In Excel 2007, how do I add a description and parameter hints to a user-defined function? When I start typing a function invocation for a built-in function, Excel shows a description and parameter list--a tooltip. I'd like to do the same for the functions I define.
Not just for the formula insert wizard, but in the formula box, so if I key "=myFun(", at the "(" the tooltip pops up just like it does for "=average("
There's no help in VBA Help, none on MSDN and none on any of the Excel and VBA dedicated forums I can find, so this is clearly a long shot.
Not a tooltip solution but an adequate workaround:
Start typing the UDF =MyUDF( then press CTRL + Shift + A and your function parameters will be displayed. So long as those parameters have meaningful names you at-least have a viable prompt
For example, this:
=MyUDF( + CTRL + Shift + A
Turns into this:
=MyUDF(sPath, sFileName)
Professional Excel Development by
Stephen Bullen describes how to
register UDFs, which allows a
description to appear in the Function
Arguments dialog:
Function IFERROR(ByRef ToEvaluate As Variant, ByRef Default As Variant) As Variant
If IsError(ToEvaluate) Then
IFERROR = Default
Else
IFERROR = ToEvaluate
End If
End Function
Sub RegisterUDF()
Dim s As String
s = "Provides a shortcut replacement for the common worksheet construct" & vbLf _
& "IF(ISERROR(<expression>), <default>, <expression>)"
Application.MacroOptions macro:="IFERROR", Description:=s, Category:=9
End Sub
Sub UnregisterUDF()
Application.MacroOptions Macro:="IFERROR", Description:=Empty, Category:=Empty
End Sub
From: http://www.ozgrid.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78123&page=1
To show the Function Arguments dialog, type the function name and press CtrlA. Alternatively, click the "fx" symbol in the formula bar:
I know you've accepted an answer for this, but there's now a solution that lets you get an intellisense style completion box pop up like for the other excel functions, via an Excel-DNA add in, or by registering an intellisense server inside your own add in. See here.
Now, i prefer the C# way of doing it - it's much simpler, as inside Excel-DNA, any class that implements IExcelAddin is picked up by the addin framework and has AutoOpen() and AutoClose() run when you open/close the add in. So you just need this:
namespace MyNameSpace {
public class Intellisense : IExcelAddIn {
public void AutoClose() {
}
public void AutoOpen() {
IntelliSenseServer.Register();
}
}
}
and then (and this is just taken from the github page), you just need to use the ExcelDNA annotations on your functions:
[ExcelFunction(Description = "A useful test function that adds two numbers, and returns the sum.")]
public static double AddThem(
[ExcelArgument(Name = "Augend", Description = "is the first number, to which will be added")]
double v1,
[ExcelArgument(Name = "Addend", Description = "is the second number that will be added")]
double v2)
{
return v1 + v2;
}
which are annotated using the ExcelDNA annotations, the intellisense server will pick up the argument names and descriptions.
There are examples for using it with just VBA too, but i'm not too into my VBA, so i don't use those parts.
Also you can use, this Macro to assign Descriptions to arguments and the UDF:
Private Sub RegisterMyFunction()
Application.MacroOptions _
Macro:="SampleFunction", _ '' Your UDF name
Description:="calculates a result based on provided inputs", _
Category:="My UDF Category", _ '' Or use numbers, a list in the link below
ArgumentDescriptions:=Array( _ '' One by each argument
"is the first argument. tell the user what it does", _
"is the second argument. tell the user what it does")
End Sub
Credits to Kendall and the original post here.
For the UDF Categories
I just create a "help" version of the function. Shows up right below the function in autocomplete - the user can select it instead in an adjacent cell for instructions.
Public Function Foo(param1 as range, param2 as string) As String
Foo = "Hello world"
End Function
Public Function Foo_Help() as String
Foo_Help = "The Foo function was designed to return the Foo value for a specified range a cells given a specified constant." & CHR(10) & "Parameters:" & CHR(10)
& " param1 as Range : Specifies the range of cells the Foo function should operate on." & CHR(10)
&" param2 as String : Specifies the constant the function should use to calculate Foo"
&" contact the Foo master at master#foo.com for more information."
END FUNCTION
The carriage returns improve readability with wordwrap on. 2 birds with one stone, now the function has some documentation.
#will's method is the best. Just add few lines about the details for the people didn't use ExcelDNA before like me.
Download Excel-DNA IntelliSense from https://github.com/Excel-DNA/IntelliSense/releases
There are two version, one is for 64, check your Excel version. For my case, I'm using 64 version.
Open Excel/Developer/Add-Ins/Browse and select ExcelDna.IntelliSense64.xll.
Insert a new sheet, change name to "IntelliSense", add function description, as https://github.com/Excel-DNA/IntelliSense/wiki/Getting-Started
Then enjoy! :)
Unfortunately there is no way to add Tooltips for UDF Arguments.
To extend Remou's reply you can find a fuller but more complex approach to descriptions for the Function Wizard at
http://www.jkp-ads.com/Articles/RegisterUDF00.asp
I tried #ScottK's approach, first as a side feature of my functional UDF, then as a standalone _Help suffix version when I ran into trouble (see below). In hindsight, the latter approach is better anyway--more obvious to a user attentive enough to see a tool tip, and it doesn't clutter up the functional code.
I figured if an inattentive user just typed the function name and closed the parentheses while he thought it over, help would appear and he would be on his way. But dumping a bunch of text into a single cell that I cannot format didn't seem like a good idea. Instead, When the function is entered in a cell with no arguments i.e.
= interpolateLinear()
or
= interpolateLinear_Help()
a msgBox opens with the help text. A msgBox is limited to ~1000 characters, maybe it's 1024. But that's enough (barely 8^/) for my overly tricked out interpolation function. If it's not, you can always open a user form and go to town.
The first time the message box opened, it looked like success. But there are a couple of problems. First of course, the user has to know to enter the function with no arguments (+1 for the _Help suffix UDF).
The big problem is, the msgBox reopens several times in succession, spontaneously while working in unrelated parts of the workbook. Needless to say, it's very annoying. Sometimes it goes on until I get a circular reference warning. Go figure. If a UDF could change the cell formula, I would have done that to shut it up.
I don't know why Excel feels the need recalculate the formula over and over; neither the _Help standalone, nor the full up version (in help mode) has precedents or dependents. There's not an application.volatile statement anywhere. Of course the function returns a value to the calling cell. Maybe that triggers the recalc? But that's what UDFs do. I don't think you can not return a value.
Since you can't modify a worksheet formula from a UDF, I tried to return a specific string --a value --to the calling cell (the only one you can change the value of from a UDF), figuring I would inspect the cell value using application.caller on the next cycle, spot my string, and know not to re-display the help message. Seemed like a good idea at the time--didn't work. Maybe I did something stupid in my sleep-deprived state. I still like the idea. I'll update this when (if) I fix the problem. My quick fix was to add a line on the help box: "Seek help only in an emergency. Delete the offending formula to end the misery.
In the meantime, I tried the Application.MacroOptions approach. Pretty easy, and it looks professional. Just one problem to work out. I'll post a separate answer on that approach later.
A lot of dancing around the answer. You can add the UDF context help, but you have to export the Module and edit the contents in a text editor, then re-import it to VBA. Here's the example from Chip Pearson: Adding Code Attributes
I am attempting to modify the following function to have variable strings that join together to run the changed final function. I know this isn't right, but I have been googling for a couple of days now and tried a few different methods to no avail. I'm sure I've been googling the wrong information to find the right way to do this, any help would be greatly appreciated! Please note the comment section at the bottom is what I am trying to achieve in the final function.
Update Reason I'm asking:
There are multiple pages(about 10) that I want multiple photos(around 173) to load for and figured it would be a good way to condense the code. Do you know a way to work around this without having to have the 1000 lines of code?
Option Explicit
Dim Form As String
Dim Form1 As String
Dim Form2 As String
Dim Form3 As Object
Sub YouthLoadGraphics()
Form = "Youth"
Form1 = ".Picture = LoadPicture("
Form2 = ")"
Form3 = Form + Form1 + ("C:\temp\forms\Leaving-Youth-Readiness-Assessment-Pens_1.bmp") + Form2
Run Form3
' Youth.Picture = LoadPicture("C:\temp\forms\Leaving-Youth-Readiness-Assessment-Pens_1.bmp")
' Youth.PictureSizeMode = (3)
End Sub
I developed a Form in Excel (2016) and I am trying (with VBA) to configure its behavior so that if the user selects a particular option button, two additional things happen:
A checkbox further down on the form is automatically checked.
