Waiting for user input - with DoEvents a good idea? - excel

Question

My macro is going to compare a sheet with another sheet. This second sheet needs the user to paste data in there. (Note: The data being copied is not in Excel).
One way is to run the macro, and end it by prompting the user to paste the data in, then run "Macro2". However, I'd like to keep it all in one macro, so have found a way to wait for user input before continuing. This seems to work for me, so my main question is:
How stable is doing it this way?
...macro stuff above here
MsgBox ("[Please copy the data into the new sheet, after clicking 'OK']")
Do While WorksheetFunction.CountA(newWS.Cells(1, 7)) < 1
DoEvents
Loop
...then after the user pastes info, continue on, using the data that's been pasted.
The idea is that DoEvents just runs and runs while my sheet is blank. Right after the user pastes the data into the newWS, the macro continues on (since it will see data in column 7)...
Is this an okay method, or is it a bad idea to use like that? I've never really used DoEvents, so don't know if it's doing something in the background that could cause issues.
Edit: The data is in Lotus Notes, which I can export to Excel. However, that takes a few more steps (and I'd rather not create some new temporary excel files), so copy/pasting is my preferred method. This question is half practical, and half theoretical. Sorry for any confusion!

Answer 1

Probably not the best idea. Instead, allow them to select the data and perform the copy, all through VBA:
MsgBox ("[Please select data to copy into the new sheet, then press 'OK']")
newWs.Cells(1,1).PasteSpecial '### Modify to your specific location to paste the data
'Here you can add logic to validate that they have pasted enough data,
' and use control statement to prompt them to paste more data, etc.,
' if necessary, or exit sub early
'For example:
If WorksheetFunction.CountA(newWS.Cells(1, 7)) < 1 Then
MsgBox "Try again!"
Exit Sub
End If
Alternatively, you can use a DataObject:
Dim dataObj As New MSForms.DataObject
dataObj.GetFromClipboard
newWs.Cells(1,7).Value = dataObj.GetText

Answer 2

You could restructure the code so that it lives inside of a userform with ShowModal set to false (in the properties). Code prior to when you want the user to gather data can be put in the useform's initialize event. Then the userfrom shows (with a simple label caption and an okay button). Since it is modeless the user can copy data from an external program and paste it in. Then the rest of the code runs after the user hits okay. The form itself can be hidden during this phase. As proof of concept I created the following form:
with the following code:
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Me.Hide
MsgBox Range("A1").Value
Unload Me
End Sub
Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
'macro code can go here
'it runs before the form shows
'e.g.
MsgBox "Initializing"
End Sub
I launch the form on a blank sheet. First a message box appears before the code (confirming that code can run while the form is being initialized but before it is visible) then the form shows:
I go to an open instance of Notepad which contain a sentence and, while the form is still open -- paste it into A1:
Finally I press okay and the userform then hides itself but continues to run code (which now has access to the copied data):
Remember to unload the form at the end.