Automatic Date and Time get refreshed on pressing "Delete" Key in Excel - excel

Question

I am using a simple code to enter date and time automatically in 2 separate cells in the excel sheet, however, they change automatically if I enter a new value in the cell or just press "Delete" Key. Below is the code I am using:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
Application.EnableEvents = False
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Date
Application.EnableEvents = True
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
Application.EnableEvents = False
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = Time
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub
I need the date and time to remain static until I delete them from their respective cells. How can I achieve this?

Answer 1

This will preserve the date/time once they have been entered:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
Application.EnableEvents = False
If Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = "" And Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = "" Then
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Date
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = Time
End If
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub
EDIT#1:
This version will allow you to both set and clear multiple cells in column E:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim r As Range, i1 As Long, i2 As Long
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
With ActiveSheet.UsedRange
i2 = .Rows.Count + .Row - 1
i1 = .Row
End With
Application.EnableEvents = False
For Each r In Intersect(Target, Range("E" & i1 & ":E" & i2))
If r.Offset(0, -2).Value = "" And r.Offset(0, -1).Value = "" And r.Value <> "" Then
r.Offset(0, -2).Value = Date
r.Offset(0, -1).Value = Time
End If
Next r
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub
Clearing a cell that is already empty will not cause a time/date recording.

Answer 2

Stepping through your code:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
"If the target's column is not 5 then exit the subroutine" This is cool.
Application.EnableEvents = False
Flipping this to false insures that this code won't run again until this value is set to true. Worksheet_Change needs enableevents to be on. So now if the cell that changed was in Column E then Worksheet_Change will be kept from executing again. This makes sense to keep infinite loops from happening as cells are changed via this code.
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Date
Set the cell that is two columns back from the target cell to the current date.
Application.EnableEvents = True
Set enableEvents back on. This is good since you probably don't want to leave this off.
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
Why are we checking this again? Target.Column hasn't changed since last time, and if it was already <>5 then we wouldn't be here to test it. This line is superfluous.
Application.EnableEvents = False
OK.. Well we just turned this on, but now we are turning this off again. Just leave it off.
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = Time
Set the value 1 column to the left of the target cell to the current time. Coolios.
Application.EnableEvents = True
Turn enableEvents back on. This makes sense here.
End Sub
Rewriting this to remove the redundant toggles and superflous target.Column check:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
'make sure this is column 5 that was changed. Like if anything changed in
' column 5, then run the rest of this.
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
'Make sure we don't infinite loop if we accidently trigger a change to
' column 5 in this code.
Application.EnableEvents = False
' Set two cells to the left to the current date
' and one cell to the left to the current time
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Date
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = Time
'turn events back on.
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub
So.. Everytime you make a change in Column 5, the date and time change. IF you want it so that it only changes a row's date and time once. Then check to see if date and time are already set for the row:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
'make sure this is column 5 that was changed. Like if anything changed in
' column 5, then run the rest of this.
If Target.Column <> 5 Then Exit Sub
'Check to see if the date and time are already set for this row:
' If they are, then exit subroutine.
If target.offset(0,-2).value <> "" OR target.offset(0,-1).value <> "" Then Exit Sub
'Make sure we don't infinite loop if we accidently trigger a change to
' column 5 in this code.
Application.EnableEvents = False
' Set two cells to the left to the current date
' and one cell to the left to the current time
Target.Offset(0, -2).Value = Date
Target.Offset(0, -1).Value = Time
'turn events back on.
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub