Excel: Update Worksheet based on value in another cell on another worksheet

Question

The scenario: Cell B5 has a reference formula from a previous worksheet (='Internal Use'!B7), we would like the worksheet name to update to match the value in cell B5.

The following code works when the value it typed directly in to B5, but not when it's a reference to the other worksheet:

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
'Specify the target cell whose entry shall be the sheet tab name.
If Target.Address <> "$B$5" Then Exit Sub
'If the target cell is empty (contents cleared) do not change the sheet name.
If IsEmpty(Target) Then Exit Sub

'Disallow the entry if it is greater than 31 characters.
If Len(Target.Value) > 31 Then
MsgBox "Worksheet names cannot be more than 31 characters." & vbCrLf & _
Target.Value & " has " & Len(Target.Value) & " characters.", _
48, "Keep it under 31 characters."
Application.EnableEvents = False
Target.ClearContents
Application.EnableEvents = True
Exit Sub
End If

'Sheet tab names cannot contain the characters /, \, [, ], *, ?, or :.
'Verify that none of these characters are present in the cell's entry.
Dim IllegalCharacter(1 To 7) As String, i As Integer
IllegalCharacter(1) = "/"
IllegalCharacter(2) = "\"
IllegalCharacter(3) = "["
IllegalCharacter(4) = "]"
IllegalCharacter(5) = "*"
IllegalCharacter(6) = "?"
IllegalCharacter(7) = ":"
For i = 1 To 7
If InStr(Target.Value, (IllegalCharacter(i))) > 0 Then
MsgBox "You used a character that violates sheet naming rules." & vbCrLf & _
"Enter a name without the ''" & IllegalCharacter(i) & "'' character.", _
48, "Not a possible sheet name !!"
Application.EnableEvents = False
Target.ClearContents
Application.EnableEvents = True
Exit Sub
End If
Next i

'Verify that the proposed sheet name does not already exist in the workbook.
Dim strSheetName As String, wks As Worksheet, bln As Boolean
strSheetName = Trim(Target.Value)
On Error Resume Next
Set wks = ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(strSheetName)
On Error Resume Next
If Not wks Is Nothing Then
bln = True
Else
bln = False
Err.Clear
End If

'If the worksheet name does not already exist, name the sheet as cell value.
'Otherwise, advise the user that duplicate sheet names are not allowed.
If bln = False Then
ActiveSheet.Name = strSheetName
Else
MsgBox "There is already a sheet named " & strSheetName & "." & vbCrLf & _
"Please enter a unique name for this sheet."
Application.EnableEvents = False
Target.ClearContents
Application.EnableEvents = True
End If

End Sub

I'm fairly new to VBA, so I could be using the completely wrong coding.

In short, what we would like to have happen, whenever the cells on the Internal Use sheet update, the corresponding worksheet names follow suite.

Thanks.

Update: Another option I've tried is a calculate event. The code works, except it changes the current worksheet I'm in, which I do not want. I want it to change another worksheet's name, not the active one.

Private Sub Worksheet_Calculate()
With Range("B5")
If Len(.Value) = 0 Or Len(.Value) > 31 Then Exit Sub

Dim IllegalCharacter(1 To 7) As String, i As Integer
IllegalCharacter(1) = "/"
IllegalCharacter(2) = "\"
IllegalCharacter(3) = "["
IllegalCharacter(4) = "]"
IllegalCharacter(5) = "*"
IllegalCharacter(6) = "?"
IllegalCharacter(7) = ":"
For i = 1 To 7
If InStr(.Text, (IllegalCharacter(i))) > 0 Then
MsgBox "The formula in cell A1 returns a value containing a character that violates sheet naming rules." & vbCrLf & _
"Recalculate the formula without the ''" & IllegalCharacter(i) & "'' character.", _
48, "Not a possible sheet name !!"
Exit Sub
End If
Next i

Dim strSheetName As String, wks As Worksheet, bln As Boolean
strSheetName = (.Text)
On Error Resume Next
Set wks = ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(strSheetName)
On Error Resume Next
If Not wks Is Nothing Then
bln = True
Else
bln = False
Err.Clear
End If

If bln = False Then
ActiveSheet.Name = strSheetName
ElseIf ActiveSheet.Name  <> .Text Then
MsgBox "There is already a sheet named " & strSheetName & "." & vbCrLf & _
"Recalculate the formula in cell A1 to return a unique name."
End If

End With
End Sub

The ActiveSheet.Name appears to be the issue, but I don't know what to set it to so it sticks to the worksheet(s) I want to change.

Answer 1

Your code fires on the Change event for the worksheet you're on, and it quits immediately if the target on that worksheet isn't "$B$5" . It does nothing when another worksheet is changed. If you set "$B$5" to equal a reference on another sheet, the event will fire when you set that reference, but if the referenced cell ( 'Internal Use'!B7 ) changes, guess what? Even though your referencing cell ( "$B$5" ) appears to change to reflect the change on the other sheet, it has not actually changed. The formula is still ='Internal Use'!B7 , just like it was before. So, your code isn't being called for a change on another worksheet.

What you can do is move your code to a standard module, then call it in the events for both sheets.