Excel VBA Multiple Sheet Search using Data from one Column - excel

Question

I am trying to search for values listed in a column from multiple sheets in my excel workbook. If excel finds a match I would like it to return sheet names of the tabs that had the value.
Here is what i have done so far. I decided to start off by using one keyword to search multiple tabs, copy and paste the sheet name. The code below only paste the first resulting sheet name when there are other sheets containing the same keyword. I would like to know how i can pull the other sheet names that contain the same keyword.
I would also like to know how i can set up the keyword to use information in Column A of the Field List.
Sub FinalAppendVar()
Dim ws As Worksheet
Dim arr() As String
Keyword = "adj_veh_smart_tech_disc"
Totalsheets = Worksheets.Count
For i = 1 To Totalsheets
If Worksheets(i).Name <> "Main" Or InStr(1, Worksheets(i).Name, " Checks") Or Worksheets(i).Name
<>_ "Field Lists" Then
lastrow = Worksheets(i).Cells(Rows.Count, 4).End(xlUp).Row
For j = 2 To lastrow
If Worksheets(i).Cells(1, 3).Value = Keyword Then
Worksheets("Field Lists").Activate
lastrow = Worksheets("Field Lists").Cells(Rows.Count, 4).End(xlUp).Row
Worksheets("Field Lists").Cells(lastrow + 1, 5).Value = Worksheets(i).Name
Worksheets("Field Lists").Cells(lastrow + 2, 5).Value = Worksheets(i).Name
End If
Next
End If
Next
End Sub

Answer 1

The following code should work for what you described.
A couple feedback items:
Tabbing out loops and if statements significantly improves code readability
Never reuse variable names (i.e. lastrow), it makes it hard to read and can cause issues that are difficult to find later on
Follow all Next with the loop variable (i.e. Next i), this improves readability and helps you keep track of the ends of loops
.Activate and .Select are generally never required in vba, its better to be explicit in what you are referencing
Sub FinalAppendVar()
Dim searchSheet As Excel.Worksheet
Dim pasteSheet As Excel.Worksheet
Dim keyword As String
Dim lastSearchRow As Integer
Dim lastPasteRow As Integer
' set the worksheet to paste to
Set pasteSheet = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Field Lists")
' set keyword to look for
keyword = "adj_veh_smart_tech_disc" '<-- manual entry
'keyword = pasteSheet.Range("A1").Value '<-- use value in cell A1 on the defined pasteSheet
' loop through all sheets in the workbook
For i = 1 To ThisWorkbook.Worksheets.Count
' set the current worksheet we are looking at
Set searchSheet = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(i)
' check if the current sheet is one we want to search in
If searchSheet.Name <> "Main" Or InStr(1, searchSheet.Name, " Checks") Or searchSheet.Name <> "Field Lists" Then
' current worksheet is one we want to search in
' find the last row of data in column D of the current sheet
lastSearchRow = searchSheet.Cells(1048576, 4).End(xlUp).Row
' loop through all rows of the current sheet, looking for the keyword
For j = 2 To lastSearchRow
If searchSheet.Cells(j, 3).Value = keyword Then
' found the keyword in row j of column C in the current sheet
' find the last row of column D in the paste sheet
'lastPasteRow = pasteSheet.Cells(1048576, 4).End(xlUp).Row
lastPasteRow = pasteSheet.Cells(1048576, 5).End(xlUp).Row '<-- update based on OPs comment
' paste the name of the current search sheet to the last empty cell in column E
pasteSheet.Cells(lastPasteRow + 1, 5).Value = searchSheet.Name
' not sure if the next line is needed, looks like it pastes again immediately below the previous
pasteSheet.Cells(lastPasteRow + 2, 5).Value = searchSheet.Name
' to save time consider exiting the search in the current sheet since the keyword was just found
' this will move to the next sheet immediately and not loop through the rest of the rows on the current
' search sheet. This may not align with the usecase so it is currently commented out.
'Exit For '<--uncomment this to move to the next sheet after finding the first instance of the keyword
Else
' the keyoword was not in row j of column C
' do nothing
End If
Next j
Else
' current sheet is one we don't want to search in
' do nothing
End If
Next i
End Sub

Answer 2

Please try this variant (Don't worry that the code is so long - the longer the programmer thought and the more wrote, the better the program works ... usually it is):
Option Explicit
Sub collectLinks()
Const LIST_SHEET_NAME As String = "Field Lists"
Dim wsTarget As Worksheet
Dim wsEach As Worksheet
Dim keywordCell As Range
Dim sKeyword As String
Dim linkCell As Range
Dim aFound As Range
Dim aCell As Range
On Error Resume Next
Set wsTarget = ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(LIST_SHEET_NAME)
On Error GoTo 0
If wsTarget Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "'" & LIST_SHEET_NAME & "' not exists in active workbook", vbCritical, "Wrong book or sheet name"
Exit Sub
End If
Rem Clear all previous results (from column B to end of data)
wsTarget.UsedRange.Offset(0, 1).ClearContents
Rem Repeat for each cell of column A in UsedRange:
For Each keywordCell In Application.Intersect(wsTarget.UsedRange, wsTarget.Columns("A")) ' It can be changed to "D", "AZ" or any other column
sKeyword = keywordCell.Text
If Trim(sKeyword) <> vbNullString Then
Application.StatusBar = "Processed '" & sKeyword & "'"
Set linkCell = keywordCell
For Each wsEach In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
If wsEach.Name <> LIST_SHEET_NAME Then
Application.StatusBar = "Processed '" & sKeyword & "' Search in '" & wsEach.Name & "'"
Set aFound = FindAll(wsEach.UsedRange, sKeyword)
If Not aFound Is Nothing Then
For Each aCell In aFound
Set linkCell = linkCell.Offset(0, 1) ' Shift to rught, to the next column
linkCell.Formula2 = "=HYPERLINK(""#" & aCell.Address(False, False, xlA1, True) & """,""" & _
aCell.Worksheet.Name & " in cell " & aCell.Address(False, False, xlA1, False) & """)"
Next aCell
End If
End If
Next wsEach
End If
Next keywordCell
Application.StatusBar = False
Rem Column width
wsTarget.UsedRange.Columns.AutoFit
End Sub
Function FindAll(SearchRange As Range, FindWhat As Variant) As Range
Dim FoundCell As Range
Dim FirstFound As Range
Dim LastCell As Range
Dim ResultRange As Range
Dim Area As Range
Dim MaxRow As Long
Dim MaxCol As Long
For Each Area In SearchRange.Areas
With Area
If .Cells(.Cells.Count).Row > MaxRow Then
MaxRow = .Cells(.Cells.Count).Row
End If
If .Cells(.Cells.Count).Column > MaxCol Then
MaxCol = .Cells(.Cells.Count).Column
End If
End With
Next Area
Set LastCell = SearchRange.Worksheet.Cells(MaxRow, MaxCol)
Rem If your keyword can be a part of cell then change parameter xlWhole to xlPart:
Set FoundCell = SearchRange.Find(FindWhat, LastCell, xlValues, xlWhole, xlByRows)
If Not FoundCell Is Nothing Then
Set FirstFound = FoundCell
Do Until False ' Loop forever. We'll "Exit Do" when necessary.
If ResultRange Is Nothing Then
Set ResultRange = FoundCell
Else
Set ResultRange = Application.Union(ResultRange, FoundCell)
End If
Set FoundCell = SearchRange.FindNext(after:=FoundCell)
If (FoundCell Is Nothing) Then
Exit Do
End If
If (FoundCell.Address = FirstFound.Address) Then
Exit Do
End If
Loop
End If
Set FindAll = ResultRange
End Function
You can see how it works in this demo workbook - Create Links To Keywords.xlsm
EDIT By the way, the second part of this code, the FindAll() function, is a slightly shortened version of the Chip Pearson macro. Keep this link for yourself, there are many useful things to help you in future development.