Excel-VBA - How to identify Target range (more than 1 cell) is deleted in a Worksheet_Change function?

Question

I am trying to find if a user deletes values in certain cells in column B then cells in same rows in column X are also deleted using worksheet_change function.

When I delete only one cell in column B then IsEmpty(Target) returns true and I am able to clear the same row cell in column X.

However, when select multiple cells in column B and press delete button, the IsEmpty(Target) returns False. Now here Target is range of multiple cells. I just can't find a way to find if a user has deleted range of values in column B at the same time. Any help would be much appreciated.

Below code works when one cell is deleted but not when a range of cells are deleted.

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)

    If Target.Column <> 2 Then Exit Sub
    If Target.Columns.Count > 1 Then Exit Sub

    If IsEmpty(Target) Then

        Application.EnableEvents = False
        ActiveSheet.Range("X" & Target.Row & ":X" & Target.Row + Target.Rows.Count - 1).ClearContents
        Application.EnableEvents = True
    End If

End Sub

Thanks Uttam

Answer 1

Copy the column in question into a hidden worksheet ( workSheet.Visible = xlVeryHidden ), then use WorksheetFunction.CountA to compare the number of non-empty cells in the column of the visible worksheet and in the 'shadow' column of the hidden worksheet. This will quickly inform you if the number of cells with contents has decreased (ie, contents have been deleted).

If so, get the .UsedRange of the observed column, find the first empty cell in it and check if the corresponding cell in the shadow column is empty as well. If yes, continue to the next empty cell; if not, you know the cell content has been deleted, and you can delete the corresponding cell content in your 'column X'.

After each Worksheet_Change event you need to make another 'shadow' copy.

Answer 2

You misunderstand the purpose of the function IsEmpty .

I guess what you are really looking for are cells which do not contain a value (blank cells). The following line will give you the count of cells which contain a value. If that is equal to zero then they are all blank.

Target.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants).Count

Yet, the above line of code will result in an error if all cells are empty. Hence, you will have to adjust your code as follows:

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)

If Target.Column <> 2 Then Exit Sub
If Target.Columns.Count > 1 Then Exit Sub

Dim bolIsEmpty As Boolean

On Error GoTo AllAreEmpty
bolIsEmpty = Target.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants).Count = 0
On Error GoTo 0

If bolIsEmpty Then
    ' ... your code here ...
End If

Exit Sub

AllAreEmpty:
    bolIsEmpty = True
    Resume Next

End Sub