vba column address from column number - excel

Question

I have a column number , say columnNumber = 4 . I need the used range of this column. I know how to find the last used row, and I could convert the column number to a column number like so
ColumnLetter = Split(Cells(1, ColumnNumber).Address, "$")(1)
LastRow = sht.Cells(sht.Rows.Count, ColumnLetter).End(xlUp).Row
and then build an address like so
rngaddy = ColumnLetter & "1:" & ColumnLetter & LastRow
and finally do
Range(rngaddy)
But is there an easier way to find the complete used range of a column given it's number ?

Answer 1

Dim rngaddy As Range
With Sheet1
Set rngaddy = .Range(.Cells(1, 4), .Cells(.Rows.Count, 4).End(xlUp))
End With
and if, for some reason, you want to see the address in A1 notation, merely:
debug.print rngaddy.address
Note that in doing it this way, rngaddy is, itself, the range object and not a string. So no need to do Range(rngaddy)

Answer 2

You could return the last populated cell is in columns # col with this:
MsgBox Cells(sht.Rows.Count,col).End(xlUp).Address
If you want to return the first populated cell as well, you could use:
MsgBox IIf(IsEmpty(Cells(1,col)),Cells(1,col).End(xlDown),Cells(1,col)).Address
Therefore this would return only the "used" range of Column #4 (D):
Sub Example_GetUsedRangeOfColumn()
Const col = 4
Dim sht As Worksheet
Set sht = Sheets("Sheet1")
MsgBox Range(IIf(IsEmpty(Cells(1, col)), Cells(1, col).End(xlDown), _
Cells(1, col)), Cells(sht.Rows.Count, col).End(xlUp)).Address
End Sub
So with this example:
...the above procedure would return: .

Answer 3

My preferred method is to use ListObjects aka Excel Tables to hold any input data whenever I possibly can. ListObjects are named ranges that Excel automatically maintains on your behalf, and because they grow automatically when new data is added, they give you a very robust way of referencing ranges in Excel from VBA, that is more immune to users doing things that might otherwise break code reliant on the .End(xlUp) approach.
? Range("MyTable").ListObject.ListColumns("Column 1").DataBodyRange.Address
$A$3:$A$7
Often I'll give the column concerned a named range of its own, in case the user (or a developer) later wants to change the Table column name, and use that name in my code instead.
? Range("FirstColumn").Address
$A$3:$A$7
If somebody (perhaps me) adds rows/columns above/left of the range of interest or shuffles the order of Table columns around, or changes the name of a column, the code still references the intended range and doesn't need to be changed.
? Range("FirstColumn").Address
$C$4:$C$8
? Range(Range("FirstColumn").Address & ":" & Range("FirstColumn").EntireColumn.cells(1).address).Address
$C$1:$C$8
Granted, that method of getting the range from the top cell (which may be above the ListObject) to the bottom of the column concerned is kinda long, but once you start using ListObjects more in your code you normally don't care what is above or below them...you just want the goods held inside.
I haven't used .End(xlUp) in years, other than to find where my data ends should I be in the process of turning it into a ListObject. But I'm a ListObject evangelist...your mileage may vary :-)

Answer 4

to get the real UsedRange of a columns you could use:
With Columns(columnNumber).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants)
Set rngaddy = .Parent.Range(.Areas(1), .Areas(.Areas.Count))
End With
where rngaddy is a Range object
of course what above would fail if the column has no "constant" cells, then you may want to add some error trapping or entry check (e.g. If WorksheetFunction.CountA(Columns(columnNumber)) = 0 Then Exit Sub

Answer 5

Or
Option Explicit
Public Sub test()
Const columnNumber As Long = 4
Dim rngaddy As Range
Set rngaddy = Intersect(Columns(2), ActiveSheet.UsedRange): Debug.Print rngaddy.Address
End Sub