How to Quickly Master Autofiltermode in VBA in 3 Minutes (Excel)

Written by Kasper Langmann

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance your interaction with Excel. One of its most useful features is the Autofiltermode, which allows you to filter data in a spreadsheet based on specific criteria. This article will guide you on how to quickly master Autofiltermode in VBA in just three minutes.

Understanding Autofiltermode in VBA

The Autofiltermode in VBA is a property of the Worksheet object. It returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the Autofilter dropdowns are currently displayed on the worksheet. This property is particularly useful when you want to filter data in a spreadsheet based on specific criteria.

Autofiltermode can be either True or False. If the Autofilter dropdowns are displayed, the Autofiltermode property returns True. If they are not displayed, it returns False. This property is read-only, which means you cannot change its value directly. However, you can change its value indirectly by using the Autofilter method of the Range object.

Working with Autofiltermode in VBA

Before you can use the Autofiltermode property, you need to understand how to work with it. The first step is to access the Worksheet object. You can do this by using the Worksheets collection, which contains all the Worksheet objects in a workbook. For example, you can access the first worksheet in the active workbook by using the following code:

Worksheets(1)

Once you have accessed the Worksheet object, you can use the Autofiltermode property. For example, you can check whether the Autofilter dropdowns are displayed on the first worksheet by using the following code:

Worksheets(1).Autofiltermode

Applying Autofiltermode in VBA

Now that you know how to work with the Autofiltermode property, let’s see how you can apply it in VBA. The most common use of this property is to check whether the Autofilter dropdowns are displayed before applying a filter. This is because applying a filter when the Autofilter dropdowns are already displayed can lead to unexpected results.

For example, suppose you want to filter the data in the first column of the first worksheet based on the value “A”. You can do this by using the following code:

If Not Worksheets(1).Autofiltermode Then Worksheets(1).Range("A1").Autofilter Field:=1, Criteria1:="A"

This code first checks whether the Autofilter dropdowns are displayed. If they are not displayed, it applies the filter. If they are displayed, it does nothing.

Advanced Uses of Autofiltermode in VBA

While the Autofiltermode property is primarily used to check whether the Autofilter dropdowns are displayed, it can also be used for more advanced tasks. For example, you can use it to remove the Autofilter dropdowns from a worksheet.

To remove the Autofilter dropdowns, you can use the ShowAllData method of the Worksheet object. However, this method will raise an error if the Autofilter dropdowns are not displayed. To avoid this error, you can use the Autofiltermode property to check whether the Autofilter dropdowns are displayed before calling the ShowAllData method.

For example, you can remove the Autofilter dropdowns from the first worksheet by using the following code:

If Worksheets(1).Autofiltermode Then Worksheets(1).ShowAllData

This code first checks whether the Autofilter dropdowns are displayed. If they are displayed, it removes them. If they are not displayed, it does nothing.

Conclusion

Mastering Autofiltermode in VBA is not as difficult as it may seem. With a basic understanding of the Worksheet object and the Autofiltermode property, you can quickly and easily filter data in a spreadsheet based on specific criteria. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced VBA developer, this knowledge will undoubtedly enhance your interaction with Excel.

Remember, practice is key when it comes to mastering any new skill. So, don’t hesitate to experiment with the Autofiltermode property and see what you can achieve. Happy coding!