Getting User Input in a Dialog Box

If you need to get input from a user under control of a macro, one method you can use is to employ the InputBox function. This function displays a dialog box and allows the user to type a response. The result is a string, returned to your macro, which you can then process and use.

The syntax for the InputBox function is as follows:

sResponse = InputBox(sPrompt, sTitle, sDefault)

There are three parameters you can use with InputBox (each of them strings), although only the first one is absolutely required. In this syntax, sPrompt is the text you want displayed as the user prompt, sTitle is the text to display in the title bar of the dialog box, and sDefault is the default text string offered to the user in the dialog box. The user can edit or accept the default string, as desired.

As an example, the following code lines can be used to display a dialog box and ask the user for his or her name:

Dim sUserName as String
Dim sPrompt as String
Dim sTitle as String
Dim sDefault as String

sPrompt = "Please check your name and make any corrections"
sTitle = "Name Entry"
sDefault = "John Doe"
sUserName = InputBox(sPrompt, sTitle, sDefault)

When this code is completed, the sUserName variable contains whatever the user entered. You can then, in your macro, use that input in any other way that you see fit.

The InputBox function is great for grabbing one piece of data at a time, as you can only post a single "question" using it. If you need to get a bunch of user input for use in your macro, then you'll need to rely either on a UserForm or grab the input directly from a worksheet. (Both approaches have been discussed in other ExcelTips.)

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11416) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Getting User Input in a Dialog Box.