How to restrict VBA code to a specific worksheet? - excel

Question

I am trying to restrict the macro to a specific the Test! worksheet When I activate the macro pasted below and I am within the Test! worksheet, the macro works. However, when I try activating the macro on a different sheet, I receive an error. Any idea on what I need to do to modify the VBA code in order for it to be work any other worksheet within the workbook? Thanks
Sub Test ()
' Test Macro
'
' Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+B
'
Range ("Test!B1").Select
Selection.ClearContents
Range ("Test!B2").Select
Selection.ClearContents
Range ("Test!B3").Select
Selection.ClearContents
End Sub

Answer 1

You must reference the worksheet directly:
Dim ws as worksheet
set ws = Thisworkbook.Worksheets("Test")
with ws
.Range("B1:B3").ClearContents
end with
Other notes:
Don't use .Select or Selection. Simply operate on the objects directly.
You have String issues in your original code that would cause compile-time errors (fixed in my code)
You can clear the entire range in one line of code, rather than cell by cell

Answer 2

If the worksheet exists at compile-time in ThisWorkbook (i.e. the same file that's hosting the VBA code), then you don't need to retrieve the sheet at all - not by name, not by index.
VBA is already declaring a global Worksheet object variable for that sheet (and every sheet in ThisWorkbook). Verify the sheet's (Name) property; change it to TestSheet, then you can use TestSheet as an identifier anywhere in your code to refer to that sheet.
TestSheet.Range("B1:B3").ClearContents
And this code will work regardless of whether the user moved the sheet to another index/position in the workbook, or whether the user renamed the sheet's "tab" to something else.
ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1).Range("B1:B3").ClearContents ' breaks if sheet is moved
ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Test").Range("B1:B3").ClearContents ' breaks if sheet/tab is renamed

Answer 3

The Basics
If you want to learn something you should study versions 1 and 2, which are elaborate versions of versions 3 and 4 respectively.
Use Option Explicit to quickly find mistakes.
Use constants to be able to quickly change values.
Use object references to not have to type names on and on.
It is assumed that you will copy these codes in any module in the workbook where the worksheet 'Test' resides.
Option Explicit
Sub Test1()
Const cStrWs As String = "Test" 'Worksheet Name
Const cStrRng As String = "B1:B3" 'Range to 'DEL'
Dim oWs As Worksheet 'Worksheet Object
Dim oRng As Range 'Range Object
Set oWs = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(cStrWs) 'Create a reference to the worksheet
Set oRng = oWs.Range(cStrRng) 'Create a reference to the range
oRng.ClearContents
End Sub
Sub Test2()
Const cStrWs As String = "Test" 'Worksheet Name
Const cStrCell As String = "B1" 'Cell to 'DEL'
Const cLngCells As Long = 3 'Number of cells
Dim oWs As Worksheet 'Worksheet Object
Dim oRng As Range 'Range Object
Set oWs = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(cStrWs) 'Create a reference to the worksheet
Set oRng = oWs.Range(cStrCell) 'Create a reference to the cell range
oRng.Resize(3, 1).ClearContents
End Sub
Sub Test3()
ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Test").Range("B1:B3").ClearContents
End Sub
Sub Test4()
ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Test").Range("B1").Resize(3, 1).ClearContents
End Sub