XL: Visual Basic Example for Validating Data on Entry

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Windows version 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

To automate a task or perform an operation when data is entered into a specific range on a Microsoft Excel worksheet, you can use the OnEntry and Intersect methods in a Visual Basic for applications macro. You can use this type of macro to validate data entry, to verify that a value is within a specified range, for example.

NOTE: The macro provided below will run in Microsoft Excel 97 but you do not have to use the macro to validate data that is entered into cells. Microsoft Excel 97 has a new Data Validation feature that allows you to specify what data is valid for certain cells and ranges.

MORE INFORMATION

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To use the following macros, use these steps to set up your Microsoft Excel workbook:

1. To define the range A1:A10 on Sheet1:

       a. On Sheet1, select the range A1:A10.
   

       b. Point to Name on the Insert menu, and click Define.
   

       c. In the Names In Workbook box, type "WatchArea", without quotation
          marks, and click OK.
   

2. Insert a new module sheet into your workbook.

3. In the module sheet, enter the following macros:

         Sub auto_open()
            'Set the WatchIT macro to run when data is entered into Sheet1
            ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1").OnEntry = "WatchIT"
         End Sub
   
         Sub WatchIT()
            Dim isect As Excel.Range
            Set isect = Application.Intersect(Range(ActiveCell.Address), _
               Range("WatchArea"))
            If isect Is Nothing Then
               'Do Nothing
            Else
              'You just entered into the defined area "WatchArea" on
              '"Sheet1" add other the desired action code here or call
              'another routine.
              'Example below will alert the user if the data value is less
              'than 0 or greater than 100 or is not a number and clear the
              'entry. It will also give a confirmation beep when valid
              'data is entered.
               If (Val(ActiveCell.Value) < 0 _
                  Or Val(ActiveCell.Value) > 100) _
                  Or Not IsNumeric(ActiveCell.Value) Then
                  ActiveCell.Clear
                  MsgBox "The data value must be a Number between 0 and 100"
               End If
            Beep
            End If
         End Sub
   
      NOTE: To customize this macro, change the "Sheet1" sheet name to the
      name of the sheet you want to "watch." Also, modify the "WatchArea" name
      in the WatchIT macro to the name of the defined area on the sheet
      specified in the auto_open routine. Use the Application.OnEntry code to
      "watch" data entry in all open workbooks and worksheets. You can also
      use the WorkBooks collection to qualify a specific workbook if desired.
   
   

4. Save the workbook, close and re-open it.

When you enter appropriate data in the range A1:A10 on Sheet1, you will hear the default system sound. If you enter data that is outside the specified range (in this case any value that is not in the range 0- 100), a dialog box will be displayed.

REFERENCES

For more information about Data Validation, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel 97 Help, type the following text

   data validation, preventing incorrect entry

For more information about OnEntry or Intersect, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel 7.0 Help, type either of the following

   OnEntry

   -or-

   Intersect