Excel macro loop thru column to assign cell name box

Question

I want to populate the name box for a cell with the value from an adjacent cell. This macro works.

Sub NameBox()
   ' populates name box w/ value from adjacent cell
   ActiveCell.Name = ActiveCell.Offset(0, -1).Value
   ' steps down to next cell
   ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Select
End Sub

I assign a key stroke and iterate through each cell in the column which is pretty easy but I think it can be improved with a loop.

I tried this.

Sub NameBoxLoop()
   Dim cel As Range
   For Each cel In Range("C:C").Cells
      If cel.Value <> "" Then
         cel.Name = cel.Offset(0, -1).Value
      End If
   Next cel
End Sub

But I get the following debug error

cel.Name = Application-defined or object-defined error

The loop logic looks right, if I replace the variable cel.Name with cel.Value the loop will complete.

Searches haven't provided an answer to the cel.Name error. Any help in resolving this error is appreciated.

Answer 1

Your formula works. But maybe your environment is not optimal, because you have no error-correction there - and names have limitations.

So I am guessing eigther you don't have values in column B or column B has values which are already used as names for other cells.

In both cases your loop would break.

Try this to loop anyways, but consider error-proving your code:

Sub NameBoxLoop()
   On Error Resume Next
   Dim cel As Range
   For Each cel In Range("C:C").Cells
      If cel.Value <> "" Then
         cel.Name = cel.Offset(0, -1).Value
      End If
   Next cel
end sub

Edit:

as a suggestion, you might want to consider using the Names listing.

Here is an example from excel-help:

ActiveWorkbook.Names.Add Name:="test", RefersTo:="=sheet1!$a$1:$c$20"

And here some of the objectmembers:

• Add
• Item
• Count