Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Switching Windows in a Macro.
Andrew needs to display a dialog box in his macro that allows a user to switch windows. When someone displays the View tab of the ribbon and clicks the Switch Windows tool, it shows the available workbooks to which the user can switch. Those are what Andrew needs to show up in the dialog box. He wonders if there is a built-in dialog box to do this, or if he needs to create his own.
The short answer is that there is no built-in dialog box to accomplish this task. You can, however, easily create your own. Here is a simple example:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: 
Sub SwitchWindows()
Dim i As Integer
Dim n As Integer
Dim s As String
Dim v As Variant
n = Windows.Count
s = "Choose Window from:"
For i = 1 To n
s = s & Chr(10) & i & ") " & Windows(i).Caption
Next
s = s & Chr(10) & "Enter a number from 1 to " & n
v = Application.InputBox(prompt:=s, Type:=2)
i = Val(v)
If i >= 1 And i <= n Then
Windows(i).Activate
End If
End Sub
All this does is create a list of the names for each window in your system. It presents them in an InputBox, and then switches to whatever window the user selected.
If you are seeking different ways to present the same information, you can refer to this tip.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11911) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Switching Windows in a Macro.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel 2013 Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
Normally a macro is only calculated when you specifically tell Excel to calculate it. Some macros need to be calculated ...
Discover MoreMacros can be used to change the formatting of your worksheet, if desired. One change you might want to make is to the ...
Discover MoreWhen creating macros, you'll often have a need to select different cells in the worksheet. Here's how to select the first ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-06-18 06:57:01
Steve Askins
Allen - useful approach but I find it does not work if one of the open work books has more than one window open.
I get a Runtime error 13 and the debugger hightlights i=Val(v)
Any suggestions?
Steve
PS hope your son's wedding goes well!
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 © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments