User-defined function clitch ...

[George Raft]

Sorry, I'm back again.

I've written a user-defined function to replace the often confusing
V/HLookup(...Match(...) .) combination used in spreadsheets to return an
element in a bordered (top and left edges) table. Here's the code:

Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
atCol As Variant, _
inTable As Range) As Variant

Dim i As Integer, j As Integer

On Error Resume Next
With Application
i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
End With

If Err <> 0 Then
MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & " _
not found.", vbCritical
GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
Exit Function
End If

GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)

End Function

Here's the problem: It works fine if invoked directly, but if I use Excel's
Paste (Insert) function dialogue box, then as soon as I click on the top
left corner of the range for the 3rd arg (inTable), it triggers the error
message.

(Actually, it doesn't exit the function as I expect either, instead it
flashes the message and waits for new input. Hitting the cancel
button on the dialogue box triggers the message again. But that's
a whole nuther confusion and I don't want to get side-tracked.)

I can avoid this outcome in 3 ways:

a) enter one of the other two args as the last one specified in the dialogue
box,
b) remove the On Error Resume Next statement, or
c) and this is really wierd, remove the MsgBox statement.

Choice a) is clearly not reasonable - I can't expect others to know that
trick - and choices b) & c) frustrate my *truly wonderful* error handling.

('course, the only reason I found out about this bug is that I was so
excited to see Excel list MY FUNCTION that I just had to try it. Hubrous
was my downfall.)

I'm really confused about this, especially the REM'ing out the msgbox part.
Does anyone have any idea about what's going on.

[George Raft]

Forgot to mention two things: I'm working in xl97, and Dave, if you see this
and it seems familiar, the earlier question was from me trying to compare
the speed of my function with direct calls to the native spreadsheet
functions (turns out to be about half as fast). Your answers helped me
rethink the function itself, thanks.
Tony

George Raft <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sorry, I'm back again.
>
> I've written a user-defined function to replace the often confusing
> V/HLookup(...Match(...) .) combination used in spreadsheets to return an
> element in a bordered (top and left edges) table. Here's the code:
>
> Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> atCol As Variant, _
> inTable As Range) As Variant
>
> Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
>
> On Error Resume Next
> With Application
> i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> End With
>
> If Err <> 0 Then
> MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & " _
> not found.", vbCritical
> GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> Exit Function
> End If
>
> GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
>
> End Function
>
> Here's the problem: It works fine if invoked directly, but if I use
Excel's
> Paste (Insert) function dialogue box, then as soon as I click on the top
> left corner of the range for the 3rd arg (inTable), it triggers the error
> message.
>
> (Actually, it doesn't exit the function as I expect either, instead it
> flashes the message and waits for new input. Hitting the cancel
> button on the dialogue box triggers the message again. But that's
> a whole nuther confusion and I don't want to get side-tracked.)
>
> I can avoid this outcome in 3 ways:
>
> a) enter one of the other two args as the last one specified in the
dialogue
> box,
> b) remove the On Error Resume Next statement, or
> c) and this is really wierd, remove the MsgBox statement.
>
> Choice a) is clearly not reasonable - I can't expect others to know that
> trick - and choices b) & c) frustrate my *truly wonderful* error handling.
>
> ('course, the only reason I found out about this bug is that I was so
> excited to see Excel list MY FUNCTION that I just had to try it. Hubrous
> was my downfall.)
>
> I'm really confused about this, especially the REM'ing out the msgbox
part.
> Does anyone have any idea about what's going on.
>
>

[Dave Peterson]

You may have noticed the when you're editing a cell, many of the icons on the
toolbars are disabled. You can have your function test an icon. (I think that
this was suggested by Jan Karel Pieterse:

Option Explicit
Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
atCol As Variant, _
inTable As Range) As Variant

Dim i As Long, j As Long

If Application.CommandBars(1).FindControl(ID:=23, Recursive:=True).Enabled _
= False Then
Exit Function
End If


On Error Resume Next
With Application
i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
End With

If Err <> 0 Then
'MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & "not found.", vbCritical
GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
Exit Function
End If

GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)

End Function


And I would be very wary about putting that message box into your function. If
you have lots of formulas that refer to the same table and you change a heading
row, you may be dismissing these message boxes for a longgggggg time.

George Raft wrote:
>
> Sorry, I'm back again.
>
> I've written a user-defined function to replace the often confusing
> V/HLookup(...Match(...) .) combination used in spreadsheets to return an
> element in a bordered (top and left edges) table. Here's the code:
>
> Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> atCol As Variant, _
> inTable As Range) As Variant
>
> Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
>
> On Error Resume Next
> With Application
> i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> End With
>
> If Err <> 0 Then
> MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & " _
> not found.", vbCritical
> GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> Exit Function
> End If
>
> GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
>
> End Function
>
> Here's the problem: It works fine if invoked directly, but if I use Excel's
> Paste (Insert) function dialogue box, then as soon as I click on the top
> left corner of the range for the 3rd arg (inTable), it triggers the error
> message.
>
> (Actually, it doesn't exit the function as I expect either, instead it
> flashes the message and waits for new input. Hitting the cancel
> button on the dialogue box triggers the message again. But that's
> a whole nuther confusion and I don't want to get side-tracked.)
>
> I can avoid this outcome in 3 ways:
>
> a) enter one of the other two args as the last one specified in the dialogue
> box,
> b) remove the On Error Resume Next statement, or
> c) and this is really wierd, remove the MsgBox statement.
>
> Choice a) is clearly not reasonable - I can't expect others to know that
> trick - and choices b) & c) frustrate my *truly wonderful* error handling.
>
> ('course, the only reason I found out about this bug is that I was so
> excited to see Excel list MY FUNCTION that I just had to try it. Hubrous
> was my downfall.)
>
> I'm really confused about this, especially the REM'ing out the msgbox part.
> Does anyone have any idea about what's going on.

--

Dave Peterson

[George Raft]

Good point about the messages - hadn't thought about that, and it is
intended for use in many tables. Of course, if I remove it, the problem
goes away (why, I don't understand), but thaar ya go.

I also don't understand what the proposed test is doing, or how we know the
Paste Function dialogue box is the first in the CMDbars collection, but I'll
fiddle with it a bit to see if I can't learn something.

Thanks again.
Tony

Dave Peterson <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> You may have noticed the when you're editing a cell, many of the icons on
the
> toolbars are disabled. You can have your function test an icon. (I think
that
> this was suggested by Jan Karel Pieterse:
>
> Option Explicit
> Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> atCol As Variant, _
> inTable As Range) As Variant
>
> Dim i As Long, j As Long
>
> If Application.CommandBars(1).FindControl(ID:=23, Recursive:=True).Enabled
_
> = False Then
> Exit Function
> End If
>
>
> On Error Resume Next
> With Application
> i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> End With
>
> If Err <> 0 Then
> 'MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & "not found.", vbCritical
> GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> Exit Function
> End If
>
> GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
>
> End Function
>
>
> And I would be very wary about putting that message box into your
function. If
> you have lots of formulas that refer to the same table and you change a
heading
> row, you may be dismissing these message boxes for a longgggggg time.
>
> George Raft wrote:
> >
> > Sorry, I'm back again.
> >
> > I've written a user-defined function to replace the often confusing
> > V/HLookup(...Match(...) .) combination used in spreadsheets to return an
> > element in a bordered (top and left edges) table. Here's the code:
> >
> > Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> > atCol As Variant, _
> > inTable As Range) As Variant
> >
> > Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
> >
> > On Error Resume Next
> > With Application
> > i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> > j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> > End With
> >
> > If Err <> 0 Then
> > MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & " _
> > not found.", vbCritical
> > GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> > Exit Function
> > End If
> >
> > GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
> >
> > End Function
> >
> > Here's the problem: It works fine if invoked directly, but if I use
Excel's
> > Paste (Insert) function dialogue box, then as soon as I click on the top
> > left corner of the range for the 3rd arg (inTable), it triggers the
error
> > message.
> >
> > (Actually, it doesn't exit the function as I expect either, instead it
> > flashes the message and waits for new input. Hitting the cancel
> > button on the dialogue box triggers the message again. But that's
> > a whole nuther confusion and I don't want to get side-tracked.)
> >
> > I can avoid this outcome in 3 ways:
> >
> > a) enter one of the other two args as the last one specified in the
dialogue
> > box,
> > b) remove the On Error Resume Next statement, or
> > c) and this is really wierd, remove the MsgBox statement.
> >
> > Choice a) is clearly not reasonable - I can't expect others to know that
> > trick - and choices b) & c) frustrate my *truly wonderful* error
handling.
> >
> > ('course, the only reason I found out about this bug is that I was so
> > excited to see Excel list MY FUNCTION that I just had to try it.
Hubrous
> > was my downfall.)
> >
> > I'm really confused about this, especially the REM'ing out the msgbox
part.
> > Does anyone have any idea about what's going on.
>
> --
>
> Dave Peterson

[Tushar Mehta]

The function wizard calls the specified function *during* data entry by
the user. It is called as soon as the user enters something in the
last non-optional field (*something* as in *any* thing). Your function
has to be able to handle that. That means that the use of Msgbox can
be extremely disruptive. So, it is not weird that removing the Msgbox
fixes the problem. Also, if I were you, I would not relegate the
informative error message to a interruptive msgbox but actually return
the information(instead of the oh-so-60s #N/A or #VALUE stuff)

To see how the function wizard works, note that in its dialog box, the
result of the function are shown *twice.* The first display is to the
right of and just below the area where the arguments are specified.
The second is towards the bottom left of the dialog box where it reads
"Formula result=". In fact the function is *called* twice. This
becomes very obvious with the following two functions. Try using them
with the function wizard and observe when the wizard starts displaying
the results as well as what the results are.

Function getRand(a, b, c)
getRand = Rnd()
End Function
Function getRandOpt(Optional a, Optional b, Optional c)
getRandOpt = Rnd()
End Function

Also, you could better leverage the error handling and not leave it to
the user to guess what didn't work.

If I were in your shoes, I would code your function along the lines of:

Function GETENTRY(atRow As Double, atCol As Double, _
inTable As Range) As Variant
Dim i As Long, j As Long
On Error Resume Next
With Application.WorksheetFunction
i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
End With
On Error GoTo 0
If i = 0 Then
GETENTRY = "atRow value (" & atRow & ") not found"
ElseIf j = 0 Then
GETENTRY = "atCol value (" & atCol & ") not found"
Else
GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
End If
End Function

The above function works for direct data entry or through the function
wizard.

--
Regards,

Tushar Mehta
www.tushar-mehta.com
Excel, PowerPoint, and VBA add-ins, tutorials
Custom MS Office productivity solutions

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Sorry, I'm back again.
>
> I've written a user-defined function to replace the often confusing
> V/HLookup(...Match(...) .) combination used in spreadsheets to return an
> element in a bordered (top and left edges) table. Here's the code:
>
> Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> atCol As Variant, _
> inTable As Range) As Variant
>
> Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
>
> On Error Resume Next
> With Application
> i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> End With
>
> If Err <> 0 Then
> MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & " _
> not found.", vbCritical
> GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> Exit Function
> End If
>
> GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
>
> End Function
>
> Here's the problem: It works fine if invoked directly, but if I use Excel's
> Paste (Insert) function dialogue box, then as soon as I click on the top
> left corner of the range for the 3rd arg (inTable), it triggers the error
> message.
>
> (Actually, it doesn't exit the function as I expect either, instead it
> flashes the message and waits for new input. Hitting the cancel
> button on the dialogue box triggers the message again. But that's
> a whole nuther confusion and I don't want to get side-tracked.)
>
> I can avoid this outcome in 3 ways:
>
> a) enter one of the other two args as the last one specified in the dialogue
> box,
> b) remove the On Error Resume Next statement, or
> c) and this is really wierd, remove the MsgBox statement.
>
> Choice a) is clearly not reasonable - I can't expect others to know that
> trick - and choices b) & c) frustrate my *truly wonderful* error handling.
>
> ('course, the only reason I found out about this bug is that I was so
> excited to see Excel list MY FUNCTION that I just had to try it. Hubrous
> was my downfall.)
>
> I'm really confused about this, especially the REM'ing out the msgbox part.
> Does anyone have any idea about what's going on.
>
>
>

[Dave Peterson]

Start typing anything into a cell--but don't hit enter.

