When working with Microsoft Excel, I often find myself repeating tasks that eat into my productivity. To tackle this, I’ve turned to using VBA, or Visual Basic for Applications, which allows me to automate these repetitive tasks efficiently. One common task I automate is inserting new rows into spreadsheets. By creating a macro in Excel’s Visual Basic Editor, I can quickly add rows where I need them without the tedium of manual input.

I’ve learned that the process involves writing a VBA subroutine in a new module, where I can declare variables and use methods like Insert. For example, adjusting the Application.ScreenUpdating property helps to speed up the macro’s execution and make the changes almost seamless. Each time I run my VBA code, it’s satisfying to see the precise control I have over Excel’s functionality, adding rows with just a few keystrokes.

Insert a Single Row using VBA

I often find myself needing to add just one row into a worksheet in Excel. Here’s what I do:

  1. I start by identifying the place where I want the new row to appear. Let’s say, I want it right above row 2.
  2. I use the Range object to specify a cell in the worksheet, for instance, Range("A2").
  3. Next, I apply the EntireRow property to reference the whole row.
  4. Finally, I call the Insert method, which adds a new row above the specified one.

Here’s how the VBA statement looks:

Range("A2").EntireRow.Insert

This simple code will insert a single row above the second row in my worksheet.

Now, if I’m working with the currently selected cell, I’ll switch it up a bit:

ActiveCell.EntireRow.Insert

After executing this, Excel will insert a new row above the cell that’s currently active.

To control where the existing rows move when the new one is inserted, I use:

Selection.Insert Shift:=xlDown

This shifts the existing rows down. And if I want to copy the format from the left or above, I’ll use:

Range("A2").EntireRow.Insert Shift:=xlDown, CopyOrigin:=xlFormatFromLeftOrAbove

By adjusting the integer in the Range object or Rows object, such as Rows(5), I can pick any row to insert a new one above. It’s that versatile!

Insert Multiple Rows

When I need to add multiple rows into a worksheet, I start with the straightforward insert method. Here’s the thing; you need a range equivalent to the number of rows you’re looking to add. For example, if I want to insert 5 new rows, I might use something like this:

Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A6:A10").EntireRow.Insert

But this method has its limits. If you want to change the number of rows, you’ve got to adjust the range, which can be a bit of a hassle.

That’s where my second method comes in:

Dim iRow As Long
Dim icount As Long
Dim i As Long

iCount = InputBox("How many rows do you want to add?")
iRow = InputBox("After which row do you want to add new rows? (Enter the row number)")

For i = 1 To iCount
    Rows(iRow).EntireRow.Insert
Next i

This piece of code is pretty neat—it pops up an input box asking how many rows and after which row you’d like to add them. Then, with a simple for loop, it works like a charm, looping through and inserting rows one by one.

Remember, when inserting multiple columns, the concept is the same but applied to columns instead of rows.

So, there you have it—two ways to bulk up your spreadsheet with new rows. Choose the one that suits your needs, but personally, I’m a fan of the second method; it gives me more control and is less of a headache to update.

Insert Rows Based on Cell Values

I often find myself having to add new rows in a spreadsheet based on specific cell values. It’s a breeze when I use a short macro like this:

Dim iRow As Long, iCount As Long, i As Long

' Get number of rows to insert & starting row
iCount = Range("A1").Value
iRow = Range("B1").Value

' Loop to insert rows
For i = 1 To iCount
    Rows(iRow).EntireRow.Insert
Next i

Here’s how it rolls:

  • iCount pulls from A1 — that’s how many rows I want to insert.
  • iRow snaps up from B1, marking where I ought to slot in new rows.
  • Whipping through from 1 to iCount, I add a full new row right at iRow with each cycle.

No heavy lifting needed; this macro does the trick every single time.

Insert a Row without Formatting

Sometimes I need to add a new row but don’t want it to inherit any formatting from the rows above. Here’s a trick I use:

Rows(7).EntireRow.Insert
Rows(7).ClearFormats

After inserting a row before the 7th row, it automatically becomes the new 7th row. I immediately use ClearFormats to strip any formatting it picked up.

Remember, when you add a new column with xlShiftToRight, use Columns("B:B").Insert Shift:=xlShiftToRight and then Columns("B:B").ClearFormats to keep it neat. And for the last touch, Columns("B:B").AutoFit makes sure everything looks just right.

Insert Copied Row

I often copy a row in VBA with a simple code block:

Application.CutCopyMode = False
With my Worksheets("Data")
   .Rows(5).Copy ' Copy the origin row
   .Rows(9).Insert Shift:=xlShiftDown ' Insert the copied row
End With
Application.CutCopyMode = True ' Clear the cut/copy mode

Here’s why it’s handy:

  • CopyOrigin: Using .Rows(5).Copy, I specify the source row.
  • CutCopyMode: Before and after the action, I reset it to avoid lingering selections.

Learn more about VBA from Excel Champs.

Related Tutorials

Here are some tutorials that I find super useful when I’m digging into VBA in Excel:

Quick shortcuts like pressing Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor or using F5 to run code are just a few of the handy techniques these tutorials cover, and they are solid gold for efficiency.

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