VBA Timer

What is the Excel VBA TIMER Function?

The TIMER function in VBA returns the number of seconds that have elapsed since midnight. It is often used to measure the time taken by code to execute. This function can be used to track the performance of your VBA macros, calculate execution times, and introduce time-based actions in your applications.

Let’s look at an example. In this case, we’ll implement a basic VBA Timer delay using the TIMER function. The code sets a desired delay in seconds, records the start time, and enters a loop that continually checks if the delay has passed by comparing the difference between the current and start times with the specified delay. The DoEvents function is used to ensure Excel remains responsive during the delay.

Once the VBA Timer delay has been completed, a message box notifies the user.

In this case, once you execute the Macro, you will notice the following message after the delay has been completed. i.e., after 3 seconds’ delay.

What is the Excel VBA TIMER Function?

The VBA TIMER function measures the time taken by code to execute and provides valuable insights for performance optimization.
TIMER returns the number of seconds since midnight, offering basic timing capabilities but with limited accuracy.
VBA Timer Start Stop allows you to initiate and conclude the timer, enabling accurate measurement of code execution durations. This feature aids in performance analysis, optimization, and benchmarking by providing precise insights into how long specific code segments take to run.
The VBA Timer control can be added to UserForms to trigger events at specific intervals, enhancing user interactions.

How to Use the TIMER Function in VBA?

Using the VBA TIMER function is straightforward. Here are the steps to use it effectively:

Step 1: Open the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor in Excel By pressing Alt + F11.

Step 2: In the VBA editor, insert a new module by right-clicking on any existing module or workbook name on the left pane – Insert – Module.

Step 3: In the module window, you can use the VBA TIMER function to record the start time of your code execution.

Step 4: Run the VBA macro by pressing F5 or clicking on “Run” button in the VBA editor.

By following these steps, you can effectively use the VBA Timer function to measure the execution time of your VBA code.

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Examples

Let us look at some examples where we use the VBA Timer.

Example #1 – Calculate the Total Time Taken by Your Code

In this example, we will demonstrate how to use VBA’s Timer function to measure the execution time of a code segment, showcasing the recording of start and end times, calculation of elapsed time, and display of results.

Step 1: In the new module, start by creating a new subroutine named “CalculateTotalTime.”

Step 2: In this step, we declare three variables: startTime, endTime, and elapsedTime. These variables will be used to store the start, end, and elapsed times, respectively.

Step 3: Here, we assign the current value of the TIMER function to the startTime variable. It captures the starting point of our code execution.

Step 4: In this step, we perform a simple calculation by summing up numbers from 1 to 1,000,000. It is done to simulate some code execution that takes time.

Step 5: Like Step 2, we capture the current TIMER function value and store it in the endTime variable, marking the end of our code execution.

Step 6: Here, we calculate the difference between endTime and startTime to determine the elapsed time. This value represents the time taken by the code to execute.

Finally, we display a message box showing the elapsed time in seconds using the “MsgBox” function.

Step 7: Save the module and exit the VBE. Press Alt + F8 to open the Macro menu and select “CalculateTotalTime.” Click Run.

Step 8: A message box will appear showing the time taken for the code execution.

Here is the complete code:

Sub CalculateTotalTime()
Dim startTime As Double
Dim endTime As Double
Dim elapsedTime As Double
‘ Record the start time
startTime = Timer
‘ Perform some calculations
Dim result As Double
result = 0
For i = 1 To 1000000
result = result + i
Next i
‘ Record the end time
endTime = Timer
‘ Calculate the elapsed time
elapsedTime = endTime – startTime
MsgBox “Time taken: ” & elapsedTime & ” seconds”
End Sub

Example #2 – Show the Result in the Correct Time Format

In this example, we will showcase the VBA Timer function by capturing start and end times, conducting a calculation within a loop, calculating elapsed time, and displaying the outcome formatted as hours, minutes, and seconds, thereby demonstrating comprehensive timing operations.

In the new module, start by creating a new subroutine named “ShowTimeInFormat.”

Step 1: As in Example #1, we declare three variables: startTime, endTime, and elapsedTime. These variables will be used to store the start, end, and elapsed times, respectively.

Step 2: This step captures the start time of the code execution using the TIMER function.

Step 3: We simulate code execution by performing calculations. We shall include the following calculation code for this example and then run the macro.

This code initializes a loop where a basic calculation involving the square root of the loop index is performed for each value from 1 to 50 million.

Step 4: We captures the end time using the TIMER function.

Step 5: In this step, we calculate the elapsed time in hours, minutes, and seconds. By dividing and using the modulo operator, we use the Fix function to get the whole number of hours, minutes, and seconds.

Step 6: Finally, we show a message box with the calculated elapsed time formatted as hours, minutes, and seconds.

Step 7: Now save the module and exit the VBE. Open the Macro menu and select “ShowTimeInFormat” and click Run.

Step 8: Once you run the macro, it uses a loop to simulate a calculation that takes around 3 seconds to execute. And then you will see a message box with the time to execute the calculation.

Here is the complete code:

Sub ShowTimeInFormat()
Dim startTime As Double
Dim endTime As Double
Dim elapsedTime As Double
‘ Record the start time
startTime = Timer
‘ Your code goes here
Dim i As Long
For i = 1 To 50000000
‘ Do some basic calculation
Dim result As Double
result = Sqr(i)
Next i
‘ Record the end time
endTime = Timer
‘ Calculate the elapsed time in hours, minutes, and seconds
elapsedTime = endTime – startTime
Dim hours As Long
Dim minutes As Long
Dim seconds As Long
hours = Fix(elapsedTime / 3600)
minutes = Fix((elapsedTime Mod 3600) / 60)
seconds = Fix(elapsedTime Mod 60)
MsgBox “Time taken: ” & hours & ” hours, ” & minutes & ” minutes, ” & seconds & ” seconds”
End Sub

Example #3 – Alternative Code to Timer

In this example, we will use the VBA Date Function and Time functions to record execution times, conduct a loop-based calculation, calculate elapsed time, and display it in the “hh:mm:ss” format.

Step 1: In the new module, start by creating a new subroutine named “UsingApplicationNow.”

Step 2: In this step, we declare the variables startTime, endTime, and elapsedTime. Unlike the previous examples, startTime and endTime are of type Date for using the Now function.

Step 3: Here, we capture the current date and time using the Now function, marking the start time of the code execution.

Step 4: As in the previous examples, this step simulates code execution by performing calculations. In this example, we use the code that initializes a variable “result” to zero and then iteratively adds numbers from 1 to 5 million, effectively calculating their sum.

Step 5: We capture the end date and time using the Now function.

Step 6: In this step, we calculate the elapsed time and use the Format function to display it in the “hh:mm:ss” format (hours:minutes:seconds).

Step 7: We display the formatted elapsed time in a message box.

Step 8: Open the Macro menu after saving the module, select “UsingApplicationNow” and click Run.

Step 9: The code calculates the sum of numbers from 1 to 5 million, measures the time taken for execution, and displays the elapsed time in a formatted message box.

Here is the full code:

Sub UsingApplicationNow()
Dim startTime As Date
Dim endTime As Date
Dim elapsedTime As Double
‘ Record the start time
startTime = Now
‘ Your code goes here
Dim result As Double
result = 0
For i = 1 To 5000000
result = result + i
Next i
‘ Record the end time
endTime = Now
‘ Calculate the elapsed time
elapsedTime = endTime – startTime
MsgBox “Time taken: ” & Format(elapsedTime, “hh:mm:ss”)
End Sub

Important Things to Note

The VBA TIMER function measures time in seconds and provides a resolution of up to one second. You can use other methods or APIs that provide VBA Timer millisecond accuracy for more precise timing.
The TIMER function is based on the system clock and is subject to variations due to system load and other factors. It’s important to consider this when using it for performance measurements.
To measure code execution accurately, it’s recommended to run the code multiple times and take an average of the execution times.
TIMER is often used with the Now function to provide more human-readable time formats.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How to Add a Timer in UserForm VBA?

You can use the VBA Timer control to add a timer to a UserForm in VBA. First, open the UserForm in the VBA editor. Then, from the Toolbox, drag and drop the Timer control onto the UserForm.

You can set the VBA Timer’s properties, such as VBA Timer Interval, to determine the time between events triggered by the Timer. Write the code to handle the VBA Timer’s events, such as TimerTick, to perform actions at specified intervals.

2. How Do I Set Timer Delay in VBA?

You can set a VBA Timer delay using the Application.Wait method. This method pauses the execution of code for a specified duration. For example:

Sub DelayExample()
Application.Wait Now + TimeValue(“00:00:05”) ‘ Delays for 5 seconds
MsgBox “Delayed for 5 seconds”
End Sub

3. What Is the Timer Control Interval in VBA?

The VBA Timer control’s Interval property specifies the time in VBA Timer milliseconds between the TimerTick events. For example, setting VBA Timer Interval to 1000 would trigger the TimerTick event every 1000 milliseconds (1 second).

4. Why Is Timer in VBA Not Working?

There can be various reasons why a VBA timer might not work as expected. Ensure that the VBA Timer control’s Enabled property is set to True and that you have properly written code to handle the TimerTick event. Additionally, check if there are any conflicting events or codes that might interfere with the Timer’s functionality.

VBA Timer