Saving Excel data as csv with VBA - removing blank rows at end of file to save - excel

Question

I am creating a set of csv files in VBA.
My script is creating the data set I need, but the number of rows differs in multiple iterations of the loop. For instance, for i=2, I have 100,000 rows, but for i=3, I have 22,000 rows. The problem is that when Excel saves these separate csv files, it does not truncate the space at the end. This leaves 78,000 blank rows at the end of the file, which is an issue given that I need about 2,000 files to be generated, each several megabytes large. (I have some data I need in SQL, but can't do the math in SQL itself. Long story.)
This problem normally occurs when saving manually - you need to close the file after removing the rows, then reopen, which is not an option in this case, since it's happening automatically in VBA. Removing the blank rows after saving using a script in another language isn't really an option, since I actually need the output files to fit on the drive available, and they are unnecessarily huge now.
I have tried Sheets(1).Range("A2:F1000001").ClearContents, but this does not truncate anything. Removing the rows should have similarly no effect before saving, since Excel saves all rows until the end of the file, as it stores the bottom-right most cell operated on. Is there a way to have excel save only the rows I need?
Here is my code used to save: (The truncation happens earlier, in the routing that calls this one)
Sub SaveCSV()
'Save the file as a CSV...
Dim OutputFile As Variant
Dim FilePath As Variant
OutputPath = ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets("Macro").Range("B2").Value
OutputFile = OutputPath & ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets("Macro").Range("B1").Value
Application.DisplayAlerts = False 'DISABLE ALERT on Save - overwrite, etc.
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:=OutputFile, FileFormat:=xlCSV, CreateBackup:=False
Application.DisplayAlerts = True 'DISPLAY ALERTS
End Sub
The relevant bit of code is here:
'While looping through Al, inside of looping through A and B...
'Created output values needed in this case, in an array...
Sheets(1).Range("A2:E90001") = Output
ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(1).Range("F2").Formula = "=(does not matter, some formula)"
ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(1).Range("F2").AutoFill Destination:=Range("F2:F90001")
'Set Filename to save into...
ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets("Macro").Range("B1").Value = "Values_AP" & Format(A, "#") & "_BP" & Format(B, "#") & "_Al" & Format(Al, "#")
'Save Sheet and reset...
Call SaveCSV
Sheets(1).Range("A2:F90001").ClearContents
CurrRow = 1
Next Al

Answer 1

You can get the UsedRange to recalculate itself without deleting columns and rows with a simple
ActiveSheet.UsedRange
Alternatively you can automate the manual removal of the "false" usedrange by deleting the areas below the last used cell with code such as DRJ's VBAexpress article, or by using an addin such as ASAP Utilities
The function from DRJ's article is;
Option Explicit
Sub ExcelDiet()
Dim j As Long
Dim k As Long
Dim LastRow As Long
Dim LastCol As Long
Dim ColFormula As Range
Dim RowFormula As Range
Dim ColValue As Range
Dim RowValue As Range
Dim Shp As Shape
Dim ws As Worksheet
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
On Error Resume Next
For Each ws In Worksheets
With ws
'Find the last used cell with a formula and value
'Search by Columns and Rows
On Error Resume Next
Set ColFormula = .Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Range("A1"), LookIn:=xlFormulas, _
LookAt:=xlPart, SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious)
Set ColValue = .Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Range("A1"), LookIn:=xlValues, _
LookAt:=xlPart, SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious)
Set RowFormula = .Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Range("A1"), LookIn:=xlFormulas, _
LookAt:=xlPart, SearchOrder:=xlByRows, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious)
Set RowValue = .Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Range("A1"), LookIn:=xlValues, _
LookAt:=xlPart, SearchOrder:=xlByRows, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious)
On Error GoTo 0
'Determine the last column
If ColFormula Is Nothing Then
LastCol = 0
Else
LastCol = ColFormula.Column
End If
If Not ColValue Is Nothing Then
LastCol = Application.WorksheetFunction.Max(LastCol, ColValue.Column)
End If
'Determine the last row
If RowFormula Is Nothing Then
LastRow = 0
Else
LastRow = RowFormula.Row
End If
If Not RowValue Is Nothing Then
LastRow = Application.WorksheetFunction.Max(LastRow, RowValue.Row)
End If
'Determine if any shapes are beyond the last row and last column
For Each Shp In .Shapes
j = 0
k = 0
On Error Resume Next
j = Shp.TopLeftCell.Row
k = Shp.TopLeftCell.Column
On Error GoTo 0
If j > 0 And k > 0 Then
Do Until .Cells(j, k).Top > Shp.Top + Shp.Height
j = j + 1
Loop
If j > LastRow Then
LastRow = j
End If
Do Until .Cells(j, k).Left > Shp.Left + Shp.Width
k = k + 1
Loop
If k > LastCol Then
LastCol = k
End If
End If
Next
.Range(.Cells(1, LastCol + 1), .Cells(.Rows.Count, .Columns.Count)).EntireColumn.Delete
.Range("A" & LastRow + 1 & ":A" & .Rows.Count).EntireRow.Delete
End With
Next
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

Answer 2

Excel saves the UsedRange. In order to truncate the UsedRange, you need to delete whole rows and save the file.
If that's not an option, insert a new worksheet, copy the prepared data to it (thus leaving its UsedRange matching actual data), use Worksheet.SaveAs (as opposed to Workbook.SaveAs) and delete the worksheet.
Although the actual problem here is why your UsedRange gets that big in the first place.