Excel VBA changing my formulas in a table? - excel

Question

Has anyone come across a situation where Excel seems to manipulate your formulas.
I have a sheet where I have an Index value in Column A. The First row starts with any non zero Value. Subsequent rows in the column increment the value. Eg
A1 = 1000
A2= A1+ 1
A3= A2 + 1
and so on/
I have another column B whose values will either be blank or a formula pointing to column A(usually the subsequent rows)
Eg:
B1.Formula = "=A2"
B2.Formula = "=A3"
B3.Value = ""
B4.value = "=A6"
Now I have a backup-restore functionality that lets me write out the data/formulas to a text file and then read it back in another workbook.
In the case of columns A and B, I am checking if the text value starts with "=" and then set either the value or formula of that cell depending on whether there is a formula or not.
So far the functionality has worked fine. It lets me restore accurately.
Now, if I convert this data range to a table and modify the code accordingly the behaviour is strange. I am using the ListObject structure to refer to the table. So for Column B my restore code is:
If Left(soureString) = "=" Then
'This is a formula
Sheets("MySheet").ListObjects(1).ListColumns("Next").DataBodyRange(row).Formula = sourcestring
Else
'This is a value
Sheets("MySheet").ListObjects(1).ListColumns("Next").DataBodyRange(row).Value = soureString
End If
once I am done writing a row, I loop to the start and
Dim newRow AS listrow
Set newRow = Sheets("MySheet").Listrows.Add(AlwaysInsert:=False)
row = newRow.Index
But this time when I run the process. this is what I get:
B1.Formula = "=A5"
B2.Formula = "=A5"
B3.Value = ""
B4.value = "=A5"
Why are my formula values all changing to the same value when I use a table instead of a range?

Answer 1

I had the same issue when populating a ListObject (Table) from an Excel Add-in, setting AutoFillFormulasInLists was the solution.
My workaround is to save the current setting, set AutoFillFormulasInLists to false, populate the table with data, formulas etc, then set AutoFillFormulasInLists back to the original setting.
bool OriginalAutoFillFormulaInListsFlag = app.AutoCorrect.AutoFillFormulasInLists;
app.AutoCorrect.AutoFillFormulasInLists = false;
//[ListObject population code....]
if (OriginalAutoFillFormulaInListsFlag == true)
{
app.AutoCorrect.AutoFillFormulasInLists = true;
}
Hope this helps someone.

Answer 2

I faced a similar issue. Ideally you could tell excel to stop doing this but I haven't been able to figure out how. Supposedly doing the following is supposed to keep excel from copying the formulas:
xlApp.AutoCorrect.AutoFillFormulasInLists = false
but it didn't work for me.
Using the answer from this question How to create running total using Excel table structured references? helped me. It doesn't feel like the ideal solution but it does do the job.
I used this formula where Weight is a column name from my table. #This Row is a "Special item specifier" and has a special meaning. The syntax looks a little funky because it's what's called a Structured Reference:
=AVERAGE(INDEX([Weight],1):[[#This Row],[Weight]])
The INDEX([Weight],1) part gives the reference for the 1st row in the Weight column
While the [[#This Row],[Weight]] part gives the reference for the current row in the Weight column.
So for example, if Weight is column J, and the current row is, say, 7 then this is equivalent to
=AVERAGE(J1:J7)
and on the 8th row it will be equivalent to
=AVERAGE(J1:J8) and so on

Answer 3

I have found that the only way to solve the problem of formulas changing in Excel Tables when you insert in VBA is to insert at the first row of the table, NOT the bottom or the middle. You can sort after.
And I always select or reference the EntireRow to do my insert in the Worksheet object not in the table itself. I always put a table in its own Worksheet anyway using xx.Entirerow.Insert.