XL98: Macro Doesn't Function on Multiple Sheets in Group Mode (192897)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q192897

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you use a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications procedure to perform an action while worksheets are selected in group mode, the action performed may only be performed on one of the worksheets instead of on every worksheet in the selection.

For example, if you use a Visual Basic procedure to select multiple worksheets, and you check spelling in the selected worksheets, if you use the Change All button to change a word that is found on all of the selected worksheets, the word is only changed on the active worksheet.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because some of the Visual Basic commands in Microsoft Excel perform an action on one worksheet at a time, even if the equivalent menu command performs the action on all selected sheets.

WORKAROUND

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to 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 requirements. To work around this behavior, you must loop through each sheet in the selection individually in your procedure or script to perform the action as in the following examples. (Note that the following examples use the Spelling command to demonstrate the workaround. These examples can be modified to work with other commands.)

Sample Visual Basic Procedure

    Sub SpellCheck()

      ' Dimension variable x as Object type
      Dim x as Object
      ' Group select Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3 worksheets.
      ' Note that there are other methods for selecting multiple sheets.
      Sheets(Array("sheet1", "sheet2", "sheet3")).Select

      ' Perform spell check on each selected sheet.
      ' Note that the Change All button will only change
      ' words on one worksheet, but the spell checker dialog
      ' will appear once for each sheet selected.
      For Each x In ActiveWindow.SelectedSheets
         x.CheckSpelling CustomDictionary:="CUSTOM.DIC", _
            IgnoreUpperCase:=False, AlwaysSuggest:=True
      Next x

   End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/17/2005
Keywords:kbdtacode kbmacro kbprb KB192897
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