Now click on File on the worksheet menubar.
Look at the "Open..." menu item. Notice that it's greyed out.

This menuitem gets checked in this line:
If Application.CommandBars(1).FindControl(ID:=23, Recursive:=True).Enabled _
...

If it's greyed out (.enabled = false), then get out of your function.


George Raft wrote:
>
> Good point about the messages - hadn't thought about that, and it is
> intended for use in many tables. Of course, if I remove it, the problem
> goes away (why, I don't understand), but thaar ya go.
>
> I also don't understand what the proposed test is doing, or how we know the
> Paste Function dialogue box is the first in the CMDbars collection, but I'll
> fiddle with it a bit to see if I can't learn something.
>
> Thanks again.
> Tony
>
> Dave Peterson <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > You may have noticed the when you're editing a cell, many of the icons on
> the
> > toolbars are disabled. You can have your function test an icon. (I think
> that
> > this was suggested by Jan Karel Pieterse:
> >
> > Option Explicit
> > Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> > atCol As Variant, _
> > inTable As Range) As Variant
> >
> > Dim i As Long, j As Long
> >
> > If Application.CommandBars(1).FindControl(ID:=23, Recursive:=True).Enabled
> _
> > = False Then
> > Exit Function
> > End If
> >
> >
> > On Error Resume Next
> > With Application
> > i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> > j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> > End With
> >
> > If Err <> 0 Then
> > 'MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & "not found.", vbCritical
> > GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> > Exit Function
> > End If
> >
> > GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
> >
> > End Function
> >
> >
> > And I would be very wary about putting that message box into your
> function. If
> > you have lots of formulas that refer to the same table and you change a
> heading
> > row, you may be dismissing these message boxes for a longgggggg time.
> >
> > George Raft wrote:
> > >
> > > Sorry, I'm back again.
> > >
> > > I've written a user-defined function to replace the often confusing
> > > V/HLookup(...Match(...) .) combination used in spreadsheets to return an
> > > element in a bordered (top and left edges) table. Here's the code:
> > >
> > > Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> > > atCol As Variant, _
> > > inTable As Range) As Variant
> > >
> > > Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
> > >
> > > On Error Resume Next
> > > With Application
> > > i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> > > j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> > > End With
> > >
> > > If Err <> 0 Then
> > > MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & " _
> > > not found.", vbCritical
> > > GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> > > Exit Function
> > > End If
> > >
> > > GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
> > >
> > > End Function
> > >
> > > Here's the problem: It works fine if invoked directly, but if I use
> Excel's
> > > Paste (Insert) function dialogue box, then as soon as I click on the top
> > > left corner of the range for the 3rd arg (inTable), it triggers the
> error
> > > message.
> > >
> > > (Actually, it doesn't exit the function as I expect either, instead it
> > > flashes the message and waits for new input. Hitting the cancel
> > > button on the dialogue box triggers the message again. But that's
> > > a whole nuther confusion and I don't want to get side-tracked.)
> > >
> > > I can avoid this outcome in 3 ways:
> > >
> > > a) enter one of the other two args as the last one specified in the
> dialogue
> > > box,
> > > b) remove the On Error Resume Next statement, or
> > > c) and this is really wierd, remove the MsgBox statement.
> > >
> > > Choice a) is clearly not reasonable - I can't expect others to know that
> > > trick - and choices b) & c) frustrate my *truly wonderful* error
> handling.
> > >
> > > ('course, the only reason I found out about this bug is that I was so
> > > excited to see Excel list MY FUNCTION that I just had to try it.
> Hubrous
> > > was my downfall.)
> > >
> > > I'm really confused about this, especially the REM'ing out the msgbox
> part.
> > > Does anyone have any idea about what's going on.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Dave Peterson

--

Dave Peterson

[Tom Ogilvy]

> Paste Function dialogue box is the first in the CMDbars collection

It isn't. The Worksheet Menu Bar is the first member of the commandbars
collection.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy


"George Raft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Good point about the messages - hadn't thought about that, and it is
> intended for use in many tables. Of course, if I remove it, the problem
> goes away (why, I don't understand), but thaar ya go.
>
> I also don't understand what the proposed test is doing, or how we know
the
> Paste Function dialogue box is the first in the CMDbars collection, but
I'll
> fiddle with it a bit to see if I can't learn something.
>
> Thanks again.
> Tony
>
> Dave Peterson <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > You may have noticed the when you're editing a cell, many of the icons
on
> the
> > toolbars are disabled. You can have your function test an icon. (I
think
> that
> > this was suggested by Jan Karel Pieterse:
> >
> > Option Explicit
> > Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> > atCol As Variant, _
> > inTable As Range) As Variant
> >
> > Dim i As Long, j As Long
> >
> > If Application.CommandBars(1).FindControl(ID:=23,
Recursive:=True).Enabled
> _
> > = False Then
> > Exit Function
> > End If
> >
> >
> > On Error Resume Next
> > With Application
> > i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> > j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> > End With
> >
> > If Err <> 0 Then
> > 'MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & "not found.", vbCritical
> > GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> > Exit Function
> > End If
> >
> > GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
> >
> > End Function
> >
> >
> > And I would be very wary about putting that message box into your
> function. If
> > you have lots of formulas that refer to the same table and you change a
> heading
> > row, you may be dismissing these message boxes for a longgggggg time.
> >
> > George Raft wrote:
> > >
> > > Sorry, I'm back again.
> > >
> > > I've written a user-defined function to replace the often confusing
> > > V/HLookup(...Match(...) .) combination used in spreadsheets to return
an
> > > element in a bordered (top and left edges) table. Here's the code:
> > >
> > > Function GETENTRY(atRow As Variant, _
> > > atCol As Variant, _
> > > inTable As Range) As Variant
> > >
> > > Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
> > >
> > > On Error Resume Next
> > > With Application
> > > i = .Match(atRow, inTable.Columns(1), 0)
> > > j = .Match(atCol, inTable.Rows(1), 0)
> > > End With
> > >
> > > If Err <> 0 Then
> > > MsgBox "One of " & atRow & " or " & atCol & " _
> > > not found.", vbCritical
> > > GETENTRY = CVErr(xlErrNA)
> > > Exit Function
> > > End If
> > >
> > > GETENTRY = inTable(i, j)
> > >
> > > End Function
> > >
> > > Here's the problem: It works fine if invoked directly, but if I use
> Excel's
> > > Paste (Insert) function dialogue box, then as soon as I click on the
top
> > > left corner of the range for the 3rd arg (inTable), it triggers the
> error
> > > message.
> > >
> > > (Actually, it doesn't exit the function as I expect either, instead it
> > > flashes the message and waits for new input. Hitting the cancel
> > > button on the dialogue box triggers the message again. But that's
> > > a whole nuther confusion and I don't want to get side-tracked.)
> > >
> > > I can avoid this outcome in 3 ways:
> > >
> > > a) enter one of the other two args as the last one specified in the
> dialogue
> > > box,
> > > b) remove the On Error Resume Next statement, or
> > > c) and this is really wierd, remove the MsgBox statement.
> > >
> > > Choice a) is clearly not reasonable - I can't expect others to know
that
> > > trick - and choices b) & c) frustrate my *truly wonderful* error
> handling.
> > >
> > > ('course, the only reason I found out about this bug is that I was so
> > > excited to see Excel list MY FUNCTION that I just had to try it.
> Hubrous
> > > was my downfall.)
> > >
> > > I'm really confused about this, especially the REM'ing out the msgbox
> part.
> > > Does anyone have any idea about what's going on.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Dave Peterson
>
>