Convert a string reference to variable name - excel

Question

I am trying to soft code the output variables, so that I don't have to modify the VBA code each time i need to modify the outputs.
This is the code that works
Sub Working()
Dim cat(1 To 10)
Dim bat(1 To 10)
For i = 1 To 10
cat(i) = i * 10
bat(i) = i * 5
Next i
Sheet2.Range("A2:A11") = Application.Transpose(cat())
Sheet2.Range("B2:B11") = Application.Transpose(bat())
End Sub
This is the ideal way i would want to write, but doesnt work
Sub not_working()
Dim cat(1 To 10)
Dim bat(1 To 10)
For i = 1 To 10
cat(i) = i * 10
bat(i) = i * 5
Next i
a = 3
Do While Sheet1.Cells(a, 1) <> ""
OutVar = Sheet1.cells(a, 1) & "()"
Sheet3.Range( _
Cells(2, a - 2).Address, Cells(11, a - 2).Address _
) = Application.Transpose(Outvar)
a = a + 1
Loop
End Sub
' Sheet1.cells(3,1) = cat - these cells contain the variable names
' Sheet1.cells(4,1) = bat - these cells contain the variable names
Can someone please suggest if it is possible to do so?

Answer 1

If I understand your requirement correctly, a ragged array will meet it.
If you have a variable of type Variant, you can set that variable to, for example, an integer, a real, a string, a boolean or an array.
If you have an array of type Variant, you can set each element of that array to a different type of value.
In my code below, I have variant array Main. I set:
Main(0) to a 1D array,
Main(1) to a larger 1D array,
Main(2) to a 2D array,
Main(3) to a single integer,
Main(4) to the used range of a worksheet.
This is called a ragged array because each element is a different size.
Having loaded the array with values, I use a general routine to output each element of Main according to its nature.
Each of your 200-300 variables would become an element of Main.
Have a look at my code. This is only a brief introduction to what can be achieved with variant arrays. Come back with questions if you think I am heading in the correct direction but have not gone far enough.
Option Explicit
Sub DemoRaggedArray()
Dim InxDim As Long
Dim InxMain As Long
Dim InxWCol As Long
Dim InxWRow As Long
Dim Main() As Variant
Dim NumOfDim As Long
Dim Work() As Variant
ReDim Main(0 To 5)
Work = Array(1, "A", True)
Main(0) = Work
Main(1) = Array(2, "B", False, 1.2)
ReDim Work(1 To 2, 1 To 3)
Work(1, 1) = 1
Work(1, 2) = 2.5
Work(1, 3) = DateSerial(2012, 12, 27)
Work(2, 1) = True
Work(2, 2) = "String"
Main(2) = Work
Main(3) = 27
' Cells A1:C4 of the worksheet have been set to their addresses
Main(4) = WorksheetFunction.Transpose(Worksheets("Sheet2").UsedRange.Value)
For InxMain = LBound(Main) To UBound(Main)
Debug.Print "Type of Main(" & InxMain & ") is " & VarTypeName(Main(InxMain))
Select Case VarType(Main(InxMain))
Case vbEmpty, vbNull
' No value
Case Is >= vbArray
' Array
NumOfDim = NumDim(Main(InxMain))
Debug.Print " Main(" & InxMain & ") is dimensioned as: (";
For InxDim = 1 To NumOfDim
Debug.Print LBound(Main(InxMain), InxDim) & " To " & _
UBound(Main(InxMain), InxDim);
If InxDim < NumOfDim Then
Debug.Print ", ";
End If
Next
Debug.Print ")"
Select Case NumOfDim
Case 1
For InxWCol = LBound(Main(InxMain)) To UBound(Main(InxMain))
Debug.Print " (" & InxWCol & ")[" & _
VarTypeName(Main(InxMain)(InxWCol)) & "]";
Select Case VarType(Main(InxMain)(InxWCol))
Case vbEmpty, vbNull, vbArray
' No code to handle these types
Case Else
Debug.Print "=" & Main(InxMain)(InxWCol);
End Select
Next
Debug.Print
Case 2
For InxWRow = LBound(Main(InxMain), 2) To UBound(Main(InxMain), 2)
For InxWCol = LBound(Main(InxMain), 1) To UBound(Main(InxMain), 1)
Debug.Print " (" & InxWCol & "," & InxWRow & ")[" & _
VarTypeName(Main(InxMain)(InxWCol, InxWRow)) & "]";
