Excel VBA - Arrays for Data Validation Reference

Question

I have the following code:

Sub TEST_____________Data_Validation_Machine()

Application.ScreenUpdating = False

Dim ws As Worksheet
Dim ws2 As Worksheet
Dim Range         


        

Answer 1

Not sure if this helps. Variant data type cannot hold objects, so you cannot access the range through an array.

Sub TEST_____________Data_Validation_Machine()

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Dim ws2 As Worksheet
    Dim Range1 As Range, Range2 As Range
    Dim c As Range
    Dim Array_Machine_List_Choices As Variant

    Set ws = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("EOS Report")
    Set ws2 = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("MachineList")
    Set ws3 = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("PlantAreaList")

    'Array of range names
    Array_Machine_List_Choices = Array("MACHINESFAB", "MACHINESPAINT", "MACHINESSUB", "MACHINESASY", "MACHINESFACILITIES")

    With ws3
        'creating an array based on the named range on the sheet "PlantAreaList"
        Array_Plant_Area_Choices = Application.Transpose(.Range("PlantAreaListCells"))
    End With

    'Cell below "MACHINE" based on the activecell selection of the "Plant Area" combobox:
    Set Range1 = ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1)

    'Cell below "PLANT AREA", based on the user selection of the combobox:
    Set Range3 = ActiveCell

    For i = 0 To UBound(Array_Plant_Area_Choices)

        If Range3 = Array_Plant_Area_Choices(i) Then

            If c.Interior.Pattern = xlNone Then
                With c.Validation
                    .Delete
                    .Add Type:=xlValidateList, _
                        Formula1:="='" & ws2.Name & "'!" & Array_Machine_List_Choices(i)
                    .IgnoreBlank = True
                    .InCellDropdown = True
                End With
            End If
        End If
    Next i

    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Answer 2

Is there any reason you're using VBA to accomplish this?

There's plenty of examples on Google showing how to accomplish this with named ranges, and an example I wrote up some time back that shows how you can use a Table to host your lists that allows cascading DV many levels deep, at the following links:

• https://chandoo.org/wp/2014/02/13/dynamic-cascading-dropdowns-that-reset/ (using VBA to reset 'downstream" DV if upstream DV later changes)
• https://chandoo.org/wp/2014/02/25/robust-dynamic-cascading-dropdowns-without-vba/ (using formulas to stop users changing upstream DV unless downstream DV changed).