If you are just starting out developing macros, you may be looking for a simple way to offer a set of choices to a user, and then take an action based on the user's response. This is a relatively simple task, if you use the InputBox function along with a Select Case structure.
The first task is to set up your InputBox so it displays the information to the user. For example, let's say you have five options and you want the user to select one option from those five. You can use the following code to put together five options, each on their own line:
Prompt = "1. This is your first choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "2. This is your second choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "3. This is your third choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "4. This is your fourth choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "5. This is your fifth choice"
You can now use the Prompt string when you invoke the InputBox function in your macro. You then translate what the user responds with into a number that represents their choice from your five options. The code to do this is as follows:
UserResp = InputBox(Prompt, "The Big Question") UR = Val(UserResp)
In this example, the response from the InputBox function is assigned to the UserResp variable, which should be a string. The UR variable, which is a numeric, is then set based on the value of the string. (The Val function returns the value in a string.)
The only thing left to do is to take an action based on which number was chosen, 1 through 5. You can use the Select Case structure to do this. The full subroutine could appear as follows:
Sub Macro1() Dim Prompt As String Dim UserResp As String Dim UR As Single Prompt = "1. This is your first choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "2. This is your second choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "3. This is your third choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "4. This is your fourth choice" & vbCrLf Prompt = Prompt & "5. This is your fifth choice" UR = 0 While UR < 1 Or UR > 5 UserResp = InputBox(Prompt, "The Big Question") UR = Val(UserResp) Wend Select Case UR Case 1 'Do stuff for choice 1 here Case 2 'Do stuff for choice 2 here Case 3 'Do stuff for choice 3 here Case 4 'Do stuff for choice 4 here Case 5 'Do stuff for choice 5 here End Select End Sub
Notice that this example uses a While ... Wend loop around the InputBox function. This is done to make sure that the user enters a number between 1 and 5. If the value entered is outside that range, then the user is simply asked again.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11059) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Offering Options in a Macro.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
Want to run a macro when you first select a worksheet? You can do so by using one of the event handlers built into Excel, ...
Discover MoreMacros are very powerful, but you may not want them to always be available to a user. Here are some ways you can limit ...
Discover MoreOne of the powerful programming structures available in VBA is the Select Case structure. This tip explains how you can ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-01-21 13:02:10
Preston
Thanks for this tip, Mr. Wyatt! Never thought to use the InputBox that way--simple but elegant. Nice.
2019-01-20 13:45:08
Willy Vanhaelen
The While ... Wend loop used in this tip's macro is obsolete and is still maintained in vba only for backward compatibility. It is better coding practice now to use Do ... Loop.
The While ... Wend loop in this macro has also 2 flaws.
1) The InputBox has an OK and Cancel button but if you click the Cancel button, the input box is displayed again. So if the user changes its mind or realizes he runs the macro by mistake, he has no possibility to quit the macro.
2) If you enter i.e. 2.2 or a letter the macro should display the input box again because it is an illegal entry but instead it doesn't do anything and stops.
Here is my (slightly simplified) version that deals with these flaws:
Sub Macro1()
Dim Prompt As String
Dim UserResp As String
Prompt = _
"1. This is your first choice" & vbCrLf & _
"2. This is your second choice" & vbCrLf & _
"3. This is your third choice" & vbCrLf & _
"4. This is your fourth choice" & vbCrLf & _
"5. This is your fifth choice"
Do
UserResp = InputBox(Prompt, "The Big Question")
If UserResp = "" Then Exit Sub
Loop Until InStr("1×2×3×4×5×", UserResp & "×")
Select Case UserResp
Case "1"
MsgBox "choice 1" 'replace with your code
Case "2"
MsgBox "choice 2" 'replace with your code
Case "3"
MsgBox "choice 3" 'replace with your code
Case "4"
MsgBox "choice 4" 'replace with your code
Case "5"
MsgBox "choice 5" 'replace with your code
End Select
End Sub
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 © 2021 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments