How can I add sheets from an excel file to another? - excel

Question

So I am trying to write a Macro for Excel, that adds 2 worksheets from an excel file to a new one.
Therefore, I try this:
Sub addfile()
Dim sheet1 As Worksheet
Dim sheet2 As Worksheet
Set sheet1 = Sheets.Add(Type:="C:\Users\Helge\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\page1.xltx")
Set sheet2 = Sheets.Add(Type:="C:\Users\Helge\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\page2.xltx")
End Sub
When I test it, it imports the first page, but the 2nd page gives me a Runtime error 1004.
Why does this happen?
And is there another way to get 2 sheets from one excel file to another via vba?

Answer 1

Much to my surprise this version of your code actually worked for me.
Sub addfile()
Dim Sheet1 As Worksheet
Dim Sheet2 As Worksheet
Set Sheet1 = Sheets.Add(Type:=Environ("Userprofile") & "\OneDrive\Desktop\Template1.xltx")
Set Sheet2 = Sheets.Add(Type:=Environ("Userprofile") & "\OneDrive\Desktop\Book2.xlsx")
Debug.Print Sheet1.Name, Sheet2.Name
End Sub
The reason for my surprise is that Sheet1 and Sheet2 are the default CodeName for the first and second worksheets in any workbook. Therefore there is a conflict of naming between the Sheet1 in the workbook and the Sheet1 you declare which should come to the surface not later than Debug.Print Sheet1.Name. In fact, it may have. I didn't check which name was printed. But the code didn't crash. Since it crashes on your computer, perhaps you have an older version of Excel. Try to stay clear of variable names that Excel also uses. Or there is something wrong with the path & file name, which is hard to tell in that syntax and therefore kept me fooled for quite some time too.
In fact, I discovered the above only after finding out that my Desktop was on OneDrive and not before I had written the function below which is designed to avoid the use of Sheets.Add. It also has some extras such as being able to specify the sheet to take from the template (you could have one template with 2 or more sheets). You can specify an index number or a sheet name. And the function will give a name to the copy, too, if you specify one.
Private Function AddWorksheet(ByVal Template As String, _
TabId As Variant, _
Optional ByVal TabName As String) As Worksheet
Dim Wb As Workbook
Dim Path As String
Dim FileName As String
Set Wb = ThisWorkbook ' change to suit
' make sure the path ends on "\"
Path = "C:\Users\Helge\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\"
With Workbooks.Open(Path & Template)
.Sheets(TabId).Copy After:=Wb.Sheets(Wb.Sheets.Count)
.Close
End With
Set AddWorksheet = ActiveSheet
If Len(TabName) Then ActiveSheet.Name = TabName
End Function
You can call the function from a sub routine like this:-
Sub AddWorksheets()
Dim Tab1 As Worksheet
Dim Tab2 As Worksheet
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Set Tab1 = AddWorksheet("Page1.xltx", 1, "New Tab")
Set Tab2 = AddWorksheet("Page2.xltx", "Sheet1", "Another new Tab")
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Please observe the difference between the two function calls.