[excel] filter out multiple criteria using excel vba

I have 8 variables in column A, 1,2,3,4,5 and A, B, C.
My aim is to filter out A, B, C and display only 1-5.

I can do this using the following code:

My_Range.AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:=Array("1", "2", "3","4","5"), _
    Operator:=xlFilterValues

But what the code does is it filters variables 1 to 5 and displays them.

I want to do the opposite, but yielding the same result, by filtering out A, B, C and showing variables 1 to 5

I tried this code:

My_Range.AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:=Array("<>A", "<>B", "<>C"), _
    Operator:=xlFilterValues

But it did not work.

Why cant I use this code ?

It gives this error:

Run time error 1004 autofilter method of range class failed

How can I perform this?

Alternative using VBA's Filter function

As an innovative alternative to @schlebe 's recent answer, I tried to use the Filter function integrated in VBA, which allows to filter out a given search string setting the third argument to False. All "negative" search strings (e.g. A, B, C) are defined in an array. I read the criteria in column A to a datafield array and basicly execute a subsequent filtering (A - C) to filter these items out.

Code

Sub FilterOut()
Dim ws  As Worksheet
Dim rng As Range, i As Integer, n As Long, v As Variant
' 1) define strings to be filtered out in array
  Dim a()                    ' declare as array
  a = Array("A", "B", "C")   ' << filter out values
' 2) define your sheetname and range (e.g. criteria in column A)
  Set ws = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("FilterOut")
  n = ws.Range("A" & ws.Rows.Count).End(xlUp).row
  Set rng = ws.Range("A2:A" & n)
' 3) hide complete range rows temporarily
  rng.EntireRow.Hidden = True
' 4) set range to a variant 2-dim datafield array
  v = rng
' 5) code array items by appending row numbers
  For i = 1 To UBound(v): v(i, 1) = v(i, 1) & "#" & i + 1: Next i
' 6) transform to 1-dim array and FILTER OUT the first search string, e.g. "A"
  v = Filter(Application.Transpose(Application.Index(v, 0, 1)), a(0), False, False)
' 7) filter out each subsequent search string, i.e. "B" and "C"
  For i = 1 To UBound(a): v = Filter(v, a(i), False, False): Next i
' 8) get coded row numbers via split function and unhide valid rows
  For i = LBound(v) To UBound(v)
      ws.Range("A" & Split(v(i) & "#", "#")(1)).EntireRow.Hidden = False
  Next i
End Sub

An option using AutoFilter

Option Explicit

Public Sub FilterOutMultiple()
    Dim ws As Worksheet, filterOut As Variant, toHide As Range

    Set ws = ActiveSheet
    If Application.WorksheetFunction.CountA(ws.Cells) = 0 Then Exit Sub 'Empty sheet

    filterOut = Split("A B C D E F G")

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    With ws.UsedRange.Columns("A")
        If ws.FilterMode Then .AutoFilter
       .AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:=filterOut, Operator:=xlFilterValues
        With .SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible)
            If .CountLarge > 1 Then Set toHide = .Cells 'Remember unwanted (A, B, and C)
        End With
       .AutoFilter
        If Not toHide Is Nothing Then
            toHide.Rows.Hidden = True                   'Hide unwanted (A, B, and C)
           .Cells(1).Rows.Hidden = False                'Unhide header
        End If
    End With
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Here an option using a list written on some range, populating an array that will be fiiltered. The information will be erased then the columns sorted.

Sub Filter_Out_Values()

'Automation to remove some codes from the list
Dim ws, ws1 As Worksheet
Dim myArray() As Variant
Dim x, lastrow As Long
Dim cell As Range

Set ws = Worksheets("List")
Set ws1 = Worksheets(8)
lastrow = ws.Cells(Application.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row

'Go through the list of codes to exclude
For Each cell In ws.Range("A2:A" & lastrow)

    If cell.Offset(0, 2).Value = "X" Then 'If the Code is associated with "X"
        ReDim Preserve myArray(x) 'Initiate array
        myArray(x) = CStr(cell.Value) 'Populate the array with the code
        x = x + 1 'Increase array capacity
        ReDim Preserve myArray(x) 'Redim array
    End If

Next cell

lastrow = ws1.Cells(Application.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
ws1.Range("C2:C" & lastrow).AutoFilter field:=3, Criteria1:=myArray, Operator:=xlFilterValues
ws1.Range("A2:Z" & lastrow).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).ClearContents
ws1.Range("A2:Z" & lastrow).AutoFilter field:=3

'Sort columns
lastrow = ws1.Cells(Application.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
'Sort with 2 criteria
With ws1.Range("A1:Z" & lastrow)
    .Resize(lastrow).Sort _
    key1:=ws1.Columns("B"), order1:=xlAscending, DataOption1:=xlSortNormal, _
    key2:=ws1.Columns("D"), order1:=xlAscending, DataOption1:=xlSortNormal, _
    Header:=xlYes, MatchCase:=False, Orientation:=xlTopToBottom, SortMethod:=xlPinYin
End With

End Sub

I don't have found any solution on Internet, so I have implemented one.

The Autofilter code with criteria is then

iColNumber = 1
Dim aFilterValueArray() As Variant
Call ConstructFilterValueArray(aFilterValueArray, iColNumber, Array("A", "B", "C"))

ActiveSheet.range(sRange).AutoFilter Field:=iColNumber _
    , Criteria1:=aFilterValueArray _
    , Operator:=xlFilterValues

In fact, the ConstructFilterValueArray() method (not function) get all distinct values that it found in a specific column and remove all values present in last argument.

The VBA code of this method is

'************************************************************
'* ConstructFilterValueArray()
'************************************************************

Sub ConstructFilterValueArray(a() As Variant, iCol As Integer, aRemoveArray As Variant)

    Dim aValue As New Collection
    Call GetDistinctColumnValue(aValue, iCol)
    Call RemoveValueList(aValue, aRemoveArray)
    Call CollectionToArray(a, aValue)

End Sub

'************************************************************
'* GetDistinctColumnValue()
'************************************************************

Sub GetDistinctColumnValue(ByRef aValue As Collection, iCol As Integer)

    Dim sValue As String

    iEmptyValueCount = 0
    iLastRow = ActiveSheet.UsedRange.Rows.Count

    Dim oSheet: Set oSheet = Sheets("X")

    Sheets("Data")
        .range(Cells(1, iCol), Cells(iLastRow, iCol)) _
            .AdvancedFilter Action:=xlFilterCopy _
                          , CopyToRange:=oSheet.range("A1") _
                          , Unique:=True

    iRow = 2
    Do While True
        sValue = Trim(oSheet.Cells(iRow, 1))
        If sValue = "" Then
            If iEmptyValueCount > 0 Then
                Exit Do
            End If
            iEmptyValueCount = iEmptyValueCount + 1
        End If

        aValue.Add sValue
        iRow = iRow + 1
    Loop

End Sub

'************************************************************
'* RemoveValueList()
'************************************************************

Sub RemoveValueList(ByRef aValue As Collection, aRemoveArray As Variant)

    For i = LBound(aRemoveArray) To UBound(aRemoveArray)
        sValue = aRemoveArray(i)
        iMax = aValue.Count
        For j = iMax To 0 Step -1
            If aValue(j) = sValue Then
                aValue.Remove (j)
                Exit For
            End If
        Next j
     Next i

End Sub

'************************************************************
'* CollectionToArray()
'************************************************************

Sub CollectionToArray(a() As Variant, c As Collection)

    iSize = c.Count - 1
    ReDim a(iSize)

    For i = 0 To iSize
        a(i) = c.Item(i + 1)
    Next

End Sub

This code can certainly be improved in returning an Array of String but working with Array in VBA is not easy.

CAUTION: this code work only if you define a sheet named X because CopyToRange parameter used in AdvancedFilter() need an Excel Range !

It's a shame that Microfsoft doesn't have implemented this solution in adding simply a new enum as xlNotFilterValues ! ... or xlRegexMatch !

This works for me: This is a criteria over two fields/columns (9 and 10), this filters rows with values >0 on column 9 and rows with values 4, 7, and 8 on column 10. lastrow is the number of rows on the data section.

ActiveSheet.Range("$A$1:$O$" & lastrow).AutoFilter Field:=9, Criteria1:=">0", Operator:=xlAnd
ActiveSheet.Range("$A$1:$O$" & lastrow).AutoFilter Field:=10, Criteria1:=Arr("4","7","8"), Operator:=xlFilterValues

Replace Operator:=xlOr with Operator:=xlAnd between your criteria. See below the amended script

myRange.AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:="<>A", Operator:=xlAnd, Criteria2:="<>B", Operator:=xlAnd, Criteria3:="<>C"