Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 2, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Ian has a macro in which he needs to select a range of cells, from the fifth row of a column to the last value in the column. There may be blank cells in the range, but Ian needs to select everything through whatever the last-used cell is in the column.
Selecting the last used cell in a column is fairly straightforward—you use the .End method to locate the cell. For instance, you could use the following single line to select the desired range in column A, from A5 (the fifth row, as Ian indicated) through the last-used cell:
Range("A5",Range("A" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp)).Select
The .Count property when used with the Rows collection returns a numeric value for the total number of rows in the worksheet. Taking it one step further and applying the .End method specifies that the returned range should be just the last-used cell in the column.
Note that the macro line assumes you want to select the cells in column A. It is very possible, of course, that you might want to select cells in a different column. The best way to accommodate that is to simply make sure that the "A" portion of the macro is a variable:
sColWanted = "A" Range(sColWanted & "5",Range(sColWanted & Rows.Count).End(xlUp)).SelectYou could even wrap the lines in a subroutine that could then be called from another macro:
Sub SelectCells(sCol As String)
Range(sCol & "5",Range(sCol & Rows.Count).End(xlUp)).Select
End Sub
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (13818) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365.
Save Time and Supercharge Excel! Automate virtually any routine task and save yourself hours, days, maybe even weeks. Then, learn how to make Excel do things you thought were simply impossible! Mastering advanced Excel macros has never been easier. Check out Excel 2010 VBA and Macros today!
You can create macros that are automatically executed whenever certain events occur within a worksheet. This tip details ...
Discover MoreGot a workbook cluttered with all sorts of macros? Delete them and you'll make your workbook easier to manage.
Discover MoreWhen creating a workbook that will be used by others, you may wish to ensure that the user fills in some cells before ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-01-03 10:37:41
J. Woolley
There is a typo error in the next-to-last statement of my modified Sub SelectCells(...) below. Although
Range(sCol & "5", Range(sCol & lastRow)).Select
works as intended, it should be written more clearly as
Range(sCol & "5", sCol & lastRow).Select
2021-01-02 10:19:54
J. Woolley
The Tip's final subroutine will not select everything if the column's last-used cell is in a hidden row (by filtering, for example). This modification will:
Sub SelectCells(sCol As String)
lastRow = Columns(sCol).Find(What:="*", _
After:=Columns(sCol).Cells(1), _
LookAt:=xlPart, _
LookIn:=xlFormulas, _
SearchOrder:=xlByRows, _
SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, _
MatchCase:=False).Row
Range(sCol & "5", Range(sCol & lastRow)).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 © 2022 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments