In Excel, working with Developer Form Controls can enhance the functionality of your worksheets, allowing for interactive elements such as buttons, checkboxes, and drop-down lists. However, users often face the challenge of managing these controls effectively, especially when it comes to referencing their values within the Name Manager. In this article, we’ll explore how to get the Developer Form Control's reference name manager value instead of a standard cell range.
The Problem Scenario
When using a form control (for instance, a combo box or a check box) in Excel, you may want to link the control to a cell, so when a user interacts with it, the corresponding cell reflects this value. However, sometimes you want to access the control's value through a reference name in the Name Manager rather than using a cell range directly. Here’s the original code example that illustrates this:
Sub GetControlValue()
Dim ctl As Object
Set ctl = ActiveSheet.OLEObjects("ComboBox1")
MsgBox ctl.Object.Value
End Sub
In the code above, we are retrieving the value from a ComboBox control. But what if we want to reference the control using a name defined in the Name Manager?
Understanding the Developer Form Controls
Excel Developer Form Controls are interactive elements that can be placed in your spreadsheet to perform certain functions. For example, a Combo Box can be used to select options from a dropdown list, and a Check Box allows users to select or deselect an option. To access and manipulate the values of these controls programmatically, the VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) language is commonly used.
How to Reference Name Manager Values
To retrieve the value of a Developer Form Control through the Name Manager, you must first define a name for the control that can be referenced later. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
-
Create the Control: First, insert a form control, such as a Combo Box, on your worksheet.
-
Assign a Name: Click on the control, and in the formula bar, define a name (for example,
MyComboBoxValue). -
Access the Value: Use the Name Manager to refer to the control instead of a cell range. You can achieve this by the following VBA code:
Sub GetControlValueByName() Dim ctrlValue As String ctrlValue = Application.WorksheetFunction.Names("MyComboBoxValue").RefersToRange.Value MsgBox ctrlValue End Sub
In this example, we’re leveraging the Names collection to retrieve the control’s value based on its defined name instead of its direct cell reference.
Practical Example
Let’s say you have a Combo Box that allows users to select their favorite fruit. You assign the name FruitSelector to this Combo Box. Using the previous VBA code, when you run the GetControlValueByName subroutine, a message box will display the currently selected fruit value, effectively allowing you to work with the name rather than the cell range directly.
Benefits of Using Name Manager
Using names to reference controls has several advantages:
- Clarity: Named references can be more understandable compared to raw cell references.
- Flexibility: It allows for easier code maintenance and readability.
- Scope Management: Named ranges can be managed globally or locally, providing better control over variable scope.
Additional Resources
For further reading and exploration, you may find these resources useful:
- Microsoft Excel Developer Documentation
- VBA Guide: Working with Form Controls
- Excel Name Manager Tutorial
Conclusion
Retrieving values from Developer Form Controls in Excel through the Name Manager can significantly streamline your workflow and enhance the interactivity of your spreadsheets. By using the techniques discussed, you can reference control values seamlessly, paving the way for more efficient data handling. Experiment with this functionality to fully leverage the potential of Excel's Developer tools!
