Related
I have an excel table that contain values in these formats. The tables span over 30000 entries.
I need to clean this data so that only the numbers directly after V- are left. This would mean that when the value is SV-51140r3_rule, V-4407..., I would only want 4407 to remain and when the value is SV-245744r822811_rule, I would only want 245744 to remain. I have about 10 formulas that can handle these variations, but it requires a lot of manual labor. I've also used the text to column feature of excel to clean this data as well, but it takes about 30 minutes to an hour to go through the whole document. I'm looking for ways that I can streamline this process so that one formula or function can handle all of these different variations. I'm open to using VBA but don't have a whole lot of experience with it and I am unable to use Pandas or any IDE or programming language. Help please!!
I've used text to columns to clean data that way and I've used a variation of this formula
=IFERROR(RIGHT(A631,LEN(A631)-FIND("#",SUBSTITUTE(A631,"-","#",LEN(A631)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A631,"-",""))))),A631)
Depending on your version of Excel, either of these should work. If you have the ability to use the Let function, it will improve your performance, as this outstanding article articulates.
If you're on a really old version of excel, you'll need to hit ctl shift enter to make array formula work.
While these look daunting, all these functions are doing is finding the last V (by this function) =SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄","") and then looping through each character and only returning numbers.
Obviously the mushroom 🍄 could be any character that one would consider improbable to appear in the actual data.
Old School
=TEXTJOIN("",TRUE,IF(ISNUMBER(MID(MID(SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄",""),
FIND("-",SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄","")),9^9),
FILTER(COLUMN($1:$1),COLUMN($1:$1)<=LEN(MID(SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄",""),
FIND("-",SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄","")),9^9))),1)+0),
MID(MID(SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄",""),
FIND("-",SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄","")),9^9),
FILTER(COLUMN($1:$1),COLUMN($1:$1)<=LEN(MID(SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄",""),
FIND("-",SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄","")),9^9))),1),""))
Let Function
(use this if you can)
=LET(zText,SUBSTITUTE(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V",REPT("🍄",999)),999),"🍄",""),
TEXTJOIN("",TRUE,IF(ISNUMBER(MID(MID(zText,FIND("-",zText),9^9),
FILTER(COLUMN($1:$1),COLUMN($1:$1)<=LEN(MID(zText,FIND("-",zText),9^9))),1)+0),
MID(MID(zText,FIND("-",zText),9^9),
FILTER(COLUMN($1:$1),COLUMN($1:$1)<=LEN(MID(zText,FIND("-",zText),9^9))),1),"")))
VBA Custom Function
You could also use a VBA custom function to accomplish what you want.
Function getNumbersAfterCharcter(aCell As Range, aCharacter As String) As String
Const errorValue = "#NoValuesInText"
Dim i As Long, theValue As String
For i = Len(aCell.Value) To 1 Step -1
theValue = Mid(aCell.Value, i, 1)
If IsNumeric(theValue) Then
getNumbersAfterCharcter = Mid(aCell.Value, i, 1) & getNumbersAfterCharcter
ElseIf theValue = aCharacter Then
Exit Function
End If
Next i
If getNumbersAfterCharcter = "" Then getNumbersAfterCharcter = errorValue
End Function
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 set out to write a simple function to determine the length of a string in points. Having googled around I decided to avoid the font metrics problem by having excel do the work for me.
Here is the code.
Option Explicit
Function txtWidthPts(MyText As String) As Integer
'A cell on a working worksheet has been named "WidthTest" for easy reference & to ensure data is not overwritten.
'set WidthTest word wrapping off so that strings placed in there aren't wrapped
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
With [WidthTest]
.WrapText = False
.Value = MyText
'autofit WidthTest
.Columns.AutoFit
'get the width of the column
txtWidthPts = .Width
.ClearContents
End With
End Function
I tested the function by placing it in a cell on a working worksheet thus:
=txtWidthPts("Test123")
When I have this working I will be using it in code not as a worksheet function.
My problem is that the function does not throw an error and stops execution on the line:
.Value = MyText
I have placed the code and name into an empty workbook to ensure no interaction with other workbook contents / code.
I have searched extensively and tried various suggestions (DoEvents, Application.Update = False, etc, etc.) to no result.
I have cleared all breakpoints, closed and opened the workbook & restarted. I have tested with options set to Break on All Errors.
No result.
I suspect I am missing something obvious but it has me beat at the moment.
Any and all suggestions will be most welcome.
So, #YowE3K was right on the money. After fixing the error in the original code (Corrected code above) this runs fine from vba. I knew I was missing something obvious.
Curiosity sub-question: the function works as desired and indeed, as #YowE3K observed, it does not modify the Excel environment. However the result returned is dependent on it appearing to have modified the Excel environment. Seriously WTF. Just wanting to understand.
Thanks again YoWE3K.
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 wrote a User Defined Fucntion in Excel. It works great with no issues. I even wrote a description for it under the object properties menu.
The problem is, my UDF never shows up in the Excel drop down menu that appears when I start to type a function. I want the user to be able to see my UDF, named removeNumbers, when they go into a cell and start to type out a function.
I would also like them to be able to see the description which I wrote, just like the standard Excel functions.
And finally, is there a way that I can provide a description for each argument which my function takes as input?
Here is the actual code, although I don't think it will be necessary to answer my questions.
Function removeNumbers(sInput As String, sChoice As Boolean) As String
Dim sSpecialChars As String
Dim i As Long
If (sChoice = True) Then 'if true is selected, will remove all number including 0
sSpecialChars = "0123456789" 'This is your list of characters to be removed
For i = 1 To Len(sSpecialChars)
sInput = Replace$(sInput, Mid$(sSpecialChars, i, 1), "")
Next
End If
If (sChoice = False) Then 'if false is selected, will remove all numbers excluding zero
sSpecialChars = "123456789" 'This is your list of characters to be removed
For i = 1 To Len(sSpecialChars)
sInput = Replace$(sInput, Mid$(sSpecialChars, i, 1), "")
Next
End If
removeNumbers = sInput
End Function
To make the function appear in the drop-down you must place it in a standard module rather than the worksheet code area.
Another poster has already covered the need for the code to be in a standard module. With regards the argument descriptions, you should look at the MacroOptions code in this answer - although it only works in Excel 2010 or later.
For Excel 2007 and earlier, the only solution I have seen is in an article by JK Pieterse. This involves using the ExecuteExcel4Macro and looks a bit complicated.