form has been created
in. The following example displays the UserForm named frmDataEntry:
Sub DisplayForm()
frmDataEntry.Show
End Sub

Once the procedure has been written, a method of running it from Excel needs to be
chosen. This would be the same as for any other macro, ie. button, menu or keystroke.
The code could also be included as part of a larger procedure, or called into one as a
separate sub procedure.
Procedures
2. Identify the workbook containing the form that you want to
show.
3. Insert a module sheet in the workbook.
4. Type the following code:
Sub ShowForm
<formname>.Show
End Sub
5. Run the userform

EXERCISE
CREATING A USERFORM
Task - To create a UserForm to prompt for Text, ComboBox and CheckBox information.
1. Open a Blank Workbook and save it as User Form Practice.

2. Insert a new UserForm into the workbook and create controls on it as shown below:
Label
Text
Command
Buttons
Label
Combo Box
Check
Boxes Image
3. Set properties to the objects as follows:

Control Property
CommandButton 1 Name: btnOK

Caption: OK
CommandButton 2 Name: btnCancel
Caption: Cancel
Label 1 Caption: Enter your name
Text Box Name: txtInput
Label 2 Caption: Select a colour for your name
ComboBox Name: comColour
CheckBox 1 Name: chkBold
Caption: Bold
CheckBox 2 Name: chkItalic
Caption: Italic
UserForm Name: frmDataEntry
Caption: Data Entry

4. Assign an "on-click event" (what will happen when the control is clicked) to the Cancel
buttons by double clicking it and typing the following code:
Unload frmDataEntry
5. Double-click the form in the Project Explorer to return to its design window.
6. Assign an “initialize event” to the form (what happens when the form starts up) by
double clicking the form background and typing the following code. This is necessary
to load (“populate”) the combo box:
With frmDataEntry.comColour
.AddItem "Red"
.AddItem "Blue"
.AddItem "Green"
End With
7. Return to the form design window.
8. Double-click the OK button and add the following code. This is necessary to
“implement” the userform:
Range("A1").Value = frmDataEntry.txtInput.Value
Select Case frmDataEntry.comColours
Case Is = "Red"
Range("A1").Font.Color = vbRed
Case Is = "Blue"
Range("A1").Font.Color = vbBlue
Case Is = "Green"
Range("A1").Font.Color = vbGreen
End Select
If frmDataEntry.chkBold = True Then

Range("A1").Font.Bold = True
Else
Range("A1").Font.Bold = False
End If
If frmDataEntry.chkItalic = True Then

Range("A1").Font.Italic = True
Else
Range("A1").Font.Italic = False
End If
Unload frmDataEntry
9. Finally, write a short sub procedure on a new module sheet to show the form:
Sub EnterData()
frmDataEntry.Show
End Sub

10. Create a custom button on your toolbar to run the EnterData macro and check correct
data entry in cell A1. Correct any code, if necessary.

LESSON 3 –
ACTIVEX WORKSHEET CONTROLS
 Create ActiveX worksheet controls

 Modify the properties of worksheet controls
 Write VBA code behind ActiveX worksheet controls

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Lesson 3 - Worksheet Controls
OVERVIEW AND DEFINITION

Discussion
In general, worksheet controls are buttons, check boxes, drop-down lists, spinners, lists
and scroll bars (to name a few) that you can create on a worksheet to enable a user to
enter their data. Not only is it quicker to select data from a control, but you can restrict
what the user can select or type in it, resulting in better quality and more accurate data
entry. Worksheet controls are normally used to build forms on worksheets.
Excel worksheet containing form controls
Microsoft Excel offers two types of controls:

 Form controls; and
 ActiveX controls.
In Excel 2000 – 2003 these controls are available from toolbars, viz. the Forms toolbar
(Form controls) and the Control Toolbox toolbar (ActiveX controls).
Excel 2000 – 2003 Forms toolbar Excel 2000 – 2003 Control Toolbox toolbar
In Excel 2007 both Form and ActiveX controls are available by clicking the Insert
button in the Controls group of the Developer tab on the Ribbon.

Excel 2007 Controls group on Developer Ribbon
Form Controls
Form controls are only available to use on an Excel worksheet. Because these controls
don’t require any VBA code behind them to work (although a limited amount of code
can be added if required in Excel 2000 - 2003), they are fairly easy to create using
standard Excel methods and commands. This, however, means that they are not
especially flexible or powerful.
The most common form control is the command button; drawn on a worksheet and set
up so that when it is clicked, a macro runs.
Worksheet macro buttons created with Form controls
Using form controls is covered on the Microsoft Excel Level 4 training course.
ACTIVEX CONTROLS
Discussion
ActiveX controls are available for use directly on an Excel worksheet OR they can be
used in the VB Editor to create user forms (see Lesson 2 -
Built-in Dialog Boxes and custom UserForms
on page 19).
ActiveX controls are more useful than the form controls because they can be
programmed more extensively by making them respond to “events.”
An event occurs when a user or the computer itself makes something “happens;” ie.
they initiate an action. The commonest way of creating an event is by clicking a button
on the screen or pressing a key on the keyboard. The computer itself can initiate an
event by using an internal timer or clock, eg. pop up a meeting reminder.
With ActiveX controls, as well as a simple click, other less common events (but ones
that can be “trapped” and programmed) are: double click; change (eg. a new item is
selected from a combo box or list box); user leaving the control and shifting focus to
another control; or back to the Excel interface, to name but a few.

ActiveX controls also have many “Properties” that can be used to change the
characteristics of a control (eg. size, font, colour). The properties of a control depend on
its type although some - such as Name - are common to all.
CONTROL PROPERTIES
Discussion
Each control has its own distinct set of characteristic or “properties.” Properties define
how the control looks and behaves.
The properties lists for a List Box control
Properties vary for different controls vary. For example, a Spin Button control has a
“Max” and a “Min” property that restricts the highest and the lowest value that it can
spin to. This property is irrelevant to, say, a Combo Box control in the same way as a
Combo Box’s “ListFillRange” property (the data to use for populating the combo box)
would be irrelevant to a Spin Button. As a result, properties that are not applicable to a
control are omitted from the properties list.
Some properties, however, are common to many controls. The list below gives the more
commonly used ones.
Property Description
AutoSize If True, the control resizes itself automatically based on the length of
text entered into it.
BackColor The background colour of a control.
BackStyle The style of the background (either transparent or opaque).

Caption The text that appears on the control.

LinkedCell A worksheet cell that contains the current value of a control.
ListFillRange A worksheet range that contains items displayed in a ListBox or
ComboBox control.
Value The control’s value.
Left and Top Values that determine the control’s position.
Width and Values that determine the control’s width and height.
Height
Visible If False, the control is hidden.
Name The name of the control. By default, a control’s name is based on the
control type followed by a number. You can change the name to any
valid name. However, each control’s name must be unique on the
worksheet.
Picture Enables you to specify a graphic image to display.
Procedures
1. Right click the control that you want to change the properties of.
2. Select Properties.
3. Edit or add property value as necessary.
ADDING ACTIVEX CONTROLS TO A WORKSHEET

Discussion
Check Box Control
A Check Box consists of a caption and a small box into which a check mark can be
placed by clicking it with the mouse. A Check Box is used for setting Yes/No or
True/False values.
Check Box control
Procedures (Excel 2000 – 2003)

1. Show the Control Toolbox toolbar.
2. Click the Check Box button on the toolbar. The mouse

pointer changes to a small crosshair.
3. Drag the mouse pointer over the area on the worksheet where
you want to create the check box.

4. Point at the control and right click.

6. Replace the text in the Caption
text box with what you want to
display next to the check box.
7. Close the Properties window.
Procedures (Excel 2007)

1. If necessary, show the Developer tab on the Ribbon as follows:
a) Click the Office button.
b) Click Excel Options.
c) Select Popular in the left-hand pane.
d) Click the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box.
e) Click OK.
2. In the Developer tab, click Insert in the Controls group.
3. Click the Check Box button under ActiveX Controls.
4. Drag the mouse pointer over the area on the worksheet where you
want to create the check box.

7. Replace the text in the Caption text

box with what you want to display
next to the check box.
 To align a control to the worksheet gridlines, press the [Alt]

key as you drag.
MOVING A CONTROL
Discussion
By pointing at an ActiveX control, you can re-position elsewhere on the worksheet.
When you re-position a control from one location to another, its size stays the same
size.
 To copy a control, hold down the [Ctrl] key as you drag.
Procedures
1. Click on the control that you want to reposition.
2. Drag the control to another part of the worksheet.
3. Release the mouse button

SIZING A CONTROL
Discussion
By pointing at a sizing handle and clicking and dragging, you to change the size or
proportions of a control.. By dragging out from the centre of the control, the object
becomes larger. When you drag towards to centre of a control, the control becomes
smaller. When you resize a control, you change its dimensions, not the size of the text.
 To resize a control proportionally, press the [Shift] key as you drag.

To resize a control proportionally from its centre, press the [Ctrl] key
as you drag.
Procedures
1. Click the control you want to resize.
2. Drag the sizing handles as required to make the control bigger or
smaller.
3. Release the mouse button.
DELETING A CONTROL
Procedures
1. Select the control.
2. Press the [Delete] key.
RETURNING A CONTROL’S VALUE

Discussion
When an ActiveX control is added to a worksheet, Excel goes automatically into
"Design Mode." This allows you to work on the control (size and position it, change its
properties or add VBA code behind it) without the control attempting to carry out its
normal actions.
For the control to work fully, it is necessary to de-activate Design Mode. This is
achieved by clicking the Design Mode button on the Control Toolbox button (Excel
2000 – 2003) or clicking the Design Mode button in the Controls group of the
Developer tab (Excel 2007).
Control Toolbox show Design Mode button (Excel 2000 – 2003)

Design Mode button in Developer tab (Excel 2007)
Using a linked cell

At the simplest level, an ActiveX control can be made to return its selected value into a
cell anywhere in the workbook that it has been created in. This is simply achieved by
giving the control a LinkedCell property.
Procedure
1. Hold the mouse pointer over the control and right click.
3. Type into the LinkedCell control the cell reference (eg. A5, B16, D32)
that you want the selected value to be returned to.
If the cell is on a different sheet to the control, include the sheet name
(as shown in the tab at the bottom) followed by an exclamation mark (!)
before the cell reference, eg.
Regions!A10
…will return the control’s value to cell A10 on the sheet named Regions
of the workbook.
5. Click the Design Mode button on the Control Toolbox toolbar (Excel
2000-2003) OR click the Design Mode button in the Controls group of
the Developer tab (Excel 2007).
6. Test/use the control.
Using VBA code

It is rare for an ActiveX control to be used without some VBA code that is run as one of
its events take place.
This is achieved by double clicking the control (while in design mode). This takes you
straight to the module for the sheet that the control has been created on. Think of this
module as being the back of the worksheet where instructions are written for how
certain things on the sheet should work and behave.
The procedure name will be preceded by the word “Private.” This is essentially to hide
it from the Macros window so that it cannot be seen or run from Excel. This procedure
is, after all, only relevant to the control for which it is being written and hence, of no
use as a stand-alone macro that can be run in Excel normally.

The second thing to note is the rest of the procedure name. This name will depend on
the control that has been double clicked and describes the event that triggers the
procedure. The default event usually given to most controls is “Click” or “Change” ..
In the example below, a check box has been double clicked.
Note the procedure name: Private Sub CheckBox1_Click().

The CheckBox1_Click part of the name indicates that any code written into this
procedure will be triggered (run) when the check box is clicked (ie. turned on or off).
By clicking the drop down list in the top right of the code window, other events that
can occur to the check box are listed.
By selecting a different event from the list, the check box can be made to do something
under different circumstances. In the example below, the event has been changed to
Change.

The Private Sub CheckBox1_Click() event procedure can therefore be ignored or

deleted.
Procedures
1. Double click the control.
2. Select the appropriate event for which you want to write a procedure.
3. Enter the relevant code.
4. Return to Excel and test/use the control.
The table below lists the more commonly used events and the controls that they apply
to.
Event Control Occurs
Change Check Box, List Box, Occurs when the value
Combo Box, Spin Button, property of a control
Option Button, Text Box , changes.
Scroll Bar
Click Check Box, List Box, When the user points to a

Event Control Occurs

Combo Box Option control and clicks a mouse
Button Command Button button once.
DblClick Check Box, List Box, When the user points to an
Combo Box, Option control and then clicks a
Button, Text Box, mouse button twice.
Command Button
DropButtonClick Combo Box When the user clicks the
drop-down button on the
control.
SpinDown Spin Button When the user clicks the
lower or left spin-button
arrow.
Occurs before the Change
event.
SpinUp Spin Button When the user clicks the
upper or right spin-button
arrow.
Occurs before the Change
event
CREATING A LIST BOX

Discussion
List boxes are used to enable users to select from a list of suitable entries be used in an
INDEX function to show the appropriate data. Advantages of using a List Box are:
 Restricting users to authorised cell entries only
 Speedier data entry as no typing is involved.
A List Box
Procedures
Excel 2000 - 20003 Excel 2007
1. Show the Control Toolbox 1. Show the Developer tab if
toolbar. necessary (see item 1 in the
procedure on page 42).
Click the Insert button in the
Controls group.

2. Click the List Box button 2. Click the List Box button
on the toolbar. The mouse under ActiveX controls. The
pointer changes to a small mouse pointer changes to a small
crosshair. crosshair.
3. Drag the mouse pointer over the area on the worksheet where you want
to create the List Box.
5. Create a named range on a worksheet, listing the items that you want to
appear in the list box. The worksheet can be anywhere in the workbook
that you are creating the control in. The list must be laid out vertically
(ie. down a column NOT across columns).
6. Hold the mouse pointer over the spin button and right click.
8. Type into the ListFillRange property the named range created in 5
above.
9. Press Enter.
CREATING OPTION BUTTONS

Discussion
Option buttons represent mutually exclusive choices, so only one can be selected at a time.
Procedures
Excel 2000 - 20003 Excel 2007
Controls group.
2. Click the Option Button 2. Click the Option Button

button on the toolbar. The button under ActiveX controls. The
mouse pointer changes to a mouse pointer changes to a small
small crosshair. crosshair.
to create the option button.


7. Replace the text in the Caption text
box with what you want to display
next to the option button box.
8. Repeat steps 2 to 8 for each option button that you need.

A group of option buttons
CREATING A SPIN BUTTON

Discussion
These are used to enable users to enter numeric values into a cell without having to
type the data. Spinners are usually formatted to restrict values between a range and are
set to a suitable incremental rate in order to select relevant values more quickly.
Spin Button
Procedures
Excel 2000 - 20003 Excel 2007
1. Show the Control Toolbox 1. Show the Developer tab if necessary
toolbar. (see item 1 in the procedure on page

42).
Controls group.
2. Click the Spin Button 2. Click the Spin Button button

button on the toolbar. The under ActiveX controls. The mouse
mouse pointer changes to a pointer changes to a small crosshair.
small crosshair.
to create the spin button.
4. Hold the mouse pointer over the spin button and right click.
6. If necessary, enter a Min and/or a Max for the biggest and the smallest
value(s) that you want the spin button to show.
7. If necessary, enter a SmallChange property for the interval up or down
that you want the spin button to use every time it is clicked.
 BEWARE - Do not select the Scroll Bar button by mistake. It is similar

in appearance to a Spin Button but works quite differently.
CREATING A COMBO BOX

Discussion
Combo boxes (often called Drop-down Boxes) are similar to List Boxes in the sense that
they enable users to select from a list of suitable entries. The difference being that the
Combo Box shows only the currently selected item, whereas the List Box shows several
items simultaneously.
Procedures
Excel 2000 - 20003 Excel 2007
Controls group.
2. Click the Combo Box 2. Click the Combo Box button

button on the toolbar. The mouse under ActiveX controls. The
pointer changes to a small mouse pointer changes to a small
crosshair. crosshair.

to create the combo box.

5. Create a named range on a worksheet, listing the items that you want to
appear in the combo box. The worksheet can be anywhere in the
workbook that you are creating the control in. The list must be laid out
vertically (ie. down a column NOT across columns).
6. Hold the mouse pointer over the control and right click.
8. Type into the ListFillRange property the named range created in 5 above.
9. Press Enter.
Example of a Combo Box

EXERCISE
AUTOMATING A WORKSHEET WITH ACTIVEX CONTROLS
Task – Execute data entry by using a drop-down list, spinner and heck box
1. Open the file Controls Practice.

2. Draw a Combo Box control on Sheet1 starting in cell D2 and continuing to cell G3.
3. Draw a Spin Button in cell D5.
4. Draw a Check Box in cell D8.
(use picture below as a guide).
5. Create a named range called StockList using the data in cells A1 to B7 of Sheet2 (this
data is imported from the Web and automatically updated every 10 minutes).
6. Set up Properties and code for the three controls as follows:
Control Properties Code

ComboBox ListFillRange StockList Value in column 1 to be entered
ColumnCount 2 into cell B2 when selected item
ColumnWidths 125 , 50 changes.
Value in column 2 to be entered

cell B4 when selected item
changes.
SpinButton Max 100000 Value to be entered into cell B5
Min 1000 when it changes.
SmallChange 500
CheckBox Caption Commission Yes/No A zero to be entered in cell B8

when check box is changed to
“off”, or 10% when changed to
“on”.
7. Turn off Design Mode and test that the controls function as expected. Formulas already
exist in cells B7 and B10 for calculation of the results.
8. Write code to the Workbook “Open” event that protects Sheet1 for UserInterfaceOnly.
9. Save and close the workbook.
10. Re-open the workbook and check that the controls and protection functions as expected.
You should only be able to enter values using the ActiveX Controls.

LESSON 4 –
EVENT PROCEDURES
 Identify different types of event

 Correctly locate and name event procedures
 Write VBA event procedures
 Use the OnTime method to schedule running a procedure

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Lesson 4 - Event Procedures
OVERVIEW
Discussion
In the preceding two chapters, a start was made at understanding “events” and how to
associate VBA code to them.
Essentially, an event occurs when a user makes something “happens” on their
computer. The commonest way of creating an event is by clicking a button on the
screen or pressing a key on the keyboard, thus triggering a command. When you click a
macro button, you are initiating an event (ie. the macro runs). Hence, an “event
procedure” is a piece of code that automatically executes when an event is triggered.
Not all events are user initiated; some are triggered by the computer itself through a
timer, (eg. an appointment or task reminder popping up in Outlook). Others are set off
during, just before or just after certain actions take place in a workbook or on a
worksheet, such as a file being opened or saved or a change made to a range. They can
also occur when a procedure or macro carries out the actions above.
The events that we will be examining in this lesson are:
a) those associated with a worksheet, eg. when a cell is selected on a sheet or the
sheet is recalculated;
b) those associated with the workbook itself, eg. when a new one is created, saved
or activated; and
c) those that trigger automatically, eg. using a timer.
TYPES OF EVENT
Discussion
The table below list events associated with worksheets and workbooks and explains
when they are triggered.
TABLE A : WORKSHEET EVENTS
Event Triggers when…
Activate The worksheet is activated.
BeforeDoubleClick The worksheet is double-clicked.
BeforeRightClick The worksheet is right-clicked.
Calculate The worksheet is calculated (or recalculated).
Change Cells on the worksheet are changed by the user.
Deactivate The worksheet is deactivated.
FollowHyperlink A hyperlink on the worksheet is clicked.
PivotTableUpdate A PivotTable on the worksheet has been updated.
SelectionChange The selection on the worksheet is changed.

TABLE B : WORKBOOK EVENTS

Event Triggers when…
Activate The workbook is activated.
AddInInstall A workbook is installed as an add-in.
AddInUninstall A workbook is uninstalled as an add-in.
AfterXMLExport Excel saves or exports data from the workbook to an
XML data file.
AfterXMLImport An existing XML data connection is refreshed or after
new XML data is imported into the workbook.
BeforeClose The workbook is about to be closed.
BerforePrint The workbook (or anything in it) is about to be printed.
BeforeSave The workbook is about to be saved.
BeforeXMLExport Excel saves or exports data from the workbook to an
XML data file.
BeforeXMLImport An existing XML data connection is refreshed or before
new XML data is imported into the workbook.
Deativate The workbook is deactivated.
NewSheet A new sheet is created in the workbook.
Open The workbook is opened.
PivotTableCloseConnection After a PivotTable report closes the connection to its
data source
PivotTableOpenConnection After a PivotTable report opens the connection to its
data source.
SheetActivate Any sheet in the workbook is activated.
SheetBeforeDoubleClick Any worksheet in the workbook is double-clicked. This
event occurs before the default double-click action.
SheetBeforeRightClick Any worksheet in the workbook is right-clicked. This
event occurs before the default right-click action.
SheetCalculate Any worksheet in the workbook is calculated (or
recalculated).
SheetChange Any worksheet in the workbook is changed by the user.
SheetDeactivate Any sheet in the workbook is deactivated.
SheetFollowHyperlink Any hyperlink in the workbook is clicked.
SheetPivotTableUpdate After the sheet of a PivotTable report has been updated.
SheetSelectionChange The selection on any worksheet in the workbook is
changed.
Sync The local copy of a worksheet that is part of a
Document Workspace is synchronized with the copy on
the server.
WindowActivate Any window of the workbook is activated.

WindowDeactivate Any workbook window is deactivated.

WindowResize Any workbook window is resized.
WRITING CODE TO EVENTS

Discussion
Event procedures associated with a worksheet or a workbook cannot be written onto a
standard module. Those associated with a worksheet must be added to the relevant
worksheet module, and those associated with the workbook must be written into the
ThisWorkbook module.
The Project Explorer pane in the VB Editor shows the location of these under Microsoft
Excel Objects within the relevant VBAProject (Excel file).
Project Explorer pane showing correct locations for event procedures
As well as writing event procedures in the correct location, they must be given their
correct, reserved name. The naming convention for an event procedure associated with
a worksheet is as follows:
Worksheet followed by an underscore followed by the appropriate event name as
listed in Table A above, eg.
Worksheet_Activate or Worksheet_SelectionChange
The naming convention for an event procedure associated with a workbook is as

follows:
Workbook followed by an underscore followed by the appropriate event name as
listed in Table B above, eg.
Workbook_Open or Workbook_BeforeSave
Although you can type the name of the procedure yourself, it is more convenient and
safer (to prevent typos) to let the VB Editor enter the name for you.
This can be achieved by selecting in the Project Explorer the object that you want to
write the procedure into, and then selecting the procedure name from the drop down
list at the top of the code pane.

Procedures
2. Identify in the Project Explorer pane the VBAProject
containing the worksheet or workbook object that you want to
write an event procedure for.
3. Double click the object.
4. Select Worksheet or Workbook from the drop down list at the
top left of the code pane.
5. Select the appropriate event name from the drop down list at
the top right of the code pane.
6. Write code as necessary.
VB Editor showing event name list for a worksheet
An example of a simple event procedure assigned to the Workbook_SheetActivate

event might be:
Private Sub Workbook_SheetActivate(By Val sh as Object)
MsgBox “A different sheet has been activated”
End Sub
Or, a simple event procedure confirming that the correct workbook has been opened
could be assigned to the Workbook_Open event as follows:
Private Sub Workbook_Open()

MsgBox "This workbook contains sales data for Quarter 1 2010 only"
End Sub
 In older versions of Excel before the VB Editor was

introduced (and you have to go back about 13 years!), the
same result could be achieved by creating a procedure on a
standard module sheet and giving it the reserved name of
Auto_Open. This is still supported in Excel and is included
here in case you come across this form of coding in older
workbooks (or indeed, wish to use it yourself).
 You may also encounter Auto_Close, which is equivalent to

the Workbook_BeforeClose event.
EVENT PROCEDURE ARGUMENTS

Discussion
Some events come with optional arguments that can be used to enhance the
functionality of the event. For example, the Workbook_WindowActivate event comes
with the following argument:
Workbook_WindowActivate(ByVal Wn As Window)
wn represents the window that has just been activated, so if you want your event
procedure to carry out some action(s) to that window, you refer to it as wn.
In the following example, whenever a window is activated in the current workbook, it
is maximised and given a caption (title) of Active Window.
Private Sub Workbook_WindowActivate(ByVal Wn As Window)
Wn.WindowState = xlMaximized
Wn.Caption = "Active Window"
End Sub
Conversely, in the example below, whenever a window is deactivated in the current

workbook, it is minimised and the caption reset to the file name.
Private Sub Workbook_WindowDeactivate(ByVal Wn As Window)
Wn.WindowState = xlMinimized
Wn.Caption = ThisWorkbook.Name
End Sub

In the example below, whenever a new sheet is added to the workbook, it is

automatically given a name consisting of a random number between 1 and 10000 and a
red tab colour.
Private Sub Workbook_NewSheet(ByVal Sh As Object)
Sh.Name = Int(Rnd() * 10000 + 1)

Sh.Tab.Color = vbRed
End Sub
Some events come with a Cancel argument. This is normally used in conjunction with
an IF statement to cancel the associated event procedure if unfavourable conditions are
encountered. In the example below, the Workbook_BeforeClose event is cancelled if
there is no data entered in cell 1 of sheet 1.
Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
If IsEmpty(Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A1")) Then
MsgBox "Cannot close this file unless data is entered in cell A1 of Sheet 1"
Cancel = True
End If
End Sub
COMMON WORKBOOK EXAMPLES

Discussion
ThisWorkbook
Probably the two most common event procedures associated with a workbook are
Open and BeforeClose.
The Open even is useful for displaying introductory message boxes, opening other files
and activating a specific sheet and/or cells. Eg:
' Maximises the Excel window

Application.WindowState = xlMaximized
' Opens another workbook named Data Analysis and maximises it

Workbooks.Open "Data Analysis"
ActiveWindow.WindowState = xlMaximized
' Activates the sheet named Summary and select cell A1

Workbooks("Data Analysis").Activate
Worksheets("Summary").Activate
Range("A1").Select

End Sub
The BeforeClose is equally useful for cleaning up and/or restoring data or settings
when closing a file.
Other useful workbook events are those associated with sheets such as, SheetActivate
and NewSheet. The following example ensures that cell A1 is always selected when a
different sheet in the current workbook is activated.
Private Sub Workbook_SheetActivate(ByVal Sh As Object)
Range(“A1”).Select
End Sub
The On Error Resume Next statement prevents a runtime error occurring if the sheet
being activated does not contain cell A1 (eg. it is a chart sheet).
The following enters and formats a heading in cell A1 of all new sheets added to the
workbook.
Private Sub Workbook_NewSheet(ByVal Sh As Object)
If TypeName(Sh) = “Worksheet” Then
Range(“A1”).Value = “Expenditure Figures for ” & Date

Range(“A1”).Font.Bold = True
End If
End Sub
On this occasion, a simple IF statement is used to evaluate the type of sheet being
inserted to ensure that a runtime error is not generated if, for example, a chart sheet is
inserted.
Worksheet
A popular event associated with a sheet is SelectionChange. The following example,
colours the cell being selected, thus making it easier to identify.
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
' Removes any current interior colour from the current sheet
Cells.Interior.ColorIndex = xlNone
' Adds a yellow interior to the selected cell (Target)

Target.Interior.ColorIndex = 6
End Sub

NON OBJECT-RELATED EVENTS (ONTIME)

Discussion
Although the majority of event procedures are associated with an object, it is worth
looking at the OnTime method. This acts like an event in as much as it can be used to
schedule a procedure to run at a specified time in the future (either at a specific time of
day or after a specific amount of time has passed).
Unlike the events covered previously in this lesson, the OnTime method is made use of
in a standard procedure on a general module sheet.
The OnTime method is a member of the Application object, hence the syntax for its use
is:
Application.OnTime
It has arguments as follows:
Application.OnTime (Earliest Time, Procedure, Latest Time, Schedule)
EarliestTime: Required - The time when you want this procedure to be run.
Procedure: Required - The name of the procedure to be run.
LatestTime: Optional - The latest time at which the procedure can be run. For example,
if LatestTime is set to EarliestTime + 30 and Microsoft Excel is not in Ready, Copy, Cut,
or Find mode at EarliestTime because another procedure is running, Microsoft Excel
will wait 30 seconds for the first procedure to complete. If Microsoft Excel is not in
Ready mode within 30 seconds, the procedure won’t be run. If this argument is
omitted, Microsoft Excel will wait until the procedure can be run.
Schedule: Optional - True to schedule a new OnTime procedure. False to clear a
previously set procedure. The default value is True.
EarliestTime and LatestTime can be set using the time expressed as a fraction of a day.
For example:
Application.OnTime 0.5, “MyProcedure”
… would run MyProcedure at 12 noon (half way through the day!).
Application.OnTime 0.75, “MyProcedure”
… would run MyProcedure at 6pm.
Because it is difficult to calculate times out as fractions of a day, the easiest way of
entering the times is by using the TimeValue function. This allows you to enter the
time in a more understandable hours, minutes and seconds format. For example, 3pm
could be expressed as TimeValue (“15:00:00”).Hence:
Application.OnTime TimeValue(“15:00:00), “MyProcedure”
… would run MyProcedure at 3pm.

The examples above allow you run a procedure at a specific time in the future. By
using the NOW function in conjunction with TimeValue, you can run a procedure
after a specific time have elapsed. For example, NOW + TimeValue(“00:01:00”) will
calculate a time of one minute from when the procedure is initiated.
Hence:
Application.OnTime NOW + TimeValue(“00:01:00”), “MyProcedure”
… will run MyProcedure one minute from when the statement is executed. So if the
statement is executed at 13:45, MyProcedure will run at 13:46.
You also can the OnTime method to schedule a procedure on a particular day but to do
this, you must keep your computer turned on with Excel active and, of course, you
must remember to run the procedure that contains the OnTime method before leaving!

EXERCISE
HANDLING EVENTS WITH VBA
Task - Run procedures automatically when certain changes occur in a workbook or on a

worksheet
1. Open the file Event Triggers.

2. Create a “Splash Screen” (a form that appears when you open a file and then
closes automatically after a few seconds) by firstly creating a user form as show
below.
3. Add code to the appropriate event (Tip: it’s a workbook one) to display the splash
screen when the workbook opens.
4. Add code to another event to close the form after 3 seconds (Tip: it’s one of the form
events – 3 seconds after what does the form have to close? Look through the list of form
events).

6. Re-open it and check if the Splash Screen works correctly. Debug if necessary.
7. Write a procedure against the appropriate event for Sheet1 to highlight the cell
being selected by giving the entire row and the entire column a yellow fill colour.
8. Test and debug.
9. Write a procedure to the appropriate event on Sheet2 in order to prevent the
entering of text values or numbers over 100 into the range E1 to E20.
10. Test and debug.
11. Finally, write a procedure against the appropriate event so that cell A1 in Sheet1
is always selected when the workbook closes (and hence, selected when the
workbook opens!).
12. Test and debug.

LESSON 5 –
WORKING WITH CHARTS
 Create a chart using VBA

 Move and size a chart
 Format a chart
 Add a series to a chart
 Create a Pivot Table
 Refresh a Pivot Table
 Format and structure a Pivot Table

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Lesson 5 - Working with Charts
OVERVIEW
Discussion
While it is true that the macro recorder does a pretty good job of creating and formatting
charts, it does not always do it in the most effective and efficient way. This lesson
therefore will look at some simple and useful ways of enhancing the code created by
the recorder and adding code to carry out additional tasks that the recorder cannot
manage.
There are so many chart objects, that a comprehensive explanation of them all would
stretch to dozens of pages. The examples here, therefore, gives a few simple VBA
techniques to create charts, move and size them and add or remove series and add/edit
their formatting and structure. The code shown is also useful because it can be used to
program Microsoft Chart; the applet used by other Office applications to create charts
for them (eg. in a PowerPoint slides).
CREATING CHARTS
Discussion
The recorder uses quite a roundabout method to create an embedded chart (one that is
located on a worksheet alongside the data). It first creates a default chart on a separate
chart sheet, makes changes to it as necessary and then relocates it to the required
worksheet. It places it in the default location (centre of work area) and uses the default
size (approximately a quarter of the work area).
The recorded code below creates an embedded clustered bar chart using just the first
step of the Chart Wizard (ie. clicking Finish after selecting the chart type):
Sub CreateChart()
Charts.Add
ActiveChart.ChartType = xlBarClustered
ActiveChart.SetSourceData Source:=Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A2:E5")
ActiveChart.Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:="Sheet1"
End Sub
Although the code does the job, it is rather inflexible in as much as it will always create
the chart using the same data (Sheet1 A2:E5) and locate it on the same sheet (Sheet1).
To make the procedure create the chart from ANY data on ANY sheet and always place
it on the same sheet as the data, you need to create a couple of variables to:
a) Store the selected data as a range object; and
b) Store the active sheet name as a string.
The variables can then be used as arguments for the SetDataSource Source:= and
Location Name:= arguments in place of the absolute references created by the recorder.
Eg:

Sub CreateChart()
Dim chtData As Range

Dim chtSheet As String
Set chtData = Selection

chtSht = ActiveSheet.Name
Charts.Add
ActiveChart.SetSourceData Source:=chtData
ActiveChart.ChartType = xlBarClustered
ActiveChart.Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:=chtSht
End Sub
This is a good way of creating a procedure that acts like a template, always giving you
a consistent chart in a “house” style.
The procedure also works if chtData is a non-contiguous range.
SIZING AND POSITIONING CHARTS

Discussion
The recorded procedure below repeats creating the embedded chart above, but then
moves it to the top left hand corner of the worksheet and resizes it to a width of six
standard columns and to a height of 20 rows.
Sub CreatePositionAndSizeChart()
Charts.Add
ActiveChart.ChartType = xlColumnClustered
ActiveChart.SetSourceData Source:=Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A2:E5")
ActiveChart.Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:="Sheet1"
ActiveSheet.Shapes("Chart 1").IncrementLeft -183#
ActiveSheet.Shapes("Chart 1").IncrementTop -115.8
ActiveSheet.Shapes("Chart 1").ScaleWidth 0.91, msoFalse, msoScaleFromTopLeft
ActiveSheet.Shapes("Chart 1").ScaleHeight 0.85, msoFalse, msoScaleFromTopLeft
End Sub
Not only does this use absolute references for the sheet and the range (although this
can be rectified as outlined in the previous topic), it also refers to the chart as Chart 1;
again, an absolute reference lacking flexibility should you wish to run this macro on a
different chart. Also, the methods used to move and size the charts are difficult to
understand and edit.

Hence, the solution is NOT to use the same code as the recorder but to write your own
VBA using the ChartObjects object.
This is because ChartObjects.Add produces a chart equally as well as Charts.Add but
allows you to enter arguments for positioning and sizing the chart as it is created. This
is because an embedded chart is contained in a ChartObject and it is the ChartObject
that has the size and location properties. The chart inside the ChartObject is what you
access to change most of the other properties.
And because a ChartObject can be created on an active sheet and a chart then put
directly inside it, there is no need to create the additional variables in the previous
examples. Hence, it produces much cleaner, more understandable code.
The example below, creates a clustered column chart on the same sheet that the data is
selected from. It positions the chart in the top left hand corner of the work area (Left:=
0 and Top:= 0) and sizes it to 375 pixels wide by 225 pixels high. The actual size of the
chart will depend on the resolution set on the computer monitor.
Sub AddPositionAndSizeChart()
With ActiveSheet.ChartObjects.Add(Left:=0, Width:=375, Top:=0, Height:=225)

.Chart.SetSourceData Source:=Selection
.Chart.ChartType = xlColumnClustered
End With
End Sub.
 To size a chart in inches for printing purposes (approximately),

multiply the number of inches that you want by 72 pixels. Eg:
Height:= 4 * 72 will create a chart 4 inches high
.Width:= 6 * 72 will create a chart 6 inches wide
You may find it more convenient, in a longer procedure, to define an object variable for
the new chart created. Thus, if you need to refer to this chart later in the procedure, you
can conveniently use the variable name.
The following example does the same as the two above, but sets a ChartObject variable
for the new chart added.
Sub AddPositionAndSizeChart()
Dim myCht As ChartObject
Set myCht = ActiveSheet.ChartObjects.Add (Left:=100, Width:=375, Top:=75,

Height:=225)
myCht.Chart.SetSourceData Source:=Selection
myCht.Chart.ChartType = xlColumnClustered
End Sub

In the same way as you can set a chart object’s size and position properties at its creation,
you can position or size the chart at any time by changing the same properties. The
following identifies a specific chart object and moves and sizes it:
Sub ResizeAndRepositionChart()
With ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(“Chart 1”)
.Left = 100
.Width = 375
.Top = 75
.Height = 225
End With
End Sub
The following does the same as above but to an active chart. Remember, it is not the chart
that has the sizing and positioning properties, it is its container - the chart object. Hence, in
this case, you have to refer to the chart object as the parent of the chart. Confusing?.........yes!
Sub ResizeAndRepositionChart()
With ActiveChart.Parent ' The ChartObject is the chart's parent
.Left = 100
.Width = 375
.Top = 75
.Height = 225
End With
End Sub
Rather than calculating a chart’s position using pixels, you can cover a specified range with a
chart. The following procedure places a chart over the range D5:K25:
Sub CoverRangeWithChart()
Dim cht As Chart Object
Dim rng As Range
Set cht = ActiveChart.Parent

Set rng = ActiveSheet.Range("A1:G20")
cht.Left = rng.Left
cht.Width = rng.Width
cht.Top = rng.Top
cht.Height = rng.Height
End Sub

SIZING AND POSITIONING MULTIPLE CHARTS

Discussion
When working in Excel normally, if you wish to print several charts together on one
sheet of paper, you need to create them as embedded charts on the same worksheet
and then position and size them suitably to fit onto the page. This can be tedious and
time consuming work so the example below illustrates positioning and sizing two
named charts neatly and quickly one on top of the other.
The first part of the procedure measures the size (height and width) of the first chart
and the second part arranges and positions the second chart directly underneath, and
sizes it to identical proportions.
Sub AddChartBelow()
Dim chtWdt As Integer

Dim chtHgt As Integer
Dim chtPosx As Integer
Dim chtPosy As Integer
chtWdt = ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 1").Width

chtHgt = ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 1").Height
chtPosx = ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 1").Top
chtPosy = ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 1").Left
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 2").Top = chtPosx + chtHgt

ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 2").Left = chtPosy
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 2").Width = chtWdt
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 2").Height = chtHgt
End Sub
If you have many charts on a worksheet, you may like to arrange them ALL neatly. The
following procedure loops through any number of charts, resizes them the same and
arranges them in regular rows and 3 columns:
Sub ArrangeMyCharts()
Dim iChart As Long
Dim nCharts As Long
Dim dTop As Double
Dim dLeft As Double
Dim dHeight As Double
Dim dWidth As Double
Dim nColumns As Long
dTop = 75 ' top of first row of charts

dLeft = 100 ' left of first column of charts

dHeight = 225 ' height of all charts

dWidth = 375 ' width of all charts
nColumns = 3 ' number of columns of charts
nCharts = ActiveSheet.ChartObjects.Count
For iChart = 1 To nCharts

With ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(iChart)
.Height = dHeight
.Width = dWidth
.Top = dTop + Int((iChart - 1) / nColumns) * dHeight
.Left = dLeft + ((iChart - 1) Mod nColumns) * dWidth
End With
Next
End Sub
NAMING A CHART
Discussion
Charts created on their own sheet are easily identified by their sheet name. For
example, Charts(“Chart1”).Activate will activate the chart on the sheet named Chart1.
Any changes that you wish to make to that chart can then be referred to as
ActiveChart, eg.
ActiveChart.PlotArea.Interior = vbCyan
ActiveChart.ChartArea.Interior = vbYellow
ActiveChart.Name = “South RegionSales”
Excel, however, gives embedded charts a unique name when they are created. The first
chart on a sheet is named “Chart 1”; the next one “Chart 2” and so forth (there is a
space between Chart and the number). The names are based on a sheet-by-sheet basis
hence, you may have several Chart 1s in a workbook.
This can make it difficult to identify a specific chart that you want your VBA to act
upon. As a result, it may be advantageous to give it a name of your own.
It is also important to note that it is NOT the embedded chart itself that is named but its
container - the ChartObject. The examples below name embedded charts under various
circumstances
Naming an active chart:

ActiveChart.Parent.Name = "Name of chart"
Naming a specific existing chart:

ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(3).Name = "Name of chart"
or...
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Old name of chart").Name = "New name of chart"

When creating a new embedded chart:

With ActiveSheet.ChartObjects.Add (Left:=100, Width:=375, Top:=75, Height:=225)
.Chart.ChartType = xlXYScatterLines
.Chart.SetSourceData Source:=Selection
.Chart.Parent.Name = "Name of chart"
End With
ADDING A SERIES TO A CHART

Discussion
As with most structural and formatting changes in charts, the macro recorder is the
easiest way of writing the code.
The following example adds a new series (a 2nd one) to an existing (active) chart
Sub AddNewSeries()
ActiveChart.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(2).Values = "=Sheet1!R3C3:R5C3"
ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(2).Name = "=Sheet1!R2C3"
End Sub
This is a good and effective piece of code but like many things that the macro recorder
does, is not particularly flexible for two reasons:
1. It always adds a 2nd series to a chart irrespective of how many the chart
already contains. This means that any current series are “pushed” out of place
and hence, not plotted correctly.
2. It uses the R1C1 notation for the data.
The following piece of code has been adapted from the example above to add a new
series in sequence and uses the more familiar A1 type notation (or any range reference,
eg. Cells) for the data.
Sub AddNewSeries()
With ActiveChart.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
.Name = ActiveSheet.Range("G3")
.Values = ActiveSheet.Range("G4:G14")
End With
End Sub
Of course, you don’t have to specify absolute references. You could use a string for the
name of the series or a named range for the values, eg.
Sub AddNewSeries()
With ActiveChart.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
.Name = "April"
.Values = "=Sheet1!Apr_Sales"
End With

End Sub
As with other examples in this lesson, you can set an object variable for the new chart
series being added. The following procedure assigns the variable myNewSer to the
new chart series created.
Sub AddNewSeries()
Dim MyNewSrs As Series
Set MyNewSrs = ActiveChart.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
With MyNewSrs
.Name = "April"
.Values = "=Sheet1!Apr_Sales"
End With
End Sub
DELETING SERIES FROM A CHART

Discussion
The basic code for deleting a series is to identify it by its name and delete it. The name
of the series will be as shown in the legend of the chart.
ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(“January”).Delete
To clear out ALL of a chart’s series, your code needs to loop through the entire series
collection, each time deleting the first one until there are none left, eg.
Sub RemoveAllSeries()
Do Until ActiveChart.SeriesCollection.Count = 0
ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).Delete
Loop
End Sub
The chart now appears completely blank and contains only the chart area. You can now
add series as detailed in the previous topic.

EXERCISE
CHARTING WITH VBA
Tasks - To create and modify charts using VBA and ActiveX controls
1. Open the file Practice Charts.

