Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 19, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Macros are often created to process data, and processing data can often take a long time. Because of this, some users may think that their computer has stopped responding, even though the macro is busy chunking away at its appointed task.
The solution for most macro developers is to somehow alert users as to the progress of the macro. There are two ways that you can do this in Excel. The simplest and most common approach is to use the status bar to indicate what the macro is doing. All you need to do is put together a string that contains the status message, and then assign that string to the StatusBar property of the Application object, as shown here:
sStatus = "Processing Input File - Please Be Patient" Application.StatusBar = sStatus
The message stays on the status bar until you overwrite it with some other message. You could also indicate progress in a loop by giving the percentage complete:
For x = 1 to y Application.StatusBar = Format(x/y,"0.0%") & " Complete" ' Other coding here Next
When your routine finishes, return the status bar back to normal with the following statement:
Application.StatusBar = False
If you prefer to develop an actual progress indicator for the macro, you can do so by creating a UserForm and then updating the form to display a "percentage bar" or some other visual indicator. You can find an example of this type of progress indicator at this address:
https://www.excel-easy.com/vba/examples/progress-indicator.html
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8969) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Progression Indicator in a Macro.
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2022-03-19 11:14:55
J. Woolley
My Excel Toolbox includes ProgressBar_Text, which uses the status bar, and ProgressBar_Form, which includes a UserForm. I like to use the latter with Lightbox_Initiate to obscure the Excel window while a long macro is running, followed by Lightbox_Terminate.
See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox/
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