How to Use VBA InputBox for Multiple Inputs in 3 Minutes (Excel)

Written by Kasper Langmann

The Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) InputBox is an incredibly powerful tool for Excel users. It allows you to create interactive dialog boxes that can accept user inputs, making your Excel worksheets more dynamic and user-friendly. But what if you need to accept multiple inputs? In this guide, we will explore how you can use the VBA InputBox for multiple inputs in just 3 minutes.

Understanding the VBA InputBox

The VBA InputBox is a function in Excel that enables you to create a pop-up dialog box to receive input from the user. This input can then be used in your VBA code to perform various tasks. For example, you could use an InputBox to ask the user for a date, and then use that date to filter a list of data.

The syntax for the InputBox function is as follows: InputBox(Prompt, Title, Default, Left, Top, HelpFile, HelpContextId, Type). Each of these parameters serves a specific purpose in defining the behavior and appearance of the InputBox.

Parameters of the VBA InputBox

The Prompt parameter is the message that appears in the InputBox, instructing the user on what input is required. The Title parameter is optional and represents the title of the InputBox. If omitted, the title defaults to “Input”.

The Default parameter is an optional parameter that specifies a default value for the InputBox. If omitted, the InputBox is empty. The Left and Top parameters are optional and determine the position of the InputBox on the screen. If omitted, the InputBox is centered.

The HelpFile and HelpContextId parameters are optional and can be used to link to a help file. The Type parameter is optional and determines the return data type. If omitted, the InputBox returns a string.

Using VBA InputBox for Multiple Inputs

While the VBA InputBox is designed to receive a single input, there are ways to use it to receive multiple inputs. One such method is to use multiple InputBoxes, each asking for a different input. However, this can be cumbersome and not very user-friendly. A more elegant solution is to use a single InputBox to receive multiple inputs, separated by a specific character such as a comma.

For example, you could ask the user to enter multiple values in the InputBox, separated by commas. You could then use the Split function in VBA to split the input string into an array, with each element of the array representing a different input.

Implementing Multiple Inputs with VBA InputBox

To implement multiple inputs with the VBA InputBox, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Create an InputBox with a prompt that instructs the user to enter multiple values, separated by commas.
  2. Use the Split function to split the input string into an array.
  3. Use a For Each loop to iterate over the array and process each input.

Here is an example of how you could implement this:


Sub MultipleInputs()
    Dim InputString As String
    Dim Inputs As Variant
    Dim Input As Variant

    InputString = InputBox("Enter multiple values, separated by commas:")
    Inputs = Split(InputString, ",")

    For Each Input In Inputs
        ' Process each input
        Debug.Print Trim(Input)
    Next Input
End Sub

This code creates an InputBox that asks the user to enter multiple values, separated by commas. It then splits the input string into an array and iterates over the array, printing each input to the Immediate window.

Conclusion

The VBA InputBox is a powerful tool that can make your Excel worksheets more interactive and user-friendly. While it is designed to receive a single input, with a bit of creativity and some VBA code, you can use it to receive multiple inputs. This can be particularly useful in situations where you need to collect a set of related inputs from the user.

Remember, the key to using the VBA InputBox for multiple inputs is to instruct the user to enter their inputs separated by a specific character, and then use the Split function to split the input string into an array. With this technique, you can effectively use the VBA InputBox for multiple inputs in just 3 minutes.