XL: How to Select Ranges Using Visual Basic for Applications (Novice Examples)

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Examples of How to Select Cells Manually

To manually select all the data in a column, select the first cell, and press CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW.

Likewise, to manually select a row and all columns attached to the row, press CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW+RIGHT ARROW. However, all data must be contiguous (that is, you cannot have blank rows or columns). Also, you can select the current region of data (contiguous data, with no blank rows or columns) by doing the following:

1. On the Edit menu, click Go To.
2. In the Go To dialog box, click Special.
3. In the Go To Special dialog box, click Current Region, and then click OK.

You can also select this range by using simple Visual Basic for Applications code.

NOTE: If you try to record this procedure by using the macro recorder, you do not receive the same results.

Examples of How to Use Visual Basic Code to Select Cells in a Range

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If you know the beginning cell (in this example, the beginning cell is cell C1), and you want to select down to the last cell (in the same column) that has data but do not know that address, use the following code:

   Sub SelectRangeDown()
      Range("c1", Range("c1").End(xlDown)).Select
   End Sub
				

NOTE: The SelectRangeDown macro assumes your data is contiguous. Otherwise, if there are blank cells in the column of data you are selecting, this macro may not select all of your cells in the column.

If your data begins in cell C1, but is not contiguous in that column, use the following macro:

   Sub SelectRangeDown_Discontiguous()
      Range("c1", Range("c16384").End(xlUp)).Select
   End Sub
				

In Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 98, this macro will be slightly different because there are more rows in a worksheet in this version of Microsoft Excel:

   Sub SelectRangeDown_Discontiguous97()
      Range("c1", Range("c65536").End(xlUp)).Select
   End Sub
				

If you want to select from the active cell down and all columns to the right (assuming contiguous data in all rows and columns), use the following code:

   Sub myrangearea()
      Range(ActiveCell, ActiveCell.End(xlDown).End(xlToRight)).Select
   End Sub
				

If you know the starting cell (in this sample code, the starting cell is D1), and you want to select down the column and to the right, try using the following code:

   Sub RangeFromStart()
      Range("d1", Range("d1").End(xlDown).End(xlToRight)).Select
   End Sub
				

To select all data in the current region, use the following code:

   Sub CurrentArea()
      Selection.CurrentRegion.Select
   End Sub
				

The examples included in this article show you how to select varying ranges on the active worksheet of your current workbook.

For additional information about selecting ranges with Visual Basic for Applications (and for more advanced examples), please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: