Loop instruction through list of known paths - excel

Question

I have a list of files with the same structure and I want to extract some information from columns A, B, and C and print it to another workbook.
I found a way to do it for a single file, but now I don't understand how can I do it using the list of given files. I tried using collections, but it doesn't work.
Here's what I came up with:
Sub Pulsante1_Click()
Dim FileGeStar As Variant
Dim myCol As Collection
Set myCol = New Collection
myCol.Add "C:\Users\xxx\Desktop\articoli_def.xlsx"
myCol.Add "C:\Users\xxx\Desktop\pippo\SS20_def_ENG.xlsx"
For Each FileGeStar In myCol
Workbooks.Open Filename:=FileGeStar
FileGeStar = Application.ActiveWorkbook.Name
Dim Code As String
Dim Description As String
Dim FilePath As String
Dim i As Long
i = 2
While Range("A" & i) <> ""
FilePath = Application.ActiveWorkbook.Path
Code = Trim(Range("A" & i).Value)
Description = Trim(Range("B" & i).Value)
Workbooks("Report.xlsm").Worksheets(1).Range("A" & i).Value = FilePath
Workbooks("Report.xlsm").Worksheets(1).Range("B" & i).Value = Code
Workbooks("Report.xlsm").Worksheets(1).Range("C" & i).Value = Description
i = i + 1
Wend
Next FileGeStar
End Sub
What can I do?

Answer 1

This might look like an overkill, but I hope the code and comment's are self explanatory:
Option Explicit
Sub Pulsante1_Click()
Dim DestinationWorkbook As Workbook
Set DestinationWorkbook = ThisWorkbook 'I think report.xlsm is the workbook running the code
'if report.xlsm is not the workbook running the code then change thisworkbook for workbooks("Report.xlsm")
'add as many paths as you need to, another way would be to write them in a sheet and loop through to fill the array
Dim MyPaths As Variant
MyPaths = Array("C:\Users\xxx\Desktop\articoli_def.xlsx", "C:\Users\xxx\Desktop\pippo\SS20_def_ENG.xlsx")
'Declare a workbook variable for the source workbooks
Dim SourceWorkbook As Workbook
'Declare a long variable to loop through your path's array
Dim i As Long
'loop through the start to the end of your array (will increase as the array does)
For i = LBound(MyPaths) To UBound(MyPaths)
Set SourceWorkbook = OpenWorkbook(MyPaths(i)) 'this will set the workbook variable and open it
CopyData SourceWorkbook, DestinationWorkbook 'this will copy the data to your destination workbook
SourceWorkbook.Close , False
Set SourceWorkbook = Nothing
Next i
End Sub
Private Function OpenWorkbook(FullPath As String) As Workbook
Set OpenWorkbook = Workbooks.Open(FullPath, False, True)
End Function
Private Sub CopyData(wbO As Workbook, wbD As Workbook)
'this procedure calculates the last row of your source workbook and loops through all it's data
'later calls the AddDataToMasterWorkbook procedure to paste the data
With wbO.Sheets(1) 'Im assuming your source workbook has the data on sheet1
Dim LastRow As Long
LastRow = .Cells(Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row
Dim FilePath As String
FilePath = wbO.Path
Dim Code As String
Dim Description As String
Dim C As Range
For Each C In .Range("A2:A" & LastRow) 'this will loop from A2 to the last row with data
Code = Trim(C)
Description = Trim(C.Offset(, 1))
AddDataToMasterWorkbook wbD, FilePath, Code, Description
Next C
End With
End Sub
Private Sub AddDataToMasterWorkbook(wb As Workbook, FilePath As String, Code As String, Description As String)
'This procedure calculates the last row without data and adds the items you need every time
With wb.Sheets(1)
Dim LastRow As Long
LastRow = .Cells(Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row + 1
.Range("A" & LastRow) = FilePath
.Range("B" & LastRow) = Code
.Range("C" & LastRow) = Description
End With
End Sub

Answer 2

To loop though files, you can indeed use a collection, or an array, you can also loop through all files in directory with certain extension, or partial file name. Check out DIR function.
Best not to use ActiveWorkbook, better approach would be to set a workbook object like so: Set wb = Workbooks.Open(fullPathToYourWorkbook).
For what you're doing, there's no need to go row by row, much more efficient way would be to copy entire range, not only it's a lot quicker but also it's only 1 line of code; assuming your destination is ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1) and wb object is set: wb.Range("A:C").Copy Destination:=Thisworkbook.Sheets(1).Range("A:C"). If you need to edit copied data (trim or whatever) consider Range Replace method.
However, if you want to go row by row for whatever reason, as BigBen mentioned in the comment - get rid of While loop.
It's a good idea to set Application.ScreenUpdating to False when opening/closing workbooks, then back to True once it's all done. It will prevent user from accidentaly clicking something etc and will make it look like it's not opening any workbook.
Here's my approach (untested) assuming the workbook you want to copy data to is Workbooks("Report.xlsm").Worksheets(1):
Sub Pulsante1_Click()
'set workbook object for the destination workbook
set wb_dest = Workbooks("Report.xlsm").Worksheets(1)
'disable screen updating
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
For Each target_wb In Array("C:\Users\xxx\Desktop\articoli_def.xlsx", "C:\Users\xxx\Desktop\pippo\SS20_def_ENG.xlsx")
'set wb object and open workbook
Set wb = Workbooks.Open(target_wb)
'find last row in this workbooks in columns A:B (whichever is greater)
LastRow = wb.Range("A:B").Find(What:="*", After:=wb.Range("A1"), SearchDirection:=xlPrevious).row
'copy required data
wb.Range("A1:B" & LastRow).Copy Destination:=wb_dest.Range("B1:C" & LastRow)
'fill column A with path to the file
wb_dest.Range("A1:A" & LastRow).Value = wb.Path
'close workbook
wb.Close False
Next
'enable screen updating
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Obviously an array is not the best approach if you have loads of different files, collection would be a lot clearer to read and edit in the future, unless you want to create a dynamic array, but there's no need for that in my opinion. I didn't declare variables or write any error handling, it's a simple code just to point you in the right direction.
If you want to disable workbook events or/and alerts, you can set Application.DisplayAlerts and Application.EnableEvents to False temporarily.