Microsoft Office

Part VI
Programming Excel with VBA
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I recommend that you use named ranges in your VBA code. For example, a reference such as
Range (“Total”) is better than Range (“D45”). In the latter case, you need to modify the
macro if you add a row above row 45.
When you record macros that select ranges, pay close attention to relative versus absolute recording
mode (see Chapter 39). The recording mode that you choose can drastically affect the way the
macro operates.
If you create a macro that loops through each cell in the current range selection, be aware that the
user can select entire columns or rows. For example, you may want to eliminate empty cells. In
such a case, you need to create a subset of the selection that consists only of nonblank cells. Or,
you can work with cells in the worksheet’s used range (by using the UsedRange property).
Be aware that Excel allows you to select multiple ranges in a worksheet. For example, you can
select a range, press Ctrl, and then select another range. You can test for this in your macro and
take appropriate actions.
The examples in the following sections demonstrate these points.
Copying a range
Copying a range is a frequent activity in macros. When you turn on the macro recorder (using absolute
recording mode) and copy a range from A1:A5 to B1:B5, you get a VBA macro like this:
Sub CopyRange()
Range(“A1:A5”).Select
Selection.Copy
Range(“B1”).Select
ActiveSheet.Paste
Application.CutCopyMode = False
End Sub
This macro works, but it’s not the most efficient way to copy a range. You can accomplish exactly the same
result with the following one-line macro:
Sub CopyRange2()
Range(“A1:A5”).Copy Range(“B1”)
End Sub
This code takes advantage of the fact that the Copy method can use an argument that specifies the destination.
Useful information about properties and methods is available in the Help system.
The example demonstrates that the macro recorder doesn’t always generate the most efficient code. As you
see, you don’t have to select an object to work with it. Note that CopyRange2 doesn’t select a range; therefore,
the active cell doesn’t change when this macro is executed.
Copying a variable-size range
Often, you want to copy a range of cells in which the exact row and column dimensions are unknown.
Figure 44.1 shows a range on a worksheet. This range contains data that is updated weekly. Therefore, the
number of rows changes. Because the exact range address is unknown at any given time, writing a macro to
copy the range can be challenging.
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