XL: How to Create a Dynamic Named Range

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Macintosh, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, you may have a named range that needs to be extended to include new information. For example, if you are using a database to which you continually add new information, you may want to use the sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications code included in this article to extend the named range.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

To create a dynamic named range

1. In Microsoft Excel 97, press ALT+F11 to activate the Visual Basic Editor. On the Insert menu, click Module.

   In Microsoft Excel 5.0 or 7.0, on the Insert menu, point to Macro and click Module.

2. Type one of the following macros (Sub procedures) in the new module:

         Sub DynamicNamedRange()
   
            Dim DefinedName As String
    
            DefinedName = "database"
   
            ' Selects the named range called "database."
            Range("Database").Select
   
            ' Selects the current region.
            Selection.CurrentRegion.Select
   
            ' Names the selected region.
            Names.Add Name:="database", RefersToR1C1:=Selection
   
         End Sub
   
         Sub DynamicNamedRange2()
   
            Range("Database").Select
            Selection.CurrentRegion.Select
            Selection.Name = "Database"
   
         End Sub
   
   

3. Use the mouse to highlight the named range.

4. On the Insert menu, click Name, and then point to Define.

5. In the Define Name dialog box, type the name "database" (without the quotation marks).

   NOTE: You can use any defined name, but it is important that you change the name assigned to DefinedName variable in the macro included below.

6. Run the macro you created in step 2.

REFERENCES

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications