What are Hyperlinks ?
A Hyperlink is a reference to a document, a location or an action that the reader can directly follow by selecting the link.
Hyperlinks are used extensively on the Internet and are generally Words highlighted in Underlined Blue <– Like that.
The use of Hyperlinks in Excel has been extended to a number of areas and this includes:
- Opening Files (of any type)
- Opening Web Pages (Internet or Intranet)
- Jumping/Navigating to locations within an existing document
- Creating New Documents (Excel files only)
- Sending Emails
Microsoft has added the ability to place Hyperlinks,
- Directly on an Excel worksheet ,
- Connected to a number of worksheet objects, including shapes, charts and wordart
- Included as a worksheet formulas.
- Programmatically using VBA
These 4 methods above will be discussed here.
Inserting Hyperlinks
As described above there are 4 methods for inserting hyperlinks in an Excel Workbook.
Directly on an Excel worksheet
There are 3 ways to insert a Hyperlink directly into a cell, either:
Right click on the cell and select Hyperlink; or
Use the Insert, Hyperlinks Tab; or
Use a Keyboard Shortcut – Ctrl K
Connected to a number of worksheet objects, including shapes, charts and wordart
You can also add a Hyperlink to many objects within Excel including Pictures, Shapes, Text Boxes, Word Art and Charts.
Right clicking a lot of these objects brings up the Objects Shortcuts Menu, select Hyperlink…,
or
Select the object, Use the Insert, Hyperlinks Tab; or
Select the Object and Use the Keyboard Shortcut – Ctrