Names in Excel VBA makes our job more easier. We can save lot of time using Names. It is easy to maintain the formulas, Cells,Ranges and Tables. You can define the names once in the workbook and use it across the workbook. The following examples will show some of the Names daily operations.
Adding Names in Excel VBA:
Sometimes you may need to Add name to a particular range in excel worksheet. We can manage range names in excel vba with using names collection.
Adding Names in Excel VBA – Solution(s):
We can use Names.Add method or Name property of a range for adding names in excel VBA.
We can create range name in the following way. It contains several properties.We must define Name and the Refers To property.please find the following example.The following code creates a name “MyData” and referring to sheet1 of a range(“$A$1:$E$10”)
Code:
'Naming a range
Sub sbNameRange()
'Adding a Name
Names.Add Name:="myData", RefersTo:="=Sheet1!$A$1:$E$10"
'OR
'You can use Name property of a Range
Sheet1.Range("$A$1:$E$10").Name = "myData"
End Sub
Output:
Instructions:
- Open an excel workbook
- Press Alt+F11 to open VBA Editor
- Double click on ThisWorkbook from Project Explorer
- Copy the above code and Paste in the code window
- Press F5
- GoTo Sheet1 and Select Range A1 to D10
- You should see the following example
Example File
Download the example file and Explore it.
Analysistabs – Adding Name to Range in excel Workboobk
Deleting Names in Excel VBA:
Sometimes you may need to Delete range name in existing excel workbook for cleaning broken references in excel workbook.
Deleting Names in Excel VBA – Solution(s):
You can use Delete method for deleting existing names in excel workbook.We can delete range name in the following way.please find the following example.The following code Deletes a name “MyData”.
Code:
'Deleting Names
Sub sbDeleteName()
'myData=Sheet1.range("A1:E10")
Names("myData").Delete
End Sub
Output:
Instructions:
- Open an excel workbook
- Press Alt+F11 to open VBA Editor
- Double click on ThisWorkbook from Project Explorer
- Copy the above code and Paste in the code window
- Press F5
- GoTo Sheet1 and Select Range A1 to D10
- You should see the following example
Example File
Download the example file and Explore it.
Analysistabs – Deleting Name to Range in excel Workboobk
Hide UnHide Names in Excel VBA:
Sometimes you may need to Hide UnHide names in Excel VBA.
Hide UnHide names in Excel VBA – Solution(s):
You Can Hide UnHide Names in Excel VBA using Visible Property in the following way. when we set visible proprty to false, We dont see defined range name . when we set visible proprty to true, We can see defined range name .
Code:
'Hiding a Name Sub sbHideName() Names("myData").Visible = False End Sub 'UnHide aName Sub sbUnHideName() Names("myData").Visible = True End Sub
Output:
Instructions:
- Open an excel workbook
- Press Alt+F11 to open VBA Editor
- Double click on ThisWorkbook from Project Explorer
- Copy the above code and Paste in the code window
- Press F5
- GoTo Sheet1 and Select Range A1 to D10
- You should see the following example
Example File
Download the example file and Explore it.
Analysistabs – Hide UnHide Names in excel Workboobk
I am having a problem copying Ranges from one point to another in Excel using VBA.
I have tried several methods and get the same result any way I’ve tried
When the copy action is triggered, the destination has the copy from the header row in the destination
Example: Range(“U14:AO14”).Copy Destination:=Range(“A40”)
I am receiving the data from U2:AO2.
I have named the range by selection using the spreadsheet name window. The array that shows in the window shows the correct value. The destination is correct.
Do you have a clue what is happening, or what I am doing wrong?
Thank You
Can this defined name be used for coding or in vba editor
Hi Amar,
Yes! we can use the defined names in VBA. Example:
Sheet1.Range("$A$1:$E$10").Name = "myData" Range("myData").Interior.ColorIndex = 3here, myData is a user defined name and the above code will change the background color of the defined range.
Thanks-PNRao!
Thank you for this post. I was wondering if it is possible to address a dynamic name range in VBA. I have a named range (though I use a lookup-function in the name manager) that is visible in the name manager and can be used in formulas in the Excel sheet.
I tried this
dim Taxes_from_Sales as Range
Set Taxes_from_Sales = Range(“Taxes_from_Sales”)
whereas “Taxes_from_Sales” is a excel Lookup defined name range. VBA doesn’t recognize it cause of the formula.
Any idea how to approach this without writing Lookup in VBA?
Thanks for help
silke
Hi,
It works for dynamic range. In your case, Lookup functions always returns a value, and we need a range to use in VBA.
I have tried the below example and its working fine:
Sub DynamicNamedRange() 'Adding a dynamic Name Names.Add Name:="test", RefersTo:="=OFFSET(Sheet1!$A$1,0,0,COUNTA(Sheet1!A:A),1)" 'Entering sample data For i = 1 To 10 Cells(i, 1) = i Next 'Formatting dynamic range Range("test").Interior.ColorIndex = 3 End SubThanks-PNRao!