Chapter 3
Referring to ranges
In this chapter, you will:
Learn how to reference the
RangeobjectReference ranges in other sheets
Reference a range relative to another range
Use the
Cellsproperty to select a rangeUse the
Offsetproperty to refer to a rangeUse the
Resizeproperty to change the size of a rangeUse the
ColumnsandRowsproperties to specify a rangeUse the
Unionmethod to join multiple rangesUse the
Intersectmethod to create a new range from overlapping rangesUse the
IsEmptyfunction to check whether a cell is emptyUse the
CurrentRegionproperty to select a data rangeUse the
SpecialCellsproperty to interact with specific cells in a rangeUse the
Areascollection to return a noncontiguous rangeLearn the syntax used for tables
A range can be a cell, a row, a column, or a grouping of any of these. The Range object is probably the most frequently used object in Excel VBA; after all, you’re manipulating data on a sheet. Although a range can refer to any grouping of cells on a sheet, it can refer to only one sheet at a time. If you want to refer to ranges on multiple sheets, you must refer to each sheet separately.
This chapter shows you different ways of referring to ranges, such as specifying a row or column. You’ll also find out how to manipulate cells based on the active cell and how to create a new range from overlapping ranges.
The Range object
The following is the Excel object hierarchy:
Application > Workbook > Worksheet > Range
The Range object is a property of the Worksheet object. This means it requires that a sheet be active or else it must reference a worksheet. Both of the following lines mean the same thing if Worksheets(1) is the active sheet:
Range("A1")
Worksheets(1).Range("A1")There are several ways to refer to a Range object. Range("A1") is the most identifiable because that is how the macro recorder refers to it. However, all the following are equivalent when referring to cell D5:
Range("D5")
[D5]
Range("B3").Range("C3")
Cells(5,4)
Range("A1").Offset(4,3)
Range("MyRange") 'assuming that D5 has a Name of MyRangeWhich format you use depends on your needs. Keep reading. It will all make sense soon!
Syntax for specifying a range
The Range property has two acceptable syntaxes. To specify a rectangular range in the first syntax, specify the complete range reference just as you would in a formula in Excel:
Range("A1:B5")In the alternative syntax, specify the upper-left corner and lower-right corner of the desired rectangular range. In this syntax, the equivalent statement might be this:
Range("A1", "B5")For either corner, you can substitute a named range, the Cells property, or the ActiveCell property. The following line of code selects the rectangular range from A1 to the active cell:
Range("A1", ActiveCell).SelectThe following statement selects from the active cell to five rows below the active cell and two columns to the right:
Range(ActiveCell, ActiveCell.Offset(5, 2)).Select
Referencing named ranges
You probably have already used named ranges on your worksheets and in formulas. You can also use them in VBA.
Use the following code to refer to the range "MyRange" in Sheet1:
Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("MyRange")Notice the name of the range is in quotes—unlike the use of named ranges in formulas on the sheet itself. If you forget to put the name in quotes, Excel thinks you are referring to a variable in the program. One exception is if you use the shortcut syntax discussed in the next section. In that case, quotes aren’t used.
Shortcut for referencing ranges
A shortcut is available when referencing ranges. The shortcut involves using square brackets, as shown in Table 3-1.
TABLE 3-1 Shortcuts for referencing ranges
Standard Method | Shortcut |
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Referencing ranges in other sheets
Switching between sheets by activating the needed sheet slows down your code. To avoid this, refer to a sheet that is not active by first referencing the Worksheet object:
Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1")This line of code references Sheet1 of the active workbook even if Sheet2 is the active sheet.
To reference a range in another workbook, include the Workbook object, the Worksheet object, and then the Range object:
Workbooks("InvoiceData.xlsx").Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1")To use the Range property as an argument within another Range property, identify the range fully each time. For example, suppose that Sheet1 is your active sheet and you need to total data from Sheet2:
WorksheetFunction.Sum(Worksheets("Sheet2").Range(Range("A1"), _
Range("A7")))This line does not work. Why not? Although Range("A1"), Range("A7") is meant to refer to the sheet at the beginning of the code line (Sheet2), Excel does not assume that you want to carry the Worksheet object reference over to these other Range objects; instead, Excel assumes that they refer to the active sheet, Sheet1. So, what do you do? Well, you could write this:
WorksheetFunction.Sum(Worksheets("Sheet2").Range(Worksheets("Sheet2"). _
Range("A1"), Worksheets("Sheet2").Range("A7")))However, not only is this a long line of code, but it is also difficult to read! Thankfully, there is a simpler way, using With...End With:
With Worksheets("Sheet2")
WorksheetFunction.Sum(.Range(.Range("A1"), .Range("A7")))
End WithNotice now there is a .Range in your code but without the preceding object reference. That’s because With Worksheets("Sheet2") implies that the object of the range is that worksheet. Whenever Excel sees a period without an object reference directly to the left of it, it looks up the code for the closest With statement and uses that as the object reference.
Referencing a range relative to another range
Typically, the Range object is a property of a worksheet. It is also possible to have Range be the property of another range. In this case, the Range property is relative to the original range, which makes for unintuitive code. Consider this example:
Range("B5").Range("C3").SelectThis code actually selects cell D7. Think about cell C3, which is located two rows below and two columns to the right of cell A1. The preceding line of code starts at cell B5. If we assume that B5 is in the A1 position, VBA finds the cell that would be in the C3 position relative to B5. In other words, VBA finds the cell that is two rows below and two columns to the right of B5, which is D7.
Again, I consider this coding style to be very unintuitive. This line of code mentions two addresses, and the actual cell selected is neither of these addresses! It seems misleading when you’re trying to read this code.
You might consider using this syntax to refer to a cell relative to the active cell. For example, the following line of code activates the cell three rows down and four columns to the right of the currently active cell:
Selection.Range("E4").SelectI mention this syntax only because the macro recorder uses it. Recall that when you recorded a macro in Chapter 1, “Unleashing the power of Excel with VBA,” with relative references on, the following line was recorded:
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 4).Range("A1").SelectThis line found the cell four columns to the right of the active cell, and from there, it selected the cell that would correspond to A1. This is not the easiest way to write code, but it is the way the macro recorder does it.
Although a worksheet is usually the object of the Range property, occasionally, such as during recording, a range may be the property of a range.
Using the Cells property to select a range
The Cells property refers to all the cells of the specified Range object, which can be a worksheet or a range of cells. For example, this line selects all the cells of the active sheet:
Cells.Select
Using the Cells property with the Range object might seem redundant:
Range("A1:D5").CellsThis line refers to the original Range object. However, the Cells property has an Item property that makes the Cells property very useful. The Item property enables you to refer to a specific cell relative to the Range object.
The syntax for using the Item property with the Cells property is as follows:
Cells.Item(Row,Column)
You must use a numeric value for Row, but you may use the numeric value or string value for Column. Both of the following lines refer to cell C5:
Cells.Item(5,"C") Cells.Item(5,3)
Because the Item property is the default property of the Range object, you can shorten these lines as follows:
Cells(5,"C") Cells(5,3)
The ability to use numeric values for parameters is particularly useful if you need to loop through rows or columns. The macro recorder usually uses something like Range("A1").Select for a single cell and Range("A1:C5").Select for a range of cells. If you’re learning to code only from the recorder, you might be tempted to write code like this:
FinalRow = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
For i = 1 to FinalRow
Range("A" & i & ":E" & i).Font.Bold = True
Next iThis little piece of code, which loops through rows and bolds the cells in columns A through E, is awkward to read and write. But how else can you do it? Like this:
FinalRow = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row For i = 1 to FinalRow Cells(i,"A").Resize(,5).Font.Bold = True Next i
Instead of trying to type the range address, the new code uses the Cells and Resize properties to find the required cell, based on the active cell. See the “Using the Resize property to change the size of a range” section later in this chapter for more information on the Resize property.
You can use the Cells properties for parameters in the Range property. The following refers to the range A1:E5:
Range(Cells(1,1),Cells(5,5))
This is particularly useful when you need to specify variables with a parameter, as in the previous looping example.
Using the Offset property to refer to a range
You’ve already seen a reference to Offset when you recorded a relative reference. Offset enables you to manipulate a cell based on the location of another cell, such as the active cell. Therefore, you do not need to know the address of the cell you want to manipulate.
The syntax for the Offset property is as follows:
Range.Offset(RowOffset, ColumnOffset)
For example, the following code affects cell F5 from cell A1:
Range("A1").Offset(RowOffset:=4, ColumnOffset:=5)Or, shorter yet, you can write this:
Range("A1").Offset(4,5)The count of the rows and columns starts at A1 but does not include A1.
If you need to go over only a row or a column, but not both, you don’t have to enter both the row and the column parameters. To refer to a cell one column over, use one of these lines:
Range("A1").Offset(ColumnOffset:=1)
Range("A1").Offset(,1)Both of these lines have the same meaning, so the choice is yours. If you use the second line, make sure to include the comma so Excel knows that the 1 refers to the ColumnOffset argument. Referring to a cell one row up is similar:
Range("B2").Offset(RowOffset:=-1)
Range("B2").Offset(-1)Once again, you can choose which one to use. It’s a matter of the readability of the code.
