I have a workbook with some shapes that I don't want users to delete easily. They are linked with an index, and the index number is linked with a whole other bunch of stuff.
However, the user needs to move the shapes around and resize them.
How can I set the protection on the sheet to allow users to modify the shapes but not delete them?
The ability to do this in VBA would be useful too, as a few of my macros unprotect and then protect cells.
This is not possible.
You can lock all shapes in the workbook by using this code
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
ActiveSheet.Protect Password:="test", userinterfaceonly:=True
Dim shape As shape
For Each shape In ActiveSheet.Shapes
shape.Locked = True
Next
End Sub
or you build a plugin for Excel in dot.net.
This blog describes how you would do that for shapes and there you can use events to overide the delete.
create excel events for shapes
or
Microsoft excel shape events
This is indeed possible but with a slight workaround. No windows API. However, what are your shapes?
You can utilize ActiveX image controls and manipulate the MouseDown/MouseUp events to detect starting position and ending position via the left and top properties. Once calculating the difference in positions, you can set the image's new top/left properties to the appropriate numbers. You can even look into possible drag effects for the image so the cursor does not appearing totally still during a drag.
Alternatively, you can turn on that sheet's protection for editing objects which prevents moving/deleting innately. It still allows clicking, at which point you can assign a macro that reacts somewhat similarly to solution #1 but is more complex. Your macro can read the picture name by referencing the "application.caller" property. Each picture name can have different procedures associated with it. Read the current top and left properties of the shape. Continuing breaking the automation down into 2 steps. Programmatically unprotect the sheet, and monitor with a public boolean that an operation is in progress. Use the selection change event to monitor the next cell click at which point you can capture the subsequent top and left properties, eventually calculating where the shape will move. Programmatically protect worksheet again.
Related
My excel sheet creates three proper sentences at three different locations in the worksheet based on the data in the tables but has double spaces between some of the words. I am trying to find a code where I can click a button that copies information from these different arrays in the worksheet that I can then paste into a word file without any double spaces or tab spaces and add some additional generic lines.
Currently, we are manually copying information from these arrays into a notepad to remove the table, the cells and their formating. Then manually replace all the double space and tab spaces with a single space, add some additional generic lines and then copying this information into a Word file.
Trying to write a code that will allow me to do this by clicking the button and then pasting it anywhere I want. What code can I use for this? Thanks.
Here are some ideas, untested so you will probably have to experiment to get them to work. If you get stuck, please use google to research the problem, then post your code and issue in a new question, so folk have more to go on. I'm assuming you have found the VBA editor, the alt-f11 shortcut may work.
Use the Names Manager to designate each of the three sentence locations as a "named range", e.g. first_sentence, second_sentence and third_sentence
Choose a shape and add it to your workbook. The shape will serve as the button. If you right click on the shape, at the bottom of the list of options, is one to connect a macro (which does not exist yet)
In the VBA code editor, make a new module, then create the macro by typing what is below. After creating it, you can connect it to your button, and that will allow you to test it.
Option explicit
' the macro "transfer_text" controls the export of text from the Excel sheet to the Word document
sub transfer_text()
' this is where clean-up code and everything goes
end sub
You need to tell your transfer_text macro where the cells of interest are, perhaps by pasting the following into the body of the macro:
dim range_first as range, range_second as range, range_third as range, clean_first as string, clean_second as string, clean_third as string
' set the ranges so the macro knows where the data is
with thisworkbook.worksheets("Sheet1")
set range_first = .range("first_sentence")
set range_second = .range("second_sentence")
set range_third = .range("third_sentence")
end with
' update the data (without changing the original) using the clean_text function (see below)
clean_first = clean_text(range_first)
clean_second = clean_text(range_second)
clean_third = clean_text(range_third)
' this is where we connect Word
I would use a function to clean the text in each of the ranges, like this, stored outside the main macro, though in the same module for convenience. You can add text editing operations to it later:
Function clean_text(string_text as string) as string
' the text from the range is passed in
' various operations performed on the text
' the result is sent back to where the function was called
clean_text = trim(string_text)
end function
That is rather alot already, and we have not even connected to Word. To connect to Word is really better done as a separate topic. You will need to set a specific reference to word, using the Tools-References menu in the VBA project. Scroll down the list until you find Microsoft Word, and tick the box.
That will give you access to the object library for Word, so you can place your text using bookmarks in the Word document.
You will also need to deal with the file object - opening the Word document. Another topic for you to research!
That should get you started!
Some notes on debugging. Set a breakpoint at the start of the With statement by clicking the mouse in the left hand margin of the code editor. Then click you button... the code will stop at the breakpoint. Use the mouse-over and the Immediate Window (you may need to unhide it) to check variable values. Press F8 to step forward one line of code. In the Immediate Window, type a ? followed by the variable you want to check.
I really don't know what causes error 400.
Below code runs perfectly fine in normal mode but as soon as i enable my excel in sharing mode and tries to user form, it gives me VBA 400.
What i am trying to do here is to change shape's text and disable its OnAction event, once user form is shown to user. so that another user accessing same file will come to know that someone is using "User Form" to enter data.
Dim shp As Shape
For Each shp In ActiveSheet.Shapes
If shp.TextEffect.Text = "Sort Customer" Then
shp.OnAction = ""
shp.TextEffect.Text = "Wait!!!"
End If
Next
Q. Is there any way to publish changes made by any user in shared excel automatically.
I suspect that your code falls in one of the numerous limitations of Excel shared mode, described here (see unsupported features), including
Using a data form to add new data
Using drawing tools
Inserting or changing pictures or other objects
(Please note that, due to its format, I could not easily copy that list of unsupported features in my answer.)
As far as I know, in order to keep the changes you should choose if the first one who introduces the data rules or you will choose in case of conflict. As you are looking for an "automatic" way, you should chose the first one.
You can find a good explanation described here
At Review > Share Workbook , Advanced Tab. At "Conflicting changes between users", you should chose "The changes being saved win". So as the data are introduced and saved, they are reflected.
Hope it helps.
Create a vba function in the sheet (NOT A MODULE) where users can activate the user form:
insert the following function there:
Function HyperlinkClick()
'source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/33114213/11971785
Set HyperlinkClick = Range("B2")
If HyperlinkClick.Value = "Sort Customer" Then
'sets info on WAIT
HyperlinkClick.Value = "WAIT!!!"
'shows userform
UserForm1.Show
Else
'sets info back to normal value
HyperlinkClick.Value = "Sort Customer"
End If
End Function
In the user form you can add an userform_terminate Event, which automatically changes the value in B2 back (I guess you could also do that for an workbook Close Event be on the safe side).
Private Sub userform_terminate()
'Code goes here
Range("B2").Value = "Sort Customer"
End Sub
In Excel now create a "Frontend" such as this:
and add the formula:
=HYPERLINK("#HyperlinkClick()";"Click")
to the cell where a user needs to click to open the UserForm (in this case to D2).
If you now share the workbook and click on "Click" in D2 an Event is triggered and the VBA Function "HyperlinkClick()" is called. In this function you can essentially do anything now.
Explaination:
Instead of using a graphic, button etc. which will not work correctly in shared mode, we can simply use links (which work) to trigger an Event.
Instead of "creating" and "deleting" Hyperlinks (which also does not work in shared mode) we simply build dynamic links which Point to userform.show or to nothing, depending of the situation.
Error 400 Problem: Should be solved by skipping the modify object part of the code.
Multiple User Problem: Should be solved, since only one user can activate the userform.
Is there any way to publish changes made by any user in shared excel automatically.: I guess so, please provide more information on what exactly you want to achive (incl. example).
Tip:
In General you might want to check out MS Access since it has as default feature multi-user Access and users there can use the same form at the same time, since the users only get exclusive Access for specific datapoints not the whole table/workbook or file.
I have an Excel Sheet with some macros. Also, I have some navigation shapes and images on my sheet. I want users of this sheet, cannot change this shapes and images positions, can't select them and can't move them.
Is there any way to Protect some specific objects?
Regards.
I believe this is an age old question ever since Shapes were added to MS Excel and the answer to which I myself was looking for many years already.
I just found out 3 days ago, on my own, how to lock MS Excel Freeform shapes like Choropleth Map shapes from being moved around, reformatted or worst, deleted, all WITHOUT needing to lock the WorkSheet, or eventually the WorkBook.
And I think I must share my discovery with the world because everyone wants to lock their Shapes!
Steps: (I work with Excel VBA and with msoFreeform shapes mostly but I think any shape should be working and manually added shapes through Excel UI should work too and in other Office Apps as well)
1.(yourWorkSheet or )ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddChart (through VBA but MAYBE you can add chart through Excel UI and then delete the only chart)
(no need for any other parameter because we just need the chart container, "ChartObject")
2.If you don't have some already, create a shape either through Excel UI or through VBA with AddShape method or BuildFreeform on the Chart directly or on to the worksheet.
3.Copy/Paste the created shape (if created through Excel UI or through VBA on the worksheet) on to the BLANK Chart Container. (NOT drag and drop)
4.Format the ChartContainer Rectangle window as required (try "No Fill & No Outline") through VBA or Excel UI
5.There are 3 options regarding protection of a Chart
(Embedded chart here because I don't work with Chart Sheets, may be this might work with them)
source:[https://peltiertech.com/Excel/ChartsHowTo/ChartProtection.html]
But here, only the relevant 2 will be shown:
5(a)ActiveChart.ProtectFormatting = True
That protection will block any formatting changes on the Shape and the Chart via "Chart Tools Menu" or "Drawing Tools - Format Menu" or moving or resizing with mouse or deleting BUT will show the ChartContainer window upon Selection via Mouse but non-selectable via VBA
eg. yourworksheet.ChartObjects("YourChartName").Chart.ProtectFormatting=True
5(b)ActiveChart.ProtectSelection = True
That will stop the shape or the chart from being selected altogether so this is the end of story
eg. yourworksheet.ChartObjects("YourChartName").Chart.ProtectSelection=True
The best thing about this method is that the shape can still be accessible through VBA like
eg.yourworksheet.ChartObjects("YourChartName").Chart.Shapes("YourShapeName or Index").whatever
except Shape.Select which should be obvious and there is NO need to lock the Worksheet or Workbook at all.
NB:1)The interesting finding here is that the 2 protections do not replace each other (if applied one after another) but more like stacked with each other meaning if both (if you really want) were set True first and then after setting either one False, the other restriction still remains.
2)Even if selection is protected as above, the chart can still be accessible through the Selection Pane, therefore:
Application.CommandBars("Selection and Visibility").Enabled = False
and also blocking the Worksheet Export are advisable but I think these are overkill nonetheless included for completeness' sake.
Discovered and tested on MS Excel 2010 so YMMV.
Nay Lynn's answer caused my Excel to crash. Specifically with the .ProtectSelection property being enabled (using Microsoft365 Excel). . . Excel VBA's Intellisense shows the property, so it is legitimate, but everything would be fine until the chart was selected. Playing around with this idea though, I did find a great work around.
1. Place a Chart on your sheet. Make it span across the area you want to protect
(we will expand the size of this chart later).
a. Leave Fill of Chart at Default until a later step (this helps ensure the
next steps are successful).
b. Delete all the elements present for the chart (Series label, Title, Etc.)
c. Shrink the "Plot Area" box leftover to as negligible as possible.
d. CRITICAL: Right Click the chart and choose "Select Data" - use the
option to remove all the data in the boxes of this dialog, otherwise when
you select the Rectangle added below, it will show the data references as
selections in the Worksheet behind it.
2. Insert a Rectangle into the Chart. It will have the default colors.
3. Tap `Esc` to clear the selection. If you select the shape and try to move it
around, it will take precedence over the Chart itself (this is how we'll trick
Excel later).
a. Confirm this does not allow the shape to be pulled beyond the border of the
Chart.
4. Set Fill of Chart to be "No Fill"
5. Expand the Rectangle's size to match the size of the chart.
6. Set Fill of Rectangle to be a color with 100% Transparency (NOT the same as "No
Fill" - this is critical)
a. You should be able to see all of your shapes, etc, but not touch them if you
click where the rectangle was, and trying to click and drag will also fail since the
Rectangle takes selection precedence and is also bound by the chart.
7. Set the fill of the Rectangle back to a color with 0 transparency (we need to
find the edge of the shape)
8. Select the Rectangle's border and it should then select the Chart instead (you
should see the chart Format option appear).
9. Expand the Chart's border to the ends of the Excel Sheet (ensure the top left
corner sits in the top left corner of the sheet by dragging it). You can also set
the height/width to an absurd number that users will get fed up with trying to find
if you do not wish to expand it across the entire boundaries (or if there's a hard
limitation - I did not try to expand across the entire sheet, but went to "BO400"
with no issue.
a. Expand the Rectangle to fit the Chart once again if it did not expand
automatically (in my case it did, but I cannot guarantee this behavior)
b. If you have any Buttons that DO need to be clicked, place this chart
at the bottom, place all the buttons/shapes etc. that need interaction to
the top, then bring the chart up a level until all the items needing
protection are hidden.
c. Change the Transparency back to 100%
10. After you have the Chart expanded properly, you will need to use a bit of VBA
to ensure the Chart's Formatting is protected as Nay Lynn mentions. Get the
Chart's name by selecting the border, and institute some VBA Code that gets
toggled based on your needs (you might want to include an unprotect sub
as well just in case).
Example:
Sub Protect_Sheet_With_Chart ()
dim sht as Worksheet
dim chrt as Chart
Set sht = ActiveSheet
'You can use a sheet by name for the above as well - make your code robust.
Set chrt = sht.ChartObjects("ChartNameFoundFromStep10").Chart
chrt.ProtectFormatting = True
End Sub
Sub UnProtect_Sheet_With_Chart ()
dim sht as Worksheet
dim chrt as Chart
Set sht = ActiveSheet
'You can use a sheet by name for the above as well - make your code robust.
Set chrt = sht.ChartObjects("ChartNameFoundFromStep10").Chart
chrt.ProtectFormatting = False
End Sub
11. After you protect the Chart, selecting it and deleting will not
actually delete it, NOR the rectangle, so it can't be removed!
