VBA: tool using Vlookup in other file using path - excel

Question

I'm trying to create a tool in which I can select 2 files. In the first file (File1 in range B2) a few changes are made before looking up values in the second file (File2 in range B3) and paste them in the first file. I've created two buttons in the tool to select the files.
I want to a write code to lookup values in the second file but I'm getting different errors retrieving the information from the second second file. Can anyone help me with this?
I need to paste the values in the 8th row from the second file in the first file (same column) using the lookup value from the first column.
See code below: this is what I tried. Debugging needed in the vlookup subsection. Can anyone help me with this? Is there an easier way to lookup the values?
Sub Past_dues_button12345()
'Macro to create past due list daily
Dim wb1 As Excel.Workbook
Dim File As String
Dim File2 As String
File = Sheets("Tool").Range("B2")
File2 = Sheets("Tool").Range("B3")
Set wb1 = Workbooks.Open(File)
remove_repair
add_columns_with_comments
add_data_new_column
vlookup
pastevalues
Sharewb
End Sub
Sub add_columns_with_comments()
Columns("F:F").Select
Selection.Insert Shift:=xlToRight, CopyOrigin:=xlFormatFromLeftOrAbove
Selection.Insert Shift:=xlToRight, CopyOrigin:=xlFormatFromLeftOrAbove
Selection.Insert Shift:=xlToRight, CopyOrigin:=xlFormatFromLeftOrAbove
Range("Table1[[#Headers],[Column3]]").Select
ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "PN"
Range("Table1[[#Headers],[Column2]]").Select
ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "MRPc"
Range("Table1[[#Headers],[Column1]]").Select
ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "Comment"
End Sub
Sub vlookup()
Dim rw As Long, x As Range
Dim extwbk As Workbook, twb As Workbook
Set twb = ThisWorkbook
Workbooks("Tool_SO.XLSM").Activate
File2 = Sheets("Tool").Range("B3")
Set extwbk = Workbooks.Open(File2)
Set x = extwbk.Worksheets("Material Availability").Range("A1:H1000")
With twb.Sheets("Material Availability")
For rw = 2 To .Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
.Cells(rw, 2) = Application.vlookup(.Cells(rw, 1).Value2, x, 8, False)
Next rw
End With
extwbk.Close savechanges:=False
End Sub

Answer 1

When using multiple workbooks, I avoid any usage of Applicationlevel functions, where possible, and try to remove any aspect of going back and fourth between workbooks.
As such, arrays will be your friend.
Here is the very simple model I have constructed, in Book1:
Based on said model, I am hoping to Match with Column 1 and Index with Column 2, within Book2 (ThisWorkbook).
There will be several items to dimension, including end rows/columns, the above array, the input terms, the output cells... but a good set-up carries the weight.
I will set this up in a single sub-routine for a single cell search term and output cell, noting that InputBoxes for workbook names, functions, etc., would make this more robust... the goal of my post is to give an example.
Here is the code I would generate to match within the above array (searchArray in my code), using a single cell for input/output:
Sub IndexFromExternalSearchSheetViaArray()
'Using External Workbook
Dim searchSheet As Worksheet
Set searchSheet = Workbooks("Book1").Worksheets(1)
With searchSheet
Dim searchSheetEndColumn As Long
searchSheetEndColumn = .Cells(1, .Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
Dim searchSheetEndRow As Long
searchSheetEndRow = .Cells(.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
Dim searchArray As Variant
searchArray = .Range(.Cells(1, 1), .Cells(searchSheetEndRow, searchSheetEndColumn)).Value
End With
'Using This Workbook
Dim outputSheet As Worksheet
Set outputSheet = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1)
Dim searchTerm As Range
Set searchTerm = outputSheet.Cells(1, 1)
Dim outputCell As Range
Set outputCell = outputSheet.Cells(1, 2)
'Matching/Indexing with Array
Dim iterator As Long
For iterator = 1 To searchSheetEndRow Step 1
If searchTerm.Value = searchArray(iterator, 1) Then
Dim outputValue As String
outputValue = searchArray(iterator, 2)
Exit For
Else
If iterator = searchSheetEndRow Then outputValue = "No match found"
End If
Next iterator
'Final Output
outputCell.Value = outputValue
End Sub
With a single input, after running the code, I may have:
or: