Variable name of a worksheet

Question

I want to name a worksheet in excel as the value inside cell "C6" in the tab named "Control". I am new to VBA and what I tried was typing this on a module.

Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)

'
' Macro2 Macro
'

'
    Dim month As String
    month = Sheet2.Range("C5")
    Sheets("Month").Name = month
End Sub

Moreover, I do not know whether the name will be updated automatically. I do not want to have to run a macro to change the worksheet name...

Thanks!

Answer 1

It sounds like you want to be able to always refer to the same worksheet, regardless of the worksheet's name changing (as shown on the worksheet's tab) .

This is where the worksheets' CODENAME Property comes in handy.

Let's say you have an object variable declare for your worksheet like Dim ws As Worksheet . You can refer to a worksheet three basic ways.

---

...by Name :

Set object variable:

 Set ws = Sheets("Sheet1") 

The worksheet name is the only worksheet identifier that can be changed to whatever you want, which (as you're probably aware) is done like:

 ws.Name = "NewSheetname" 

...or alternatively, like:

 Sheets("Sheet1").Name = "NewSheetName" 

---

...by Index Number :

The index number identifies the position of the worksheet's "tab" , compared to the others (and cannot be changed without changing the order of the worksheets)

Set object variable:

 Set ws = Sheets(1) 

...then you could (still) change the worksheets name like:

 ws.Name = "NewSheetname" 

...or you could change the name by referring to the worksheet index number like:

 Sheets(1).Name = "NewSheetName" 

NOTE: If the worksheet is moved (or another worksheet is inserted before it), the Index number will change! Therefore, it's usually not the preferred method of referring to a worksheet.

---

...by CodeName :

The CodeName is how Excel refers to the worksheets internally. It is the original name that Excel gave the worksheet, and it does not change since it is a read-only property.

Set object variable:

 Set ws = Sheet1 

...then you could (still) change the worksheets name like:

 ws.Name = "NewSheetname" 

...or you could change the name by referring to the worksheet codename like:

 Sheet1.Name = "NewSheetName" 

You can check a worksheets' CodeName property like:

 MsgBox Sheets("YourSheetName").CodeName 

...or, if ws is already referencing the worksheet:

 MsgBox ws.CodeName 

So, in your case, you could change the name of your worksheet as often as you like, with:

Sheet2.Name = "NewNameHere"

...just keep referring to it as Sheet2 .

---

One more example to clarify the difference:

• Create a new workbook. (It will automatically have worksheet named Sheet1 .)

• Change the worksheet name to "Sheet1999", either manually (by double-clicking the name on it's tab) or programmatically (with Sheet1.Name="Sheet1999" )

• Now, if you want to find out how many rows on that sheet have been used, you use use either:

   MsgBox Sheets("Sheet1999").UsedRange.Rows.Count 

  ...or:

   MsgBox Sheet1.UsedRange.Rows.Count 

---

A note about Sheets versus Worksheets :

When referring to a worksheet Sheets and Worksheets can usually be used interchangeably, so for example these two lines do the same thing :

Worksheets("mySheet").Calculate

Sheets("mySheet").Calculate

The difference is that:

• the Worksheets object searches the Worksheets Collection for a matching Name , Index , or CodeName .

• the Sheets object searches the Worksheets Collection **and the Charts Collection** for a matching Name , Index , or CodeName .

Therefore, the only time it would be a problem is if you have a chart and a worksheet with the same name .

So, don't ever name a chart the same as a worksheet , and then you won't have to worry about it, and can go on saving 4 keystrokes any time you refer to a Sheet ... :)

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More Information:

• MSDN : Worksheet Object

• MSDN : Worksheet Properties

• MSDN : Worksheet Methods

• MSDN : Sheets Object