Use VBA in Excel 2013 to mimic moving using arrow keys - excel

Question

I want to create a VBA macro for Excel 2013 to move the cursor. I am simply re-mapping keyboard shortcuts, e.g. I want to move the cursor down using CTRL+J instead of the down arrow. So I don't need anything fancy, just a simple cursor move. I also want to do this in VBA, so I'm not looking for, e.g., an Excel plugin or add-in or anything like that.
If, under the "Developer" tab, I select "Use Relative References", and then simply record a macro moving the cursor down, I get the following, which does move the cursor:
ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Range("A1").Select
However, this is not a complete mimic of the down arrow. This subroutine/macro will move into hidden rows, which I do not want.
Each of the following give me an "Object doesn't support this property or method" error:
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=xlCell, Count:=1, Extend:=xlMove
...
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=xlWorksheetCell, Count:=1, Extend:=xlMove
...
Selection.MoveDown xlCell, 1, xlMove
...
Selection.MoveDown xlWorksheetCell, 1, xlMove
The following gives me a syntax error:
Selection.MoveDown(xlWorksheetCell, 1, xlMove)
I can imagine a moderatelymacro that moves the cursor, checks whether the new cell is hidden and, if so, repeats until it is not. However, I have a hard time believing that there isn't a command/method/etc that doesn't simply and easily mimic moving the cursor the way the arrow key does,ignoring hidden rows/columns. For example, I can mimic using the arrow keys while holding down the control key using, g., Selection.End(xlDown).Select. So I want to just mimic moving the cursor with an arrow key as simply as possible.
(This seems like such a simple problem that I'm guessing someone has asked/answered this before. However, if so, and if you mark my question as a duplicate, please indicate where the original answer is, as I've looked and can't find it.)

Answer 1

Assign your shortcut keys to:
Sub MoveDown()
Application.SendKeys "{DOWN}"
End Sub

Answer 2

Not sure what you're really going for, but what about this?
Option Explicit
Sub move_right()
NextVisible "Right"
End Sub
Sub move_left()
NextVisible "Left"
End Sub
Sub move_up()
NextVisible "Up"
End Sub
Sub move_down()
NextVisible "Down"
End Sub
Private Sub NextVisible(direction As String)
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual
Application.EnableEvents = False
Dim i As Long
Dim r As Range
Set r = ActiveCell
For i = 1 To Rows.Count
On Error Resume Next 'If you're in A1 and try to go up one, it'll error. This skips that error.
Select Case direction
Case "Up"
Set r = r.Offset(-1, 0)
Case "Down"
Set r = r.Offset(1, 0)
Case "Left"
Set r = r.Offset(0, -1)
Case "Right"
Set r = r.Offset(0, 1)
Case Else
Set r = r
End Select
On Error Goto 0
If r.EntireRow.Hidden = False And r.EntireColumn.Hidden = False Then
r.Select
Exit Sub
End If
Next i
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub
Then, simply assign a shortcut to each one...
So, pressing CTRL+I moves the active cell up.

Answer 3

This was initially written as a solution, but I've since discovered it also has problems. I'll leave it because others have already commented, but note that it is not a solution (at least not in its current form).
I found another web site here that answers my exact question. Here is the solution proposed:
Dim rng As Range
Set rng = Range( _
Cells(ActiveCell.Row + 1, ActiveCell.Column), _
Cells(Rows.Count, ActiveCell.Column) _
)
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Cells(1).Select
However, upon closer examination, this does work for moving down, but does not work for moving up. Specifically, you can move down past hidden rows, but it you try to move up past hidden rows the upward movement stops.
For Upwards:
Dim rng As Range
Set rng = Range( _
Cells(1, ActiveCell.Column), _
Cells(ActiveCell.Row - 1, ActiveCell.Column) _
)
Dim rw As Long
rw = rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas( _
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas.Count _
).Row + rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas( _
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas.Count).Rows.Count - 1
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Cells(rw).Select
Right:
Dim rng As Range
Set rng = Range( _
Cells(ActiveCell.Row, ActiveCell.Column + 1), _
Cells(ActiveCell.Row, Columns.Count) _
)
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Cells(1).Select
Left:
Set rng = Range( _
Cells(ActiveCell.Row, 1), _
Cells(ActiveCell.Row, ActiveCell.Column - 1) _
)
Dim rw As Long
rw = rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas( _
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas.Count _
).Column + rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas( _
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Areas.Count).Columns.Count - 1
rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).Cells(rw).Select
I'm going to continue to work on this, but because this is my own answer to my own question, if someone else (who knows more about VBA than I do) wants to take this solution and modify it successfully in your own answer, you have my full blessings to do so.
Note also that even for the successful downward movement this solution produces an "Overflow" error if the row number is greater than 32766.

Answer 4

To move one cell down, provided there is no filter applied where rows are hidden.
Selection.End(xlDown).Select
Selection.End(xlUp).Offset(1).Select