Select Case VarType(Main(InxMain)(InxWCol, InxWRow))
Case vbEmpty, vbNull, vbArray
' No code to handle these types
Case Else
Debug.Print "=" & Main(InxMain)(InxWCol, InxWRow);
End Select
Next
Debug.Print
Next
Case Else
Debug.Print " There is no display code for this number of dimensions"
End Select
Case Else
' Single variable
Debug.Print " Value = " & Main(InxMain)
End Select
Next
End Sub
Public Function NumDim(ParamArray TestArray() As Variant) As Integer
' Returns the number of dimensions of TestArray.
' If there is an official way of determining the number of dimensions, I cannot find it.
' This routine tests for dimension 1, 2, 3 and so on until it get a failure.
' By trapping that failure it can determine the last test that did not fail.
' Coded June 2010. Documentation added July 2010.
' * TestArray() is a ParamArray because it allows the passing of arrays of any type.
' * The array to be tested in not TestArray but TestArray(LBound(TestArray)).
' * The routine does not validate that TestArray(LBound(TestArray)) is an array. If
' it is not an array, the routine return 0.
' * The routine does not check for more than one parameter. If the call was
' NumDim(MyArray1, MyArray2), it would ignore MyArray2.
Dim TestDim As Integer
Dim TestResult As Integer
On Error GoTo Finish
TestDim = 1
Do While True
TestResult = LBound(TestArray(LBound(TestArray)), TestDim)
TestDim = TestDim + 1
Loop
Finish:
NumDim = TestDim - 1
End Function
Function VarTypeName(Var As Variant)
Dim Name As String
Dim TypeOfVar As Long
TypeOfVar = VarType(Var)
If TypeOfVar >= vbArray Then
Name = "Array of type "
TypeOfVar = TypeOfVar - vbArray
Else
Name = ""
End If
Select Case TypeOfVar
Case vbEmpty
Name = Name & "Uninitialised"
Case vbNull
Name = Name & "Contains no valid data"
Case vbInteger
Name = Name & "Integer"
Case vbLong
Name = Name & "Long integer"
Case vbSingle
Name = Name & "Single-precision floating-point number"
Case vbDouble
Name = Name & "Double-precision floating-point number"
Case vbCurrency
Name = Name & "Currency"
Case vbDate
Name = Name & "Date"
Case vbString
Name = Name & "String"
Case vbObject
Name = Name & "Object"
Case vbError
Name = Name & "Error"
Case vbBoolean
Name = Name & "Boolean"
Case vbVariant
Name = Name & "Variant"
Case vbDataObject
Name = Name & "Data access object"
Case vbDecimal
Name = Name & "Decimal"
Case vbByte
Name = Name & "Byte"
Case vbUserDefinedType
Name = Name & "Variants that contain user-defined types"
Case Else
Name = Name & "Unknown type " & TypeOfVar
End Select
VarTypeName = Name
End Function
Output from DemoRaggedArray
Type of Main(0) is Array of type Variant
Main(0) is dimensioned as: (0 To 2)
(0)[Integer]=1 (1)[String]=A (2)[Boolean]=True
Type of Main(1) is Array of type Variant
Main(1) is dimensioned as: (0 To 3)
(0)[Integer]=2 (1)[String]=B (2)[Boolean]=False (3)[Double-precision floating-point number]=1.2
Type of Main(2) is Array of type Variant
Main(2) is dimensioned as: (1 To 2, 1 To 3)
(1,1)[Integer]=1 (2,1)[Boolean]=True
(1,2)[Double-precision floating-point number]=2.5 (2,2)[String]=String
(1,3)[Date]=27/12/2012 (2,3)[Uninitialised]
Type of Main(3) is Integer
Value = 27
Type of Main(4) is Array of type Variant
Main(4) is dimensioned as: (1 To 3, 1 To 4)
(1,1)[String]=A1 (2,1)[String]=B1 (3,1)[String]=C1
(1,2)[String]=A2 (2,2)[String]=B2 (3,2)[String]=C2
(1,3)[String]=A3 (2,3)[String]=B3 (3,3)[String]=C3
(1,4)[String]=A4 (2,4)[String]=B4 (3,4)[String]=C4
Type of Main(5) is Uninitialised
Note the date is displayed as "27/12/2012" because that is the default date format for my country. If you run this code, it will display in your country's default format.