VBA Loop through row and return value - excel

Question

Really would appreciate some help on this. I have a vba script that scrapes data, it opens the URL that is contained in the L column, L4 in this example. Then later down the script it inputs my given value into Col E, Row 4.
Sub ImportData()
...
With CreateObject("msxml2.xmlhttp")
.Open "GET", Range("L4"), False 'Cell that contains hyperlink
.send
HTML_Content.body.innerHTML = .responseText
End With
...
'Then I want to return a value
Sheets(1).Range("E4").Value = rng1.Offset(0, 1)
End Sub
I am trying to make a loop so that the script runs automatically and cycles through column L and runs the script for every row that contains a hyperlink in Col L, and then inputs the value to its respective row in Col E.
I have tried changing the code below that another user suggested without success:
Sub ImportData(urlToOpen as string)
...
.Open "GET", urlToOpen, False 'Cell that contains hyperlink
...
'Then I want to return a value
Sheets(1).Range(E, i).Value = rng1.Offset(0, 1) ' I know that's wrong
and add a calling procedure:
Sub CallRangeL_Urls()
For Each i In Sheet1.Range("L4:L200")
Call ImportData(i)
Next i
End Sub
I keep getting ByRef type argument mismatch error on Call ImportData(i)
Also I am not sure what so ever on how to acheive calling the value to the specific row that is being processed in the loop. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

Try the following:
Public Sub ImportData(ByVal urlToOpen As String)
And
Public Sub CallRangeL_Urls()
Dim i As Range
For Each i In Sheet1.Range("L4:L200")
ImportData i.Value
Next i
End Sub
Personally, I would reference the workbook as well and I usually use Worksheets("SheetName") but I know a lot of people like to use codeName.
You only want to pass the value of the link in the cell so ByVal is the appropriate way.
As touching the sheet is expensive I would probably dump the urls in an array and loop that, adding a basic test that I am working with an url:
Public Sub CallRangeL_Urls()
Dim arr(), i As Long
arr = Application.Transpose(Sheet1.Range("L4:L200").Value)
For i = LBound(arr) To UBound(arr)
If InStr(arr(i), "http") > 0 Then ImportData arr(i)
Next i
End Sub
To write out extracted value to column E, same row as url, I think you need to convert your ImportData sub to a function that returns the extracted value. Or better still, create a class to hold the xmlhttp object which then has a method to return the value (that way you don't keep creating and destroying the object - which you do if you create the object in the function. You could also create the xmlhttp object in the first sub and pass to the function as an argument - I show you pseudo code for that below).
Public Sub CallRangeL_Urls()
Dim arr(), i As Long
'code to create xmlhttp object
arr = Application.Transpose(Sheet1.Range("L4:L200").Value)
For i = LBound(arr) To UBound(arr)
If InStr(arr(i), "http") > 0 Then
Sheet1.Cells(i + 3, "E") = ImportData(arr(i), xmlhttpObject)
End If
Next i
End Sub
Public Function ImportData(ByVal urlToOpen As String, ByVal xmlhttpObject As Object) As String
''Any declarations
'Dim extractedValue As String
'Dim html As HTMLDocument
'Set html = New HTMLDocument
With xmlhttpObject
.Open "GET", urlToOpen, False
.send
html.body.innerHTML = .responseText
''code to extract value
'extractedValue = html.querySelector("someSelector")
ImportData = extractedValue
End Function