XL97: Worksheet_Change Does Not Run When Worksheet Sorted

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, a Worksheet_Change macro assigned to a worksheet may not run when the worksheet is changed.

CAUSE

This will occur if you sort a range of cells within the worksheet.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides examples of Visual Basic for Applications procedures 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. The Visual Basic procedures in this article are provided 'as is' and Microsoft does not guarantee that they can be used in all situations. While Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular macro, they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality, nor will they help you construct macros to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to consult one of the Microsoft Solution Providers. Solution Providers offer a wide range of fee-based services, including creating custom macros. For more information about Microsoft Solution Providers, call Microsoft Customer Information Service at (800) 426-9400.

In Microsoft Excel 97, you can create a "Worksheet_Change" macro that runs whenever data within a specific worksheet is changed. To create such a macro, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor. Or, press ALT+F11.

2. In the Project Explorer window, you should see entries similar to the following:

         VBAProject (Book1)
            Microsoft Excel Objects
               Sheet1 (Sheet1)
               Sheet2 (Sheet2)
               Sheet3 (Sheet3)
   
      Double-click the entry for the worksheet to which you want to assign
      a Worksheet_Change macro (Sheet1, for example).
   
   

3. In the Code window, enter the following code:

         Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Excel.Range)
            MsgBox "The worksheet was changed!"
         End Sub
   
   

4. On the File menu, click "Close And Return To Microsoft Excel".

However, the macro will NOT run if you sort a range within the worksheet. Sorting a worksheet does not trigger the Worksheet_Change event, so the macro does not run.