Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Hiding Excel in VBA.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 21, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Many macros are written to perform a specific, limited task. Other macros are written as part of a larger, overall application designed to be used start-to-finish by a user. For instance, I have seen accounting packages written completely in Excel VBA. The functions of the accounting package are written in VBA, of course. The user of the accounting package never uses "regular Excel," but instead utilizes menus, dialog boxes, and choices presented exclusively by the VBA application.
If you are writing an application in VBA, you may need a way to completely "hide" Excel so that the user never sees it. To do so, you can use this code in a macro:
Application.Visible = False
If your application ends without exiting Excel (such as if an error is encountered), it is important that you set the Visible property to True. If you don't, Excel will remain in memory, but the user will never see it. The user cannot set this property; it must be done under macro control.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10945) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Hiding Excel in VBA.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!
If you are getting an error when you try to create an event handler, it could be related to a long-known bug in Excel. ...
Discover MoreOne of the most common ways of creating macros is to use Excel's macro recorder. This tip shows how easy it is to use the ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to easily add all sorts of objects and controls to your workbook. Sometimes, though, those items might ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-08-21 10:49:01
SJO
Interesting tip. Question: If you use VBA to completely "hide" Excel so that the user never sees it, what does the user see on screen? How exactly does that work? Does this work as an Excel add-in?
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments