[vba] How to stop VBA code running?

Say I have a button embedded into my spreadsheet that launches some VBA function.

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
    SomeVBASub
End Sub

Private Sub SomeVBASub
    DoStuff
    DoAnotherStuff
    AndFinallyDothis
End Sub

I'd like to have an opportunity to have some sort of a "cancel" button that would stop SomeVBASub execution at an arbitrary moment, and I'm not into involving Ctrl+Break here, 'cause I'd like to do it silently.

I guess this should be quite common issue, any ideas?

Thanks.

This question is related to vba excel

The answer is


Or, if you want to avoid the use of a global variable you could use the rarely used .Tag property of the userform:

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
    Me.CommandButton1.Enabled = False 'Disabling button so user cannot push it
                                      'multiple times
    Me.CommandButton1.caption = "Wait..." 'Jamie's suggestion
    Me.Tag = "Cancel"
End Sub

Private Sub SomeVBASub
    If LCase(UserForm1.Tag) = "cancel" Then
        GoTo StopProcess
    Else
        'DoStuff
    End If

Exit Sub
StopProcess:
    'Here you can do some steps to be able to cancel process adequately
    'i.e. setting collections to "Nothing" deleting some files...
End Sub

what jamietre said, but

Private Sub SomeVBASub
    Cancel=False
    DoStuff
    If not Cancel Then DoAnotherStuff
    If not Cancel Then AndFinallyDothis
End Sub

How about Application.EnableCancelKey - Use the Esc button

On Error GoTo handleCancel
Application.EnableCancelKey = xlErrorHandler
MsgBox "This may take a long time: press ESC to cancel"
For x = 1 To 1000000    ' Do something 1,000,000 times (long!)
    ' do something here
Next x

handleCancel:
If Err = 18 Then
    MsgBox "You cancelled"
End If

Snippet from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa214566(office.11).aspx


~ For those using custom input box

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()

DoCmd.Close acForm, Me.Name
End

End Sub

I do this a lot. A lot. :-)

I have got used to using "DoEvents" more often, but still tend to set things running without really double checking a sure stop method.

Then, today, having done it again, I thought, "Well just wait for the end in 3 hours", and started paddling around in the ribbon. Earlier, I had noticed in the "View" section of the Ribbon a "Macros" pull down, and thought I have a look to see if I could see my interminable Macro running....

I now realise you can also get this up using Alt-F8.

Then I thought, well what if I "Step into" a different Macro, would that rescue me? It did :-) It also works if you step into your running Macro (but you still lose where you're upto), unless you are a very lazy programmer like me and declare lots of "Global" variables, in which case the Global data is retained :-)

K


This is an old post, but given the title of this question, the END option should be described in more detail. This can be used to stop ALL PROCEDURES (not just the subroutine running). It can also be used within a function to stop other Subroutines (which I find useful for some add-ins I work with).

As Microsoft states:

Terminates execution immediately. Never required by itself but may be placed anywhere in a procedure to end code execution, close files opened with the Open statement, and to clear variables*. I noticed that the END method is not described in much detail. This can be used to stop ALL PROCEDURES (not just the subroutine running).

Here is an illustrative example:

Sub RunSomeMacros()

    Call FirstPart
    Call SecondPart

    'the below code will not be executed if user clicks yes during SecondPart.
    Call ThirdPart
    MsgBox "All of the macros have been run."

End Sub

Private Sub FirstPart()
    MsgBox "This is the first macro"

End Sub

Private Sub SecondPart()
    Dim answer As Long
    answer = MsgBox("Do you want to stop the macros?", vbYesNo)

    If answer = vbYes Then
        'Stops All macros!
        End
    End If

    MsgBox "You clicked ""NO"" so the macros are still rolling..."
End Sub

Private Sub ThirdPart()
    MsgBox "Final Macro was run."
End Sub