Microsoft KB Archive/184706

= XL98: How to Programmatically Create a Collection =

Article ID: 184706

Article Last Modified on 10/10/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q184706



SUMMARY
New programming functionality in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition allows you to create a collection. A collection is a predefined object that stores groups of related objects. A collection makes it easier to work with the object group. For example, you can use a "For Each...Next" looping structure to loop through the collection. Each time the macro executes the loop, it references a different object in the collection until all objects in the collection are referenced once.

This article includes a sample Visual Basic for Applications macro that creates and references a collection.



MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. In general, declare an object as a new collection to create the collection. After you create the Collection object, add items to the collection by using the Add method or remove items by using the Remove method. To use the sample macro, follow these steps:

 Create a new workbook and start the Visual Basic Editor (press OPTION+F11). On the Insert menu, click Class Module. In the class module, type the following declaration:

Public EmployeeName As String

You typically use a public variable in a class module to define properties for the class. If the Properties window is not visible, click Properties Window on the View menu. If the Project Explorer window is not visible, click Project Explorer on the view menu. In the Project Explorer, click the class module you have inserted in the project in step 2. In the Properties window, change the (Name) property of the class module to EmpClass .</li> On the Insert menu, click Module.</li>  In this module, type the following code: Sub MyCollection

Dim employees As New Collection  'Create the collection object. Dim num As Integer

num = 0   'Counter for number of employees added to the 'collection.

Do              Dim employee As New EmpClass    'Create new instance of the 'EmpClass class. num = num + 1

newname = InputBox("Enter new employee name" & Chr(13) _                  & "or press Cancel to see list of employees.")

If newname <> "" Then  'You did not press Cancel.

employee.EmployeeName = newname employees.Add Item:=employee, key:=CStr(num)

Set employee = Nothing   'Clear the current reference 'in preparation for next one.

End If

Loop Until newname = "" 'You pressed Cancel.

For Each x In employees MsgBox x.EmployeeName 'Display the employee name. Next

MsgBox employees.Count 'Current number of employees in                                   'collection.

For Each x In employees employees.Remove 1  'Remove each employee from the 'collection. Next

MsgBox employees.Count 'Display a count of zero because 'all employees were removed from the 'collection.

End Sub </li> Run the MyCollection macro.</li> When you are prompted, type any names, and then click Cancel to stop typing names.</li></ol>

Message boxes that display each of the names you typed appear. Then, a message box that displays a count of the names you typed appears. Another message box with a count of zero appears because the last For Each...Next loop removes each employee from the collection.

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