Suppose you have a list of produce in column A, with totals next to the produce items in column B. If you want to find any total equal to zero and place LOW in the cell next to it, do this:
Set Rng = Range("B1:B16").Find(What:="0", LookAt:=xlWhole, _
LookIn:=xlValues)
Rng.Offset(, 1).Value = "LOW"When used in a Sub and looping through a data set, it would look like this:
Sub FindLow()
With Range("B1:B16")
Set Rng = .Find(What:="0", LookAt:=xlWhole, LookIn:=xlValues)
If Not Rng Is Nothing Then
firstAddress = Rng.Address
Do
Rng.Offset(, 1).Value = "LOW"
Set Rng = .FindNext(Rng)
Loop While Not Rng Is Nothing And Rng.Address <> firstAddress
End If
End With
End SubThe LOW totals are noted by the program, as shown in Figure 3-1.
FIGURE 3-1 The code puts “LOW” next to the zeros in the data set.
Note
Refer to the section “Object variables” in Chapter 4, “Looping and flow control,” for more information on the Set statement.
Offsetting isn’t only for single cells; you can use it with ranges. You can shift the focus of a range over in the same way you can shift the active cell. The following line refers to B2:D4 (see Figure 3-2):
Range("A1:C3").Offset(1,1)
FIGURE 3-2 Offsetting the original range A1:C3 by one row and one column references a new range, B2:D4.
Using the Resize property to change the size of a range
The Resize property enables you to change the size of a range based on the location of the active cell. You can create a new range as needed. This is the syntax for the Resize property:
Range.Resize(RowSize, ColumnSize)
To reference the range B3:D13, use the following:
Range("B3").Resize(RowSize:=11, ColumnSize:=3)Here’s a simpler way to reference this range:
Range("B3").Resize(11, 3)But what if you need to resize by only a row or a column—not both? You don’t have to enter both the row and the column parameters.
To expand by two columns, use either of the following:
Range("B3").Resize(ColumnSize:=2)or
Range("B3").Resize(,2)Both lines mean the same thing. The choice is yours. If you use the second line, make sure to include the comma so Excel knows the 2 refers to the ColumnSize argument. Resizing just the rows is similar. You can use either of the following:
Range("B3").Resize(RowSize:=2)or
Range("B3").Resize(2)Once again, the choice is yours. It is a matter of the readability of the code.
From the list of produce, say that you want to find the zero totals and color the cells of the total and corresponding produce (see Figure 3-3). Here’s what you do:
Set Rng = Range("B1:B16").Find(What:="0", LookAt:=xlWhole, _
LookIn:=xlValues)
Rng.Offset(, -1).Resize(, 2).Interior.ColorIndex = 15
FIGURE 3-3 You can resize a range to extend the selection.
Notice that the Offset property first moves the active cell over to the produce column. When you’re resizing, the upper-left-corner cell must remain the same.
Resizing isn’t only for single cells; you can use it to resize an existing range. For example, if you have a named range but need it and the column next to it, use this:
Range("Produce").Resize(,2)Remember, the number you resize by is the total number of rows/columns you want to include.
Using the Columns and Rows properties to specify a range
The Columns and Rows properties refer to the columns and rows of a specified Range object, which can be a worksheet or a range of cells. They return a Range object referencing the rows or columns of the specified object.
You’ve seen the following line used, but what is it doing?
FinalRow = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
This line of code finds the last row in a sheet in which column A has a value and places the row number of that Range object into the variable called FinalRow. This can be useful when you need to loop through a sheet row by row; you will know exactly how many rows you need to go through.
Note
Some properties of columns and rows require contiguous rows and columns in order to work properly. For example, if you were to use the following line of code, 9 would be the answer because only the first range would be evaluated:
Range("A1:B9, C10:D19").Rows.CountHowever, if the ranges were grouped separately, the answer would be 19. Excel takes the top-left cell address, A1, and the bottom-right cell address, D19, and counts the rows in the range A1:D19:
Range("A1:B9", "C10:D19").Rows.CountUsing the Union method to join multiple ranges
The Union method enables you to join two or more noncontiguous ranges. It creates a temporary object of the multiple ranges, which enables you to affect them at the same time:
Application.Union(argument1, argument2, etc.)