A text box further down on the form automatically displays a set string of text.
More specifically, if the user selects OptionButtonABC, then ...
CheckBoxNone should become checked
TextBoxCompanyName (which does not display any text by default) should now display the string: 'ABC'.
I initially created a subroutine that just targeted condition 1, and everything worked fine. However, when I try to integrate the code required to handle condition 2, things start to unravel.
Below, you will see the code in its most current state. I have a Private Sub that initiates upon the Click event and then immediately defines a variable as a string. I then set up an if/then statement that specifies what should happen IF OptionButtonABC is true. Namely, CheckBoxNone should be selected (this works fine) AND TextBoxCompanyName should now display the string 'ABC'.
Private Sub OptionButtonABC_Click()
Dim Variable_ABC As String
Variable_ABC = ABC
If Me.OptionButtonABC.Value = True Then
Me.CheckBoxNone = True And Me.TextBoxCompanyName.Text = Variable_ABC
End If
End Sub
The desired behavior should (theoretically) be pretty easy to achieve, but my experience with VBA is still pretty limited, so I am reaching out to the community for a bit of advice. As I mentioned above, the code above works for the first condition. However, I am still unable to get the string of text ('ABC') to show up in the text box.
Thanks in advance for any advice you may offer.
Private Sub OptionButtonABC_Click()
Dim Variable_ABC As String
Variable_ABC = "ABC" 'String Values uses double quotes
If Me.OptionButtonABC.Value = True Then
Me.CheckBoxNone = True
Me.TextBoxCompanyName.Text = Variable_ABC
End If
End Sub
The operator AND must be used only in the IF statement comparison, not in what you want to do.
My Idea is not too hard. I have a button, a string called "progname", a TextBox and three Progressbars.
When I enter a number into the TextBox and press the button, the following code run's through.
Dim progname As String
progname = "Progressbar" & TextBox1.Text
Now I have a string called "progname" with relevant value.For an example "Progressbar2".
What I want to achieve is write something like:
progname.Value += 1
Which can't be done, as "Value" is not a Member of "String". How can I do this?
Overall what I want, is to be able to select one of the three progressbars by typing one of the numbers 1-3 into the TextBox and then change that ones porperties.
Yes you can.
A basic example is this, which searches your form for controls with the name matching your string. It then changes the type to a ProgressBar so you can access all the methods ..
Dim progbar As ProgressBar = CType(Me.Controls.Find(progName, False)(0), ProgressBar)
progbar.Value += 1
Ok so what I am trying to do is create a program that will do this:
Text Box 1: ASDFGHJK
Text Box 2: ZXCVBNMO
Result Text Box: AZSXDCFVGBHNJMKO
In a windows application using text boxes and buttons. Can somewhere give me a starting point on this? I don't even know how to research how to do this. My online teacher sucks so any help is appreciated. I am supposed to make this program in a struct and in a class. If you could help me figure out the difference, that would be awesome too! TIA
It's been 11 days since you posted this question so I'm hoping you did get more answers from your teacher. If not, I can't do your homework for you but I can give you some hints.
The process you described above is "string concatenation" (a String is a variable with characters in it)
You tagged your question with windows-applications and basic so I assume you're using Visual Studio to write a VB.NET Windows Forms Application
Here's an example of concatenation
' Letters ("string" variables)
Dim a = "abc"
Dim b = "def"
Dim c = a & b ' concatenation, c = "abcdef"
The other aspects you mentioned were struct and class. Structures and classes are two different ways to make complex variables, where a variable can have multiple properties. Do searches on these terms for more information (e.g. "vb.net strucure class"). For example, I could create a Structure that has properties corresponding to the three variables listed above like this:
Public Structure ExampleStructure
Public a As String
Public b As String
Public c As String
End Structure
Then, to use it in my concatenation example it would look like:
Dim s As New ExampleStructure
s.a = "abc"
s.b = "def"
s.c = s.a & s.b ' concatenation, s.c = "abcdef"
As far as getting started with a Windows Forms application with a textbox and a button, check out http://www.tutorialspoint.com/vb.net/vb.net_textbox.htm