2. The workbook already contains a procedure (CreateCharts) that adds a chart for the
London data to Sheet1 and positions it and sizes it in the top left corner.
3. Add code to the procedure to create a separate chart from the Bristol data (use the
code already in the procedure as a guide).
4. Add code to position the chart immediately below the first one and give it the same
height and width.
5. Assign this procedure to the ActiveX command button on the worksheet.
6. Test and debug if necessary.
7. Add properties to the ActiveX combo box so that it is populated with the items in
range A1 to A2 of Sheet2.
8. Add code to the “change” event for the combo box so that when an item is selected
from it, both charts change type based on the item picked. Make use of the existing
code for this event as a guide to what is required.
9. Test and debug the code.
10. Add code to the Plot by columns option button so that both charts are plotted by
column if it is selected. Use the existing code for the Plot by rows button as a guide.
11. Test and debug the code.
12. Finally, assign to the “OnClick” event for the ActiveX check box, a procedure named
FormatCharts that formats each chart as follows. Use the Object Browser or the macro
recorder to help you find the correct properties to use:
13. Chart Area interior light blue (ColorIndex = 34).

14. Plot Area interior dark blue (ColorIndex = 49).
15. Series 1 interior yellow (ColorIndex = 6).
16. Series 2 interior lilac (ColorIndex = 39).
17. X and Y axis fonts 10 points.
(Tip: You will need to add some error handling code that ignores the run time error generated if the
chart doesn’t contain a Series 2).
18. Test the code and debug if necessary.


LESSON 6 –
WORKING WITH PIVOT TABLES
In this lesson, you will learn:
 Concepts of Pivot Table design

 How to create a Pivot Table using VBA
 How to structure the layout of a Pivot Table Using VBA
 How to refresh Pivot Tables using VBA

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Lesson 6 - Working with Pivot Tables
THE PIVOT TABLE OBJECT

Discussion
Like many other objects in Excel, Pivot Tables come in two VBA forms:
1. as a “collection” - PivotTables - representing ALL the Pivot Tables on a
worksheet, or
2. as individual objects - PivotTables(<name>) - representing a single Pivot Table.
There are few practical examples of using the PivotTables collection but one might be:
numPt = ActiveSheet.PivotTables.Count
… stores in the variable numPt the number of Pivot Tables on the active sheet.
There are, however, many practical examples of using the Pivot Table object singly, eg.
ActiveSheet.PivotTables(“MyPivot”).RefreshTable
… updates the named Pivot Table with any changes made to the source data
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1").RowGrand = False
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1").ColumnGrand = False
… removes row and column grand totals from the named Pivot Table (TRUE will add
the grand totals).
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1").Format xlReport4
… adds the Report 4 AutoFormat style to the named Pivot Table.
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1").PivotSelect ""
… selects the entire named Pivot Table. That could then be followed by:
Selection.Clear or
Selection.Copy or
Selection.Font.Name = “Calibri”
… or any one of many other properties and methods applicable to a Pivot Table.

CREATING A PIVOT TABLE

Discussion
While it is easier to use the macro recorder to write the VBA code needed to create a
Pivot Table, it’s useful to have an understand of the programming behind the recorded
procedure in order to automate the various tasks that you may later want to perform.
Writing your own code is also preferable because it will invariably be more concise and
understandable than that produced by the macro recorder.
There are several ways of creating a Pivot Table using VBA and the following follows a
three step approach.
1. Set a “Pivot Cache” to store the source data for the Pivot Table. A “cache” is a
temporary store for a copy of the original data. This cache can later be used in the
same procedure for producing other Pivot Tables from the same source. The code
for creating a Pivot Cache is as follows:
ActiveWorkbook.PivotCaches.Add (arguments)
The Add method above takes two arguments:
SourceType The type of data being used, viz.
xlConsolidation
xlDatabase
xlExternal
xlPivotTable
xlScenario
In most cases, where an Excel list or table is being used, this

would be xlDatabase.
SourceData The actual data being used.
In most cases, where an Excel list or table is being used, this
would something like Range(“B2:H20”).
Hence, the statement below sets a Pivot Cache named pvCsh that contains data from
an Excel list or table that is stored on the sheet named Data in cells B2 to H20:
Set pvCsh = ActiveWorkbook.PivotCaches.Add(SourceType:=xlDatabase, _
SourceData:=Sheets("Data").Range("B2:H21"))
2. Create the basic Pivot Table “skeleton”. The code, assuming the Pivot Table is being
created on the sheet that the macro is being run from, is as follows:
Activesheet.PivotTables.Add (arguments)
The Add method above takes four arguments, although only the first two are required.
PivotCache (Required) The source data for the Pivot Table. This will be the

Pivot Cache created in item 1 above.

TableDestination (Required) The cell for the top left corner of the Pivot Table.
TableName (Optional) A name for the Pivot Table. If this is omitted, a default
name will be applied to the Pivot Table (eg.
PivotTable1).
ReadData (Optional) Only used with external data (see VBA Help for
further information).
DefaultVersion (Optional) The Excel version that the Pivot Table was originally
created in (see VBA Help for further information).
Hence, the statement below will add from the cache named pvCsh, a Pivot Table
starting in cell A30 of the active sheet, and name it MyPivot1.
ActiveSheet.PivotTables.Add PivotCache:=pvCsh, _
TableDestination:=Range("A30"), TableName:="MyPivot1"
3. Add columns, rows and data to the Pivot Table.

The PivotFields method is generally used to add and/or modify the columns, rows
and data of a Pivot Table.
The PivotFields method has many additional methods and properties but in cases
where it is used for placing or locating fields on a Pivot Table, the Orientation property
is used.
Hence, in the example below, the Region field is grouped in the rows of the Pivot
Table, the Products field into the columns and the Sales field used to provide the
summarised data at the intersection of each column and row.
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1").PivotFields("Region").Orientation =
xlRowField
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1").PivotFields("Product").Orientation =
xlColumnField
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1").PivotFields("Sales").Orientation =
xlDataField
These three statements could be abbreviated using a With… End With block as
follows:
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1")
.PivotFields("Region").Orientation = xlRowField
.PivotFields("Product").Orientation = xlColumnField
.PivotFields("Sales").Orientation = xlDataField
End With

The example below creates a Pivot Table using the data in cells B2 to H20 and places
the Pivot Table in the cell A30 on the same sheet. The entire procedure, therefore, for
creating the Pivot Table described above is:
Sub CreatePivotTable()
Dim pvCsh
Set pvCsh = ActiveWorkbook.PivotCaches.Add(SourceType:=xlDatabase, _
SourceData:=Sheets("Data").Range("B2:H21"))
ActiveSheet.PivotTables.Add PivotCache:=pvCsh, _
TableDestination:=Range("A30"), TableName:="myPivot1"
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("MyPivot1")
.PivotFields("Region").Orientation = xlRowField
.PivotFields("Product").Orientation = xlColumnField
.PivotFields("Sales").Orientation = xlDataField
End With
End Sub
While the code above may seem tedious to write, it compares favourably to the
example below that creates the same Pivot Table using the macro recorder.
Sub MakePivotTable()
ActiveWorkbook.PivotCaches.Add(SourceType:=xlDatabase,
SourceData:= _
"Sheet1!A1:G60").CreatePivotTable TableDestination:="", TableName:=
_ "PivotTable1", DefaultVersion:=xlPivotTableVersion10
ActiveSheet.PivotTableWizard TableDestination:=ActiveSheet.Cells(3, 1)
ActiveSheet.Cells(3, 1).Select
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("PivotTable1").PivotFields("Salesperson")
.Orientation = xlRowField
.Position = 1
End With
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("PivotTable1").PivotFields("Product")
.Orientation = xlColumnField
.Position = 1
End With
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("PivotTable1").AddDataField
ActiveSheet.PivotTables( _
"PivotTable1").PivotFields("Sales"), "Sum of Sales", xlSum
End Sub
NAMING PIVOT TABLES

Discussion
Like many other Excel objects, Pivot Tables can be referred to in two ways:
1. Numerically, using their index number. Excel determines this number
automatically based on the order that the Pivot Tables have been created.

Hence, if there are two Pivot Tables on a sheet, the “oldest” (the one created first)
will have an index number of two. The “newest” Pivot Table will always have an
index number of 1.
To add to the confusion, if a sheet contains, lets say, three Pivot Tables, index
numbers 1, 2, and 3 and the second one to have been created is removed, the
one that had index number 3 gets renumbered to index number 2.
This can make it very difficult to identify individual Pivot Tables but proves
useful in looping through them using a For… Next statement block.
2. By a name expressed as a string (ie. as text). When you create a Pivot Table using
the Wizard, you are not given the opportunity of naming it. Excel, therefore, gives
it a default name - PivotTable followed by a sequential number.
This is in sharp contrast to the index number, because the FIRST Pivot Table
created is given a name of PivotTable1, the second Pivot Table is named
PivotTable2 and so on.
Names of Pivot Tables are retained in the file that they were created, so even if
you remove ALL the Pivot Tables on a sheet, the name of the next one created
will always be named in sequence to the last one. Hence, you may have only one
Pivot Table on a sheet, but its name could be PivotTable12. And to add to the
confusion further, Pivot Tables names are numbered on a workbook basis,
whereas index numbers are added on a sheet-by-sheet basis.
All this goes to show that it is advantageous when writing code that creates Pivot
Tables, to give each one an easily identifiable name.
As shown in the example on page 96, a Pivot Table can be named when using VBA to
create it. But in order to rename an existing Pivot Table, the Pivot Table has to be
identified individually and then given a Name property, eg.
ActiveSheet.PivotTables(“PivotTable1”).Name = “Sales by Year and

Month”
A useful piece of code for referring to a Pivot Table that has had a cell selected on it is:
ActiveCell.PivotTable
Hence,
ActiveCell.PivotTable.Name = “Sales by Year and Month”
… would rename a selected Pivot Table.
M ANIPULATING PIVOT TABLE FIELDS

Discussion
Once a Pivot Table has been created either with the Wizard or by using VBA, there may
come a need to automate “pivoting” the fields, hiding fields, removing fields, adding
new ones or changing the calculation being performed.
In VBA, Pivot Table contains Pivot Fields that can have their methods used and
properties changed. In the example on page 79 that creates a Pivot Table, we saw how
PivotField was used to place fields from the source data into the required section, ie.

rows, column or data. PivotField can be used in a similar way to move, remove or add
fields to a Pivot Table structure.
The examples below give the necessary code to undertake a variety of tasks on Pivot
Fields.
Move a field from columns to rows:

ActiveSheet.PivotTables(“name” or index).PivotFields("field name
").Orientation = xlRowField
Move a field from rows to columns:

").Orientation = xlColumnField
Move a field to a different level

").Position = 2
This results in the Year field (currently in position 1) being moved to become a sub
grouping of Region (position 2 in the hierarchy of levels). The pictures below show the
effect of moving the Year field to position 2.
Remove a field from a Pivot Table

").Orientation = xlHidden
Add a field to a Pivot Table

ActiveSheet.PivotTables(“name” or index).PivotFields("field
name").Orientation = xlRowField
If the above code is applied to a Pivot Table already containing row fields, the new field
is added at the right (the lowest level) of the existing fields. It can then be moved to a
higher level by using the Position property for the field as shown above.