The expression Application is not required. The following code joins two named ranges on the sheet, inserts the =RAND() formula, and bolds them:
Set UnionRange = Union(Range("Range1"), Range("Range2"))
With UnionRange
.Formula = "=RAND()"
.Font.Bold = True
End WithUsing the Intersect method to create a new range from overlapping ranges
The Intersect method returns the cells that overlap between two or more ranges. If there is no overlap, an error is returned:
Application.Intersect(argument1, argument2, etc.)
The expression Application is not required. The following code colors the overlapping cells of the two ranges:
Set IntersectRange = Intersect(Range("Range1"), Range("Range2"))
IntersectRange.Interior.ColorIndex = 6Using the IsEmpty function to check whether a cell is empty
The IsEmpty function returns a Boolean value that indicates whether a single cell is empty: True if empty, and False if not. The cell must truly be empty for the function to return True. If it contains even just a space that you cannot see, Excel does not consider the cell to be empty:
IsEmpty(Cell)
Say that you have several groups of data separated by a blank row. You want to make the separations a little more obvious. The following code goes down the data in column A. When it finds an empty cell in column A, it colors in the first four cells of that row (see Figure 3-4):
LastRow = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
For i = 1 To LastRow
If IsEmpty(Cells(i, 1)) Then
Cells(i, 1).Resize(1, 4).Interior.ColorIndex = 1
End If
Next i
FIGURE 3-4 You can make separations more obvious by using colored rows.
Using the CurrentRegion property to select a data range
CurrentRegion returns a Range object that represents a set of contiguous data. As long as the data is surrounded by one empty row and one empty column, you can select the data set by using CurrentRegion:
RangeObject.CurrentRegion
The following line selects A1:D3 because this is the contiguous range of cells around cell A1 (see Figure 3-5):
Range("A1").CurrentRegion.SelectThis is useful if you have a data set whose size is in constant flux.
FIGURE 3-5 You can use CurrentRegion to select a range of contiguous data around the active cell.
Using the Areas collection to return a noncontiguous range
The Areas collection is a collection of noncontiguous ranges within a selection. It consists of individual Range objects representing contiguous ranges of cells within the selection. If a selection contains only one area, the Areas collection contains a single Range object that corresponds to that selection.
You might be tempted to loop through the rows in a sheet and check the properties of a cell in a row, such as its formatting (for example, font or fill) or whether the cell contains a formula or value. Then you could copy the row and paste it to another section. However, there is an easier way. In Figure 3-10, the user enters the values below each fruit and vegetable. The percentages are formulas. The following line of code selects the cells with numeric constants and copies them to another area:
Set NewDestination = ActiveSheet.Range("I1")
For Each Rng In Cells.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants, 1).Areas
Rng.Copy Destination:=NewDestination
Set NewDestination = NewDestination.Offset(Rng.Rows.Count)
Next Rng
FIGURE 3-10 The Areas collection makes it easier to manipulate noncontiguous ranges.
Referencing tables
A table is a special type of range that offers the convenience of referencing named ranges. However, tables are not created in the same manner as other ranges. For more information on how to create a named table, see Chapter 6, “Creating and manipulating names in VBA.”
Although you can reference a table by using Worksheets(1).Range("Table1"), you have access to more of the properties and methods that are unique to tables if you use the ListObjects object, like this:
Worksheets(1).ListObjects("Table1")This opens the properties and methods of a table, but you can’t use that line to select the table. To do that, you have to specify the part of the table you want to work with. To select the entire table, including the header and total rows, specify the Range property:
Worksheets(1).ListObjects("Table1").Range.SelectThe table part properties include the following:
Range—Returns the entire table.DataBodyRange—Returns the data part only.HeaderRowRange—Returns the header row only.TotalRowRange—Returns the total row only.
What I really like about coding with tables is the ease of referencing specific columns of a table. You don’t have to know how many columns to move in from a starting position or the letter/number of the column, and you don’t have to use a FIND function. Instead, you can use the header name of the column. For example, to select the data of the Qty column of the table, but not the header or total rows, do this:
Worksheets(1).ListObjects("Table1").ListColumns("Qty")_
.DataBodyRange.Select Note
For more details on coding with tables, check out Excel Tables: A Complete Guide for Creating, Using, and Automating Lists and Tables by Zack Barresse and Kevin Jones (ISBN: 9781615470280).
Next steps
Referencing ranges is an essential part of programming in Excel. Now that you’re getting an idea of how Excel works, it’s time to learn about a fundamental component of any programming language: loops. If you have taken a programming class, you will be familiar with basic loop structures. VBA supports all the usual loops. Chapter 4 also describes a special loop, For Each...Next, which is unique to object-oriented programming such as VBA.