12. Protect your code somehow and you'll be set!
I've researched this to death and feel like I'm the only person it's ever happened to.
I have some VBA that:
Creates a copy of 3 sheets to a new wb
In the new wb converts to values, deletes objects (shapes and controls) and all but 3 ranges
Opens an existing third file and sets the contents of three ranges in that to match the new wb
Closes the existing file (saved)
Closes the new wb (saved)
Gives a message box saying complete
At the end of all this, something weird happens with the state of the windows. The selected cell does not appear selected. If I try and click a control afterwards, it selects the object (hence users could drag them). It shouldn't and this is the big problem.
I've tried selecting a cell through code, it throws an error. I had limited success by forcing drawing mode off using Call CommandBars("Drawing").Controls("Select Objects").Execute and activating a specific sheet & selecting a cell. However, even then if I even click on a few cells afterwards, the next time I select a control it will select it as an object rather than click the thing.
I have no idea why and can't find anyone who's seen this before.
Any ideas on what I can do?
Thanks,
Basil
I didn't figure it out entirely, but I did find a fix. Hopefully it works for anyone else who finds this problem.
At the end of the code I added this:
ActiveSheet.Shapes.Range("ctrlExportPrices").Select
ActiveSheet.Range("B8").Select
So it forced a control on the sheet to be selected, and then a cell.
The next time I select the control manually, it clicks it rather than selecting the drawing object.
ActiveX combobox objects in Excel do not behave well when their ListFillRange refers to a formula-based Named Range (Defined Name).
I think I have encountered other errors and possibly even Excel crashes thanks to this, but right now all that happens is the combobox_change() event is triggered anytime ANY cell in the workbook is changed.
I am not sure if this is really a bug, or if there is a fix, or a workaround. If it is a bug, how do I report it to the Excel people?
And finally, the real meat of my question is "How do I work around this issue best?" I would like to have some formula-based named ranges, but it seems like this won't be possible.
To reproduce this bug, do the following:
Create a new workbook. On Sheet3, create a small table 3 columns across, and several rows high.
Create a named range with this formula (or an equivalent): =OFFSET(Sheet3!$A$2:$C$36,0,0,COUNTA(Sheet3!$A:$A),COUNTA(Sheet3!$4:$4)) To do this use Input>Name>Define. Name the range something like "demoRange"
Go to Sheet1 and create a combobox, (it must be on a separate sheet). (Use the Control Toolbox menu, not the Forms menu).
Click on the Design Mode button (the blue triangle with pencil), then right click on the combo box and go to Properties.
In the properties window for the combobox, change the ListFillRange property so that it points at the named range you created in step 2 ("demoRange").
You may want to change the ColumnCount property to 3, and the ColumnWidths property to "50,50,50"
Set the linkedCell property to cell "A1" by typing A1 in the linkedCell property.
Close the properties window, and double click on the combobox to define its change() event.
Put a Debug.Assert(false) or Msgbox("demo") line in the subroutine for the new combobox's change event.
Exit design mode
important - Now select an item in the combobox. The event should trigger normally the first time. (The bug will not show if you don't do this step--something must be selected in the combobox)
Edit cells anywhere in the workbook [Edit] or any other open workbook [/edit], on any sheet and any location. Each time you edit any cell, (at least for me), the onchange event for the combo box is run.
Again, is this normal, and what is the best alternative for what I am doing? This combo box gets linked to various cells, and is supposed to be a replacement for the tiny font in the data validation dropdowns excel provides by default.
My advice is to never use ListFillRange and LinkedCell. They are just trouble. Fill your listbox with List and use the Change event to write to the cell. Somewhere, maybe the Workbook_Open event, fill the listbox
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Sheet2.ListBox1.Clear
Sheet2.ListBox1.List = Sheet1.Range("demoRange").Value
End Sub
Then in the change event in the Sheet2 module, check that something was clicked and write it to the cell
Private Sub ListBox1_Change()
If Me.ListBox1.ListIndex >= 0 Then
Sheet2.Range("A1").Value = Me.ListBox1.Value
End If
End Sub
I have a few options available that I am aware of thus far. The best I can come up with is this:
Avoid directly using formula-based named ranges. Instead, define a subroutine that will check whether the defined range "demoRange" should be changed from what its current value is. Run this subroutine on the workbook_open and sheet3_deactivate events. If needed, prompt the user to ask if it's all right to update the named range. [edit] The macro that updates "demoRange" could probably just copy from a "demoRange_FormulaBased" named range into "demoRange" which would be static. [/edit]
This solution works well because you can keep using the linkedcell property, you don't have to use VBA to populate the comboboxes, and the named range can still be used for whatever other purposes it already had. Avoid using the onchange event to run this new subroutine, since it might end up being triggered thousands of times if a user opens the Find/Replace dialog and chooses "Replace All".