Change the summary calculation of the data field

ActiveSheet.PivotTables("name" or index).PivotFields("Sum of <field
name>").Function = xlCount
The above example changes the calculation to count. The value of the Function
property can be any of the following:
xlAverage
xlCountNums
xlMin
xlStDev
xlSum
xlVar
xlCount
xlMax
xlProduct
xlStDevP
xlUnknown (applies only to OLAP data sources)
xlVarP
Deleting a Pivot Table

ActiveSheet.PivotTables("name" or index).PivotSelect ""
Selection.Clear
REFRESHING PIVOT TABLES

Discussion
A draw-back to Pivot Tables is that you can only refresh them automatically by setting
the Refresh on open option via the PivotTable Options dialog box. The Refresh every
<x> minutes option is only available in rare cases where the Pivot Table is created from
data that is being accessed by Excel from an external source such as an Access table, a
SQL server or an Oracle data management system, etc.
This is not usually an issue with seasoned Excel users who are familiar with the
“Refresh” button on the Pivot Table toolbar. But it is not unknown for less experienced
people to change the source data of a Pivot Table and then submit the Pivot Table
without realising that its values have not been recalculated.
It would be useful, therefore, to refresh Pivot Tables using VBA code whenever a
worksheet is activated (using the Worksheet_Activate event), or by giving users clearly
labelled worksheet buttons that run macros to refresh Pivot Tables.
Refresh a Single Pivot Table by Name

ActiveSheet.PivotTables("name" or index).RefreshTable

Refresh all Pivot Tables on a Worksheet

For Each pvTab In ActiveSheet.PivotTables
pvTab.RefreshTable
Next pvTab
Refresh Specific Pivot Tables on a Worksheet

For Each pvTab In ActiveSheet.PivotTables
Select Case pvTab.Name
Case "PivotTable1", "PivotTable4", "PivotTable8"
pvTab.RefreshTable
Case Else
End Select
Next pvTab
The example above used a Case Select statement block to evaluate the Pivot Table
names. If preferred, an If… Then… Else statement block can be used, ie.
If pvTab.Name = “PivotTable1” Or pvTab.Name = “PivotTable4” Or _
pvTab.Name = “PivotTable8” Then
pvTab.RefreshTable
End If
Refresh All Pivot Tables in a Workbook

For Each ws In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
For Each pt In ws.PivotTables
pt.RefreshTable
Next pt
Next ws
NOTE: When refreshing a Pivot Table, ALL Pivot Tables in a workbook that are based
on the same data source (Pivot Cache) are simultaneously refreshed. It may not be
necessary, therefore, to loop through them all as shown above.

EXERCISE
WORKING WITH PIVOT TABLES IN VBA
Task - Automate the production and modification of a Pivot Table.
Open the file Practice Pivot.

The SurveyData sheet contains the results of a survey that need to be summarised
using Pivot Tables.
Your task is to create a sub procedure that will create four Pivot Tables on a new sheet
named Summary, each totalling the count of one of the responses received to the four
questions.
Table 1 Name: “Convenient”
Table Destination: A1
Rows: Store locations are
convenient
Columns: Sex
Data: Store locations are convenient
Function: Count
Table 2 Name: “Friendly”

Rows: Employees are friendly
Columns: Sex
Data: Employees are friendly
Function: Count
Table 3 Name: “Pricing”

Rows: Pricing is competitive
Columns: Sex
Data: Pricing is competitive
Function: Count
Table 4 Name: “Recommend”

Rows: I would recommend your
company
Columns: Sex
Data: : I would recommend your
company
Function: Count
Part of the code is already written for you. The sub procedure, CreatePivotAnalysis,
creates a PivotCache from the data and on the SurveyData sheet and produces the first
Pivot Table for the “Store locations are convenient” question. Expand this procedure

using the information in the table above, to produce Pivot Tables for the other three
questions as shown in the screen shot above.
Test and debug the code.
Add code to replace 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Undecided,
Agree, Strongly Agree. (Tip: Use ActiveSheet.Range("A:A").Replace "1" , “Strongly
Disagree” and repeat for each option).
The ChangeToPercent sub procedure on module sheet 2 of this workbook is designed
to change the type of calculation performed in the data area of a Pivot Table to a
percentage of the column.
Modify this sub procedure so that it runs on ALL Pivot Tables on an active sheet (Tip:
Use a loop).
Repeat 6 above for the ChangeToCount sub procedure.
Finally, call into the CreatePivotAnalysis sub procedure, the sub procedure named
MakeButtons. This creates two macro buttons to run the ChangeToPercent and
ChangeToCount.
Assign the CreatePivotAnalysis sub procedure to the button on the SurveyData sheet.
Run the CreatePivotAnalysis sub procedure.
Save and close the workbook.

LESSON 7 –
COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER OFFICE
APPLICATIONS
 Create a reference to another Office application

 Write VBA code to interact with other Office applications

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Lesson 7 - Communicating with Other Office Applications
OVERVIEW
Discussion
Automation (formerly OLE Automation) is a feature that programs use to expose their
objects to development tools, macro languages, and other programs that support
Automation. For example, a spreadsheet program may expose a worksheet, chart, cell,
or range of cells, each as a different type of object. A word processor might expose
objects such as an application, a document, a paragraph, a sentence, a bookmark, or a
selection.
When a program supports Automation, you can use Visual Basic for Applications to
access the objects it exposes. You manipulate these objects in Visual Basic by invoking
methods on the object or by getting and setting the object's properties. We will look at
working with other Microsoft Office programs.
There are four main steps to automating another Office application (where * is the
name of the application, eg. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio or Outlook).
 Add a reference to the application’s object library.
 Declare a variable as a * object type.
 Assign the object returned by the CreateObject function to the object variable
(application) you declared in step 2.
 Use the properties and methods of the object variable to automate *
ADDING A REFERENCE TO THE APPLICATION’S

OBJECT LIBRARY
This will help by displaying a members list from where you can identify and select
appropriate methods and properties for the relevant object. For example, adding the
Microsoft Word Object Library reference allows your program to access Microsoft
Word Online Help and the Microsoft Word Visual Basic for Applications constants,
properties, and methods. Note that the Word Object Library reference is required to
automate the Word object types directly.
Adding a reference to the Object Library is called early binding.
Procedures
2. Select the Tools menu.
3. Select References….
4. In the list of Available References:, click to select the relevant
check box.
5. Click OK.

Adding a reference to the Word Object Library (Excel 2003)
DECLARING THE OBJECT VARIABLE

To declare an object variable, you dimension the variable just as you DIM any variable,
except that you specify the type when declaring the object. For example,
Word.Application, Document, and Paragraph are separate Word Objects.
The following example declares the variable wrdApp as an object of type

Word.Application:
Dim wrdApp as Word.Application
It would be similar for other Office applications, eg.

Dim pptApp as PowerPoint.Application
Dim accApp as Access.Application
Dim olkApp as Outlook.Application
Procedures
2. Identify in the Project Explorer pane the VBAProject that you
wish to write the procedure in.
3. Add a module to the project or activate an existing module
sheet.
4. Start a new sub procedure.
5. Declare (dimension) the object variable that you intend using
in the sub procedure. Use the examples above as a guide.

SETTING THE VARIABLE

Discussion
There are two VBA functions you can use to "bind" the already declared object variable
to the application: CreateObject and GetObject. The primary differences are that the
CreateObject function creates a new instance of the program, while the GetObject
function uses an existing, or already running instance of it. You can also use GetObject
to bind your object variable to a specific Word document.
The following example binds the wrdApp variable to Word by using the CreatObject
function.
Dim wrdApp as Word.Application
Set wrdApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
It would be similar for other Office applications, eg.

Dim pptApp as Powerpoint.Application
Set pptApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
Or…
Dim olkApp as Outlook.Application

Set olkApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
The following example binds the wrdApp variable to a specific Word document.
Dim wrdApp As Word.Document
Set wrdApp = GetObject("s:\SharedDocs\Report.doc")
The following example binds the wrdApp variable to an existing instance of Word
Dim wrdApp As Word.Document
Set wrdApp = GetObject( , “Word.Application”)
 It is recommended to use only the CreateObject function to

automate Word. The GetObject function can cause
unpredictable behaviour if WordMail is running or if a Word
document is embedded inside of another program.

USE METHODS AND PROPERTIES TO AUTOMATE THE

OTHER APPLICATION
Discussion
When you complete the steps above, you can use the object variable to automate Word.
This does, however , require knowledge of and experience at using the VBA language
of the other Office application. Suggestions for obtaining help and guidance are:
 Recording macros in the other program (though not all Office applications have
a macro recorder, eg. Outlook and Access).
 Seeking examples by searching the Internet.
 Using the VB Editor Help.
 Using the Members List.
EXAMPLES
Below are some simple examples for automating Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
1. The following sample macro uses automation to create a Word object, create a new
document, add some text, and save the document.
Sub AutomateWord()
' Declare the variable.

Dim objWD As Word.Application
' Set the variable (runs new instance of Word)

Set objWD = CreateObject("Word.Application")
' Add a new document

objWD.Documents.Add
' Add some text

objWD.Selection.TypeText "This is some text."
' Save the document

objWD.ActiveDocument.SaveAs filename:="mydoc.doc"
' Quit Word

objWD.Quit
' Clear the variable from memory

Set objWD = Nothing
End Sub

EXERCISE
CONTROLLING AND COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER APPLICATIONS
To use automation to carry out actions across MS Office applications
1. Open the file named, Talk to Word.

2. Add code to the sub procedure named, TakeToWord so that it:
 copies the range A1 to E5 on Sheet1;
 launches Word;
 adds a document;
 formats the selection to Bold, font size 18;
 adds a heading, Quarter 1 Sales at the top of the Word document;
 centrally aligns the heading
 adds two blanks lines below;
 copies the clipboard contents into the Word document;
 closes Word with a prompt to save the file.
3. Run and test your procedure. Debug if necessary.
4. Create another sub procedure that copies the chart on Sheet2 of the workbook and
pastes in into Slide6 of the PowerPoint presentation named, Annual AGM.
5. Run and test your procedure. Debug if necessary.
6. Save and close all open files.
Optional extra (if time)

Add additional code as necessary to prompt the user with an input box what
heading to use in the Word document

APPENDIX I – LIST OF TRAPPABLE ERRORS
AND THEIR CODES
Source:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms234761(VS.80).aspx
Code Message
3 Return without GoSub
5 Invalid procedure call
6 Overflow
7 Out of memory
9 Subscript out of range
10 This array is fixed or temporarily locked
11 Division by zero
13 Type mismatch
14 Out of string space
16 Expression too complex
17 Can't perform requested operation
18 User interrupt occurred
20 Resume without error
28 Out of stack space
35 Sub, Function, or Property not defined
47 Too many code resource or DLL application clients
48 Error in loading code resource or DLL
49 Bad code resource or DLL calling convention
51 Internal error
52 Bad file name or number
53 File not found
54 Bad file mode
55 File already open
57 Device I/O error
58 File already exists
59 Bad record length
61 Disk full
62 Input past end of file

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Appendix I - Trappable Error Codes
63 Bad record number

67 Too many files
68 Device unavailable
70 Permission denied
71 Disk not ready
74 Can't rename with different drive
75 Path/File access error
76 Path not found
91 Object variable or With block variable not set
92 For loop not initialized
93 Invalid pattern string
94 Invalid use of Null
97 Can't call Friend procedure on an object that is not an instance of
the defining class
98 A property or method call cannot include a reference to a private
object, either as an argument or as a return value
298 System resource or DLL could not be loaded
320 Can't use character device names in specified file names
321 Invalid file format
322 Can't create necessary temporary file
325 Invalid format in resource file
327 Data value named not found
328 Illegal parameter; can't write arrays
335 Could not access system registry
336 Component not correctly registered
337 Component not found
338 Component did not run correctly
360 Object already loaded
361 Can't load or unload this object
363 Control specified not found
364 Object was unloaded
365 Unable to unload within this context
368 The specified file is out of date. This program requires a later
version
371 The specified object can't be used as an owner form for Show
380 Invalid property value
381 Invalid property-array index

382 Property Set can't be executed at run time

383 Property Set can't be used with a read-only property
385 Need property-array index
387 Property Set not permitted
393 Property Get can't be executed at run time
394 Property Get can't be executed on write-only property
400 Form already displayed; can't show modally
402 Code must close topmost modal form first
419 Permission to use object denied
422 Property not found
423 Property or method not found
424 Object required
425 Invalid object use
429 Component can't create object or return reference to this object
430 Class doesn't support Automation
432 File name or class name not found during Automation operation
438 Object doesn't support this property or method
440 Automation error
442 Connection to type library or object library for remote process has
been lost
443 Automation object doesn't have a default value
445 Object doesn't support this action
446 Object doesn't support named arguments
447 Object doesn't support current locale setting
448 Named argument not found
449 Argument not optional or invalid property assignment
450 Wrong number of arguments or invalid property assignment
451 Object not a collection
452 Invalid ordinal
453 Specified code resource not found
454 Code resource not found
455 Code resource lock error
457 This key is already associated with an element of this collection
458 Variable uses a type not supported in Visual Basic
459 This component doesn't support the set of events
460 Invalid Clipboard format

461 Method or data member not found

462 The remote server machine does not exist or is unavailable
463 Class not registered on local machine
480 Can't create AutoRedraw image
481 Invalid picture
482 Printer error
483 Printer driver does not support specified property
484 Problem getting printer information from the system. Make sure
the printer is set up correctly
485 Invalid picture type
486 Can't print form image to this type of printer
520 Can't empty Clipboard
521 Can't open Clipboard
735 Can't save file to TEMP directory
744 Search text not found
746 Replacements too long
31001 Out of memory
31004 No object
31018 Class is not set
31027 Unable to activate object
31032 Unable to create embedded object
31036 Error saving to file
31037 Error loading from file

APPENDIX II – ADDING INTERACTIVITY TO A
MESSAGE BOX
Discussion
Examples of where an interactive message box might be required are where
confirmation is required to proceed with the next part of a procedure, or in error
handling, eg.
Example A Example B
To make the message box interactive, the arguments must be put inside brackets. The
following code will display Example A above.
MsgBox ("Do you want to continue deleting the data", vbYesNo, "Delete Confirm")
Prompt B T
The buttons argument consists of constants or values from each of the following three
groups:
Number and type of button:

Constant Value Display
vbOKOnly 0 OK button only
vbOKCancel 1 OK and Cancel buttons
vbAbortRetryIgnore 2 Abort, Retry and Ignore buttons
vbYesNoCancel 3 Yes, No and Cancel buttons
vbYesNo 4 Yes and No buttons
vbRetryCancel 5 Retry and Cancel buttons
Icon style:
Constant Value Display Icon
vbCritical 16 Critical Message icon.
vbQuestion 32 Warning Query icon.

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Appendix II
vbExclamation 48 Warning Message icon.
vbInformation 64 Information Message icon.
Default Button:
Constant Value Default
vbDefaultButton1 0 First button is default
vbDefaultButton2 256 Second button is default
vbDefaultButton3 512 third button is default
The buttons argument of the message box function can hold three pieces of information
separated by a plus (+) symbol. Using the following code as the buttons argument will
produce Example C below.
vbYesNo + vbQuestion + vbDefaultButton2
vbQuestion
vbYesNo vbDefaultButton2
(second from left)
A more concise method of writing the above sample of code would be to use the
numeric values for the arguments, eg.
4 + 32 + 256
It is easier, however, to remember the vb constants, viz. vbYesNo + vbQuestion +

DefaultButton2.
Procedures
1. Position the cursor in the sub procedure code where you want
to place the statement.
2. Type a variable name to store the value of whichever button is
clicked in the message box, eg. response.
3. Type =.
4. Type MsgBox.
5. Type an opening bracket ( .
6. Type a speech mark (Shift 2).

7. Type a prompt for the message box, ie. the message that you
want it to display, eg. Do you want to continue?
8. Type a speech mark (Shift 2).
9. Type a comma.
10. Type the necessary value to indicate which buttons you want
the message box to display, eg. vbYesNo.
11. If you wish to add an icon If you do not wish to add an
and/or default button to the icon and/or a default button to
message box, type a plus the message box, go to 15
symbol (+). below.
12. Type the necessary value to
indicate which icon to
display, eg. vbQuestion
13. Type a plus symbol (+).
14. Type the necessary value to
indicate which default
button you wish to set,
eg.vbDefaultButton2
15. Type a comma.
16. If you wish to add a title to If you do not wish to add a title
the message box, type a to the message box, go to 20
comma below.
17. Type a speech mark (Shift
2).
18. Type the title text.
19. Type a speech mark (Shift
2).
20. Type a closing bracket ) .
21. Press Enter.
22. Add additional code as necessary.
Responding to an Interactive Message Box

The value returned by the function depends upon which button is pressed. The value is
returned as a constant, which is equal in value to a number. The constant or the value
can be tested by the procedure, usually by means of an IF statement. :
Constant Value Button Selected

vbOK 1 OK
vbCancel 2 Cancel
vbAbort 3 Abort
vbRetry 4 Retry
vbIgnore 5 Ignore

vbYes 6 Yes
vbNo 7 No
In the following example, the message box offers a yes/no response. If the user clicks
yes, then the procedure will delete all the data from the sheet. If the user clicks no, the
procedure will terminate.
If MsgBox (“Do you want to delete all data”, vbYesNo + vbCritical) = vbYes
Then
ActiveSheet.Cells.Clear
End If
The result of the message box (ie. whether the yes or no button is clicked) can be stored
in a variable and the code could also be written:
Dim response as Byte

response = MsgBox (“Do you want to delete all data”, vbYesNo + vbCritical)
If response = vbYes Then or If response = 6 Then
ActiveSheet.Cells.Clear
End If
Procedures
1. (The procedure below assumes a message box containing Yes
and No buttons. It can be adapted, however, to respond to any
set of buttons (eg. vbOKCancel, vbRetryCancel etc.))
2. Position the cursor in the sub procedure code where you want
to place the statement.
3. Create an interactive message box as described in the previous
topic of this lesson.
4. Press Enter.
5. Type If.
6. Type a space.
7. Type the variable name that you have used to store the
response from the message box.
8. Type a space.
9. Type = vbYes.
10. Type a space.
11. Type Then.

12. Type the statements that you want the sub procedure to
perform if the user has clicked the Yes button.
13. Press Enter.
14. Type Else.
15. Press Enter.
16. Type the statements that you want the sub procedure to
perform if the user has clicked the No button.
17. Press Enter.
18. Type End If.
19. Press Enter.
20. Add additional code as necessary.

APPENDIX III – SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES
Dealing with Potential Errors (Page 17)
Sub CircData()
Const PI = 3.142
Radius = InputBox("Type the radius of your circle in centimetres", "Circle Data")
If IsNumeric(Radius) Then
CircArea = PI * (Radius ^ 2)
CircCircumf = 2 * PI * Radius
MsgBox "The area of the circle is: " & CircArea & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & _
"The circumference of the circle is: " & CircCircumf
Else
MsgBox "Input not valid"
End If
End Sub
Sub DeleteOldFile()
Dim fileToRemove As String
fileToRemove = InputBox("Type name of file to delete from the current folder", "Delete
File")
If fileToRemove = "" Then
Exit Sub
Else
Kill ThisWorkbook.Path & "\" & fileToRemove & ".xls"
MsgBox "File successfully deleted"
End If
Exit Sub
errhandle:
response = MsgBox("File not found. Do you want to try again?", vbYesNo)
fileToRemove = InputBox("Type name of file to delete from the current folder",
"Delete File")
Resume

Excel Level 7: VBA Advanced Index
End If
End If
MsgBox "File is currently open. Close the file and run the macro again"
End If
End Sub

Automating a worksheet with ActiveX controls (Page 91)
Event procedures for controls
Private Sub CheckBox1_Change()

If Me.CheckBox1 Then
Range("B8").Value = 0.1
Else
Range("B8").Value = 0
End If
End Sub
Private Sub ComboBox1_DropButtonClick()

Me.ComboBox1.BoundColumn = 1
Range("B1").Value = Me.ComboBox1.Value
Me.ComboBox1.BoundColumn = 2
Range("B3").Value = Me.ComboBox1.Value / 100
End Sub
Private Sub SpinButton1_Change()

Range("B5").Value = Me.SpinButton1.Value
End Sub
Event procedures for workbook

Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub

Sheets("Sheet1").Protect UserInterfaceOnly:=True
End Sub

Handling Events (Page 64)
Event procedure for Sheet1

Cells.Interior.ColorIndex = xlNone
Target.EntireColumn.Interior.Color = vbYellow
Target.EntireRow.Interior.Color = vbYellow
End Sub
Event procedures for Sheet2
Dim origVal
Dim origCel

origVal = Target.Value
origCel = Target.Address(0, 0)
End Sub
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)

If Target.Count = 1 Then
Application.EnableEvents = False
On Error GoTo ws_exit
If Not IsNumeric(Target.Value) Or Target.Value > 100 Then
Target.Value = origVal
Range(origCel).Select
MsgBox "Entry not valid", vbInformation
End If
ws_exit:
End If
End Sub

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)

Dim chngCel As String
Dim origVal As Variant
chngCel = Target.Address(False, False)
origVal = Target.Value
If Intersect(Target, Sheets("Sheet2").Range("E1:E20")) Is Nothing Then
Exit Sub
Else
If Not IsNumeric(Target.Value) Or Target.Value > 100 Then
Application.EnableEvents = False
MsgBox "Entry not valid"
Range(chngCel).Select
Range(chngCel).Value = origVal
End If
End If
Exit Sub
errhandle:
End Sub
Events procedures for Workbook

Sheets("Sheet1").Activate
Cells(1).Select
End Sub

UserForm1.Show
End Sub
Event procedure for user form

Private Sub UserForm_Activate()

Application.OnTime Now + TimeValue("00:00:03"), "CloseSplash"
End Sub

Charting with VBA (Page 74)
Private Sub butRun_Click()

CreateCharts
End Sub
Private Sub chkColour_Change()

If Me.chkColour = True Then
For Each cht In ActiveSheet.ChartObjects
cht.Chart.ChartArea.Interior.Color = vbCyan
cht.Chart.ChartArea.Font.Size = 12
cht.Chart.PlotArea.Interior.Color = vbYellow
If cht.Chart.ChartType = xlLineMarkers Then
numser = cht.Chart.SeriesCollection.Count
For i = 1 To numser
cht.Chart.SeriesCollection(i).Border.ColorIndex = 11 + 2
Next i
Else
numser = cht.Chart.SeriesCollection.Count
For i = 1 To numser
cht.Chart.SeriesCollection(i).Interior.ColorIndex = 11 + i
Next i
End If
Next cht
End If
End Sub
Private Sub cmbType_Change()

If Me.cmbType.Value = "Column" Then
cht.Chart.ChartType = xlColumnClustered
Next cht
End If

If Me.cmbType.Value = "Bar" Then

cht.Chart.ChartType = xlBarClustered
Next cht
End If
If Me.cmbType.Value = "Line" Then
cht.Chart.ChartType = xlLineMarkers
Next cht
End If
End Sub
Private Sub optCol_Click()
cht.Chart.PlotBy = xlColumns
Next cht
End Sub
Private Sub optRows_Click()
cht.Chart.PlotBy = xlRows
Next cht
End Sub
Sub temp()
cht.Chart.ChartArea.Interior.Color = vbCyan
cht.Chart.ChartArea.Font.Size = 12
cht.Chart.PlotArea.Interior.Color = vbYellow
cht.Chart.SeriesCollection(1).Interior.Color = vbMagenta
End Sub
Sub procedures on separate module sheet
Sub CreateCharts()
Dim chartRange1 As Range
Dim chartRange2 As Range

' Specify the ranges to be used

Set chartRange1 = Range("A1:B3") ' London
Set chartRange2 = Union(Range("A1:A3"), Range("C1:C3")) ' Bristol
' Reset worksheet controls to default

ActiveSheet.OLEObjects("cmbType").Object.Value = "Column"
ActiveSheet.OLEObjects("optRows").Object.Value = False
ActiveSheet.OLEObjects("optCol").Object.Value = True
ActiveSheet.OLEObjects("chkColour").Object.Value = False
' Delete any existing charts

cht.Delete
Next cht
' Create the chart

Charts.Add
ActiveChart.SetSourceData Source:=chartRange1
ActiveChart.Location where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:="Sheet1"
ActiveChart.Parent.Name = "London"
' Position and size the chart

With ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("London")
.Left = 0
.Top = 0
.Height = 200
.Width = 250
End With
Charts.Add
ActiveChart.SetSourceData Source:=chartRange2
ActiveChart.Location where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:="Sheet1"
ActiveChart.Parent.Name = "Bristol"

' Position and size the chart

With ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Bristol")
.Left = 0
.Top = 200
.Height = 200
.Width = 250
End With
ActiveSheet.Cells(1).Select
End Sub

Working with Pivot Tables in VBA (Page 84)
Sub CreatePivotAnalysis()
Dim pvCsh As PivotCache
Set pvCsh = ActiveWorkbook.PivotCaches.Add(SourceType:=xlDatabase,
SourceData:=Sheets("SurveyData").Range("A1:F101"))
' Delete Summary sheet if one exists

' Do not ask to confirm deletion of sheet

Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Sheets("Summary").Delete
' Cancel ignoring errors

On Error GoTo 0
' Cancel not asking to confirm deletion of sheet

Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Sheets.Add.Name = "Summary"
ActiveSheet.PivotTables.Add PivotCache:=pvCsh, TableDestination:=Range("A1"),
TableName:="Convenient"
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("Convenient")
.PivotFields("Sex").Orientation = xlColumnField
.PivotFields("Store locations are convenient").Orientation = xlRowField
.PivotFields("Store locations are convenient").Orientation = xlDataField
.DataFields(1).Function = xlCount
End With
TableName:="Employees"
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("Employees")
.PivotFields("Employees are friendly").Orientation = xlRowField
.PivotFields("Employees are friendly").Orientation = xlDataField


TableName:="Pricing"
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("Pricing")
.PivotFields("Pricing is competitive").Orientation = xlRowField
.PivotFields("Pricing is competitive").Orientation = xlDataField
End With
TableName:="Recommend"
With ActiveSheet.PivotTables("Recommend")
.PivotFields("I would recommend your company").Orientation = xlRowField
.PivotFields("I would recommend your company").Orientation = xlDataField
End With
With Range("A:A")
.Replace "1", "Strongly Disagree"
.Replace "2", "Disagree"
.Replace "3", "Undecided"
.Replace "4", "Agree"
.Replace "5", "Strongly Agree"
End With
Call MakeButtons
End Sub
Sub ChangeToPercent()
For Each PT In ActiveSheet.PivotTables
With PT.DataFields(1)
.Calculation = xlPercentOfColumn
.NumberFormat = "0.00%"
End With
Next
End Sub

Sub ChangeToCount()
For Each PT In ActiveSheet.PivotTables
With PT.DataFields(1)
.Calculation = xlNormal
.Function = xlSum
.NumberFormat = "General"
End With
Next
End Sub
Sub MakeButtons()
Dim percBut As Button
Dim countBut As Button
Set percBut = Sheets("Summary").Buttons.Add(400, 25, 100, 40)
percBut.OnAction = "ChangeToPercent"
percBut.Characters.Text = "Change to percent"
Set countBut = Sheets("Summary").Buttons.Add(400, 90, 100, 40)
countBut.OnAction = "ChangeToCount"
countBut.Characters.Text = "Change to count"
End Sub

Automation - communicating with other Office programs (Page 91)
Sub TalkToWord()
Dim WordApp As Object
Set WordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
Selection.Copy
With WordApp
.Visible = True
.Documents.Add
With .Selection.Font
.Bold = True
.Size = 18
End With
With .Selection
.TypeText "Quarter 1 Sales"
.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = 1
.typeparagraph
.typeparagraph
.Paste
End With
.Quit
End With
End Sub

INDEX
A Events
arguments ...................................................... 60
ActiveX Controls
cancel argument ............................................. 61
Adding to worksheet ...................................... 42
examples ....................................................... 61
check box ....................................................... 42
non object ...................................................... 63
combo box ............................................... 47, 52
OnTime ......................................................... 63
Control toolbox .............................................. 39
types .............................................................. 56
deleting .......................................................... 45
events ...................................................... 47, 48 F
list box ........................................................... 49
Form Controls
moving and sizing .................................... 44, 45
Definition ...................................................... 39
option buttons ................................................ 50
Forms toolbar ................................................ 39
Properties ....................................................... 41
returning a value ............................................ 46 I
spin button ..................................................... 51
Automation IsNumeric .................................................... 8, 102
adding a reference to object library ................. 88 M
declaring an MS Office object variable ........... 89
defintion ........................................................ 88 Message Box
setting an MS object variable .......................... 90 adding interactivity ........................................ 97
button types ................................................... 97
C default buttons ............................................... 98
Charts icons.............................................................. 97
interactive use examples ................................ 99
creating in VBA ............................................. 67
moving and sizing .......................................... 68 responding to ................................................. 99
multiple ......................................................... 71 P
naming........................................................... 72
series adding .................................................. 73 Pivot Tables
series, deleting ............................................... 74 creating in VBA............................................. 78
moving fields................................................. 81
D naming .......................................................... 80
overview........................................................ 77
Dialog Boxes
using Excel dialog boxes in procedures........... 21 pivot cache .................................................... 78
refreshing ...................................................... 83
E removing fields .............................................. 82
Error Handling R
Err.Number .................................................... 13
error descriptions ........................................... 16 Run-time error ................................................... 7
labels ............................................................. 11 U
On Error GoTo........................................... 9, 11
On Error GoTo 0 ............................................ 16 Userforms, custom
On Error Resume Next ............................... 9, 10 adding controls .............................................. 22
Resume ...................................................... 9, 11 adding events to controls................................ 28
trapping with error numbers ........................... 13 Cancel button ................................................ 29
using interactive message boxes ..................... 12 check boxes ................................................... 31
using the IF statement.......................................7 combo boxes.................................................. 30
Error handling, IS... functions control properties ........................................... 26
IsArray.............................................................8 control types .................................................. 22
IsDate ..............................................................8 creating ......................................................... 21
IsEmpty ...........................................................8 displaying ...................................................... 33
IsError .............................................................8 editing controls .............................................. 24
IsMissing .........................................................8 form events - initialize ................................... 32
IsNull...............................................................8 grouping controls ........................................... 25
IsNumeric ........................................................8 inserting to a workbook.................................. 22
IsObject ...........................................................8 list boxes ....................................................... 30
Event Procedures naming .......................................................... 27
definition ....................................................... 56 OK button...................................................... 29

options buttons ............................................... 31 W

scroll bars ...................................................... 31
Worksheet controls
spin buttons.................................................... 31
ActiveX ......................................................... 38
text boxes ....................................................... 30
definition ....................................................... 39

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MICROSOFT EXCEL

VISUAL BASIC FOR APPLICATIONS

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REFRESHING PIVOT TABLES ........................................................................................................................ 82

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In this lesson, you will learn how to:

 Handle errors using an If statement

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ERROR HANDLING USING IF

If Selection.Cells.Count >1 Then

interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

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Type mismatch run-time error

interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

If IsNumeric(interestRate) And interestRate >= 0 Then

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On Error Resume Next

For Each cmdbar In Application.CommandBars

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On Error Resume Next

For Each cmdbar In Application.CommandBars

On Error Resume Next

On Error Resume Next

interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

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On Error GoTo <label>

On Error GoTo errhandle

interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

On Error GoTo errhandle

interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

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On Error GoTo errhandle

Dim interestRate as Single

On Error GoTo errhandle

interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

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Resume Next can be used as an alternative to Resume in

TRAPPING ERRORS WITH ERR NUMBERS

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Dim interestRate as Single

interestRate = InputBox("Enter today's interest rate")

If response = vbYes Then

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5. Type On Error GoTo errhandle (or other “label” to identify a

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35. Type Exit Sub.

On Error Resume Next ' trap errors from here onwards

On Error GoTo 0 'stop trapping errors from here onwards

MsgBox "The error " & Err.Description & _

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Task 1: To effectively handle errors using a simple IF statement.

1. Open the file Error Handle.