Autocomplete code for a worksheet in Excel not working in other worksheets using VB

Question

My goal was to make autocomplete active for dropdowns and I have achieved it for a single worksheet but duplicating the code to other worksheets is not working.

I started by creating a combo Box on the initial worksheet containing the drop downs and then made the following changes- Changed the name to TempCombo in the Name field Selected 1-fmMatchEntryComplete in the MatchEntry field;

I then inserted the following code for that worksheet:

Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
'Update by Extendoffice: 2017/8/15
    Dim xCombox As OLEObject
    Dim xStr As String
    Dim xWs As Worksheet
    Set xWs = Application.ActiveSheet
    On Error Resume Next
    Set xCombox = xWs.OLEObjects("TempCombo")
    With xCombox
        .ListFillRange = ""
        .LinkedCell = ""
        .Visible = False
    End With
    If Target.Validation.Type = 3 Then
        Target.Validation.InCellDropdown = False
        Cancel = True
        xStr = Target.Validation.Formula1
        xStr = Right(xStr, Len(xStr) - 1)
        If xStr = "" Then Exit Sub
        With xCombox
            .Visible = True
            .Left = Target.Left
            .Top = Target.Top
            .Width = Target.Width + 5
            .Height = Target.Height + 5
            .ListFillRange = xStr
            .LinkedCell = Target.Address
        End With
        xCombox.Activate
        Me.TempCombo.DropDown
    End If
End Sub
Private Sub TempCombo_KeyDown(ByVal KeyCode As MSForms.ReturnInteger, ByVal 
`Shift As Integer)`
    Select Case KeyCode
        Case 9
            Application.ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Activate
        Case 13
            Application.ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Activate
    End Select
End Sub

This implementation works perfectly for that sheet but when i attempt to use the same code on another worksheet on the same file the autocomplete function doesn't work.

I attempted modification of the combobox name on sheet2 to TempCombo2 and changed the following line:

Set xCombox = xWs.OLEObjects("TempCombo")

    to

Set xCombox = xWs.OLEObjects("TempCombo2") 

The autocomplete function fails to work on sheet 2 even though no error is thrown.

Answer 1

This is a pretty interesting idea, I like it.

I was able to get this to work on multiple sheets with the following modifications:

• Removed Cancel = True , this line was throwing an error and Cancel is not an argument in Worksheet_SelectionChange; I don't think this is doing anything.
• Copied the code to the second sheet's code module (it has to be in each sheet module that you want it to run on)
• updated Set xCombox = xWs.OLEObjects("TempCombo") to Set xCombox = xWs.OLEObjects("TempCombo2")
• Me.TempCombo.DropDown updated to Me.TempCombo2.DropDown since that is what I named the combo box on the second sheet

Also, not a change as much as an assumption, it seems it only works with the ActiveX controls, so I assume that's what you are using when you add the new box.

As a follow up I was able to get it to work using the workbook module as long as the combo box is named "TempCombo" on all sheets (you have to add a combobox named "TempCombo" to each sheet). Going this route, you only need the code once, on the workbook module , and it uses the combo box that is local to each sheet.

TO TEST - In a new workbook: add list validation to a range using a range reference, put some values in the list range, add an ActiveX combobox to the sheet and name it "TempCombo", put the following code in the workbook module, then click anywhere in the range that has the list validation enabled.

One other note, make sure you aren't still in design mode on the developer tab!

Option Explicit

Private Sub Workbook_SheetSelectionChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)

'Update by Extendoffice: 2017/8/15
    Dim xCombox As OLEObject
    Dim xStr As String
    Dim xWs As Worksheet
    Set xWs = Sh
    On Error Resume Next
    Set xCombox = xWs.OLEObjects("TempCombo")
    With xCombox
        .ListFillRange = ""
        .LinkedCell = ""
        .Visible = False
    End With
    If Target.Validation.Type = 3 Then
        Target.Validation.InCellDropdown = False
        'Cancel = True
        xStr = Target.Validation.Formula1
        xStr = Right(xStr, Len(xStr) - 1)
        If xStr = "" Then Exit Sub
        With xCombox
            .Visible = True
            .Left = Target.Left
            .Top = Target.Top
            .Width = Target.Width + 5
            .Height = Target.Height + 5
            .ListFillRange = xStr
            .LinkedCell = Target.Address
        End With
        xCombox.Activate
        Sh.TempCombo.DropDown
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub TempCombo_KeyDown(ByVal KeyCode As MSForms.ReturnInteger, ByVal Shift As Integer)
Select Case KeyCode
        Case 9
            Application.ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Activate
        Case 13
            Application.ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Activate
    End Select
End Sub