VBA StatusBar

What Is Excel VBA StatusBar?

The VBA StatusBar is a section at the bottom of the Excel window where you can display messages, information, or progress indicators to your macro’s users. Communication with users as the macros execute or when tasks are being performed in VBA is straightforward. The VBA StatusBar can display text, numeric values, or even color-coded information, providing textual information like the error messages and status updates that appear during the macro execution to enhance user interaction.

VBA StatusBar - Intro

In this example below, we have a subroutine named “UpdateStatusBarSimple” that explains the use of the VBA StatusBar to provide real-time feedback to users during macro execution.

VBA

Initially, the code updates the VBA StatusBar with the message “Task in Progress…,” indicating that some operation is underway.

To emphasize the concept of real-time feedback, a simulated 2-second delay using “Application.Wait” has been included. However, you can replace it with your actual code representing the task to be performed.

After this brief pause, the StatusBar is cleared, signifying the completion of the task.

VBA StatusBar - Intro - sheet1
Key Takeaways
  1. The VBA StatusBar is a useful tool for providing feedback and messages to users during macro execution.
  2. You can create the VBA StatusBar using a UserForm and update it dynamically with relevant information.
  3. Customize the VBA StatusBar with color, text, and progress indicators to enhance user experience and understanding.
  4. Remember to use DoEvents for real-time updates and keep StatusBar messages concise and informative.
  5. The VBA StatusBar Message is often used to display informative messages to users during the execution of macros.

How to Create StatusBar using VBA?

Creating a StatusBar in Excel VBA is straightforward. Here are the steps to do it:

  1. Open Excel and press ALT + F11 to open the VBA editor.


    VBA Status Bar - editor.jpg

  2. Insert a new module by clicking on “Insert” in the menu and selecting “Module.”

    VBA Status Bar - Module

  3. Inside the module, start by initializing the StatusBar with a message. You can do this using:

    Application.StatusBar = “Your message here…”
    Replace “Your message here…” with the message you want to display.

  4. After initializing the StatusBar, you can simulate a task using a loop or any other code that represents your actual task. For example:

    For i = 1 To 10
        ‘ Your code here (simulated task)
    Next i
    Replace ‘ Your code here (simulated task) with your actual code representing the task.

  5. You can update the StatusBar dynamically within the loop to provide progress updates or relevant information based on the task’s progress. For example:

    Application.StatusBar = “Processing step ” & i & “…”
    This line updates the StatusBar with the current step number.

  6. After the task is completed, clear the StatusBar to remove the message:

    Application.StatusBar = False

  7. Close the VBA editor and return to your workbook. Run the VBA code by pressing Alt + F8, selecting the macro name, and clicking “Run.”

  8. The VBA StatusBar will display the messages as per your code, providing real-time feedback during macro execution.

Examples

Now, let us look at a few examples to check how VBA StatusBar works in detail.

Example #1

In this example, we will see how to use the VBA StatusBar to display the message “Updating… Please wait.” while a task is simulated. After the task is complete, the StatusBar is cleared.

Step 1: In the new module, we first create a subroutine named “SimpleStatusBarUpdate,” and we set the StatusBar to display the message “Updating… Please wait.” It informs the user that some operation is in progress.

VBA StatusBar - Example-1-Step-1-2

Step 2: We start a FOR loop that runs from 1 to 10, simulating a task that involves ten steps.

VBA Status Bar - Example-1-Step-2-10

Step 3: Within the loop, we update cell A1 in “Sheet1” with a message that includes the current loop index.

VBA StatusBar - Example-1-Step-3-1

Step 4: To make the task more noticeable, we simulate a short delay of 1 second between each step using “Application.Wait.” You can replace this with your actual code or remove it if not needed.

VBA StatusBar -1-Step-4-1

Step 5: After the loop completes and the simulated task is done, we clear the StatusBar by setting it to False. It removes the message from the StatusBar.

VBA StatusBar - Example-1-Step-5-1

Step 6: When you run this code, the StatusBar will initially display “Updating… Please wait.” The For loop simulates a task by updating cell A1 with messages like “Task step 1,” “Task step 2,” and so on, with a 1-second delay between each step.

VBA StatusBar - Example-1-Step-6-1
VBA StatusBar - Example-1-Step-6-1-1
VBA StatusBar -Example-1-Step-6-2

After all the ten steps are completed, the StatusBar is cleared, and the message is removed. The cell A1 in “Sheet1” will show the final message based on the last iteration of the loop, which, in this example, would be “Task step 10.”

VBA StatusBar - Example-1-Step-6-3

Here is the full code:

Sub SimpleStatusBarUpdate()

    Application.StatusBar = “Updating… Please wait.”

    For i = 1 To 10

          ThisWorkbook.Sheets(“Sheet1”).Range(“A1”).Value = “Task step ” & i

        Application.Wait Now + TimeValue(“00:00:01”) ‘ Pause for 1 second

    Next i

        ‘ Clear the StatusBar

    Application.StatusBar = False

End Sub

Example #2

In this example, let us see how the VBA StatusBar is updated in real-time to display the progress as a percentage while a task is simulated.

Step 1: In a new module, we declare an integer variable named totalSteps to represent the total number of steps in our progress tracking. In this example, we set it to 10.

Example-2-Step-1-1

Step 2: Next, we start a FOR loop that runs from 1 to the value stored in the totalSteps variable. This loop represents the progress tracking steps.

VBA StatusBar - Example-2-Step-2-1

Step 3: Within the loop, we calculate the progress as a percentage by dividing the current step i by the total number of steps totalSteps. This gives us a value between 0 and 1 representing the progress.

Example-2-Step-3-1

Step 4: We use the Application.StatusBar property to update the StatusBar with a message that includes the current progress percentage. We use the Format function to format the percentage as “XX%.”

Example-2-Step-4-1

Step 5: In this step, we simulate a task by displaying a message box using MsgBox. The message box shows the current step number as “Simulated Task Step 1,” “Simulated Task Step 2,” and so on. You can replace this with your actual code representing the task to be performed during each step.

VBA StatusBar - Example-2-Step-5-1

Step 6: We add a short 1-second delay using Application.Wait to simulate work being done during each step. It is just for demonstration purposes and can be replaced with your actual code or removed if not needed.

Example-2-Step-6-1

Step 7: After all steps are completed, we clear the StatusBar by setting it to False. It removes the progress message from the StatusBar.

Example-2-Step-7-1

Step 8: When you run this code, you will observe the StatusBar updating in real-time with progress information as the loop iterates.

VBA StatusBar - Example-2-Step-8-1

During each step, a message box is displayed to simulate a task, and there’s a 1-second delay to make the task more noticeable. After all steps are completed, the StatusBar is cleared, and the progress tracking is finished.

VBA StatusBar - Example-2-Step-8-1-1

Here is the full code:

Sub RealTimeProgressTracker()

    Dim totalSteps As Integer

    totalSteps = 10

    For i = 1 To totalSteps

        Dim progress As Double

        progress = i / totalSteps

        Application.StatusBar = “Progress: ” & Format(progress, “Percent”) & ” complete.”

        MsgBox “Simulated Task Step ” & i

        Application.Wait Now + TimeValue(“00:00:01”) ‘ Pause for 1 second

    Next i

    Application.StatusBar = False

End Sub

Example #3

In this example, we will see how the VBA StatusBar is used to display a conditional message based on the random value generated. It continues to display the message while a task is simulated and is cleared after the task is complete.

Step 1: In the new module, we first declare a variable value as a Double data type. We use the WorksheetFunction.RandBetween function to generate a random value between 1 and 100, and we store this value in the value variable.

Example-3-Step-1-1

Step 2: Next, we use an If statement in VBA to check the value of the value variable.

If the value is less than 50, we update the StatusBar with the message “Value is less than 50.”

If the value is 50 or greater, we update the StatusBar with the message “Value is greater than or equal to 50.”

Example-3-Step-2-1

Step 3: In this step, we initiate a For loop that runs for ten iterations to simulate a task.

Just like in previous examples, we have added a 1-second delay using “Application.Wait” to simulate a task.

Example-3-Step-3-1

Step 4: After the loop completes and the simulated task is done, we clear the StatusBar by setting it to False. It removes the message from the VBA StatusBar.

Example 3-Step 4

Step 5: When you run this code, the VBA StatusBar will initially display either “Value is less than 50.” or “Value is greater than or equal to 50.” based on the random value generated in Step 1.

Example-3-Step-5-2

After the loop completes and the delay, which is approximately 10 seconds since we have 10 iterations in the code, the VBA StatusBar is cleared.

Example-3-Step-5-1-1

Here is the full code:

Sub ConditionalStatusBarMessages()

    Dim value As Double

    value = WorksheetFunction.RandBetween(1, 100)

    If value < 50 Then

        Application.StatusBar = “Value is less than 50.”

    Else

        Application.StatusBar = “Value is greater than or equal to 50.”

    End If

    For i = 1 To 10

        Application.Wait Now + TimeValue(“00:00:01”) ‘ Pause for 1 second

    Next i

    Application.StatusBar = False

End Sub

Important Things To Note

  1. The VBA StatusBar updates are visible only during macro execution and disappear once the macro is complete or the StatusBar is explicitly hidden.
  2. To change the VBA StatusBar Color, you can use the Application.StatusBar property along with special character combinations, such as “vbGreen” for green color, “vbRed” for red color, or “vbBlue” for blue color.
  3. To do the VBA StatusBar Reset, set it to “False” using “Application.StatusBar = False.”
  4. Troubleshooting the VBA StatusBar Not Updating issues involves debugging code, checking for syntax errors, and ensuring proper sequence.”
  5. VBA StatusBar is valuable for providing real-time feedback to users during macro execution.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I update the text in the VBA StatusBar during runtime?

To update the VBA StatusBar text during runtime, we make use of the “Application.StatusBar” property. Just assign a new message or value to “Application.StatusBar” and it will be updated on the VBA StatusBar text immediately.
This could yet be very valuable in providing real-time feedback, progress updates, or information to users during the execution of a macro or task.

2. Is it possible to add progress indicators to the VBA StatusBar?

Yes, you can add the VBA StatusBar with progress indicators. The VBA StatusBar text can be dynamically updated to incorporate tracking of any progress information. For example, when a task is being processed with 50% completion, you might display messages like “Progress: 50% complete”.
Updating the StatusBar within loops, or at key points in your code, will produce some sort of visual representation of progress for users.

3. How do I clear the text in the VBA StatusBar?

To clear the text in the VBA StatusBar, set the text to False using “Application.StatusBar = False.” It clears any existing text or messages on the VBA StatusBar and returns it to its original condition. Clearing the VBA StatusBar is necessary so as not to have your messages remain cleared by subsequent tasks.

4. How can I make the VBA StatusBar display temporary messages?

You can make the VBA StatusBar to display temporary messages by setting it with your message and allowing it to automatically clear either after a certain period or when your macro completes.
You might, for example, use this to update the StatusBar with a message of what is occurring as your code executes and then when finished it will reset back to its default message without any explicit clearing of the VBA StatusBar.

Download Template

This article must help us understand the VBA StatusBar formula and examples. You can download the template here to use it instantly.

Guide to VBA StatusBar in Excel. Here we explain how to create & use statusBar using VBA code, along with examples & downloadable excel template. You can learn more from the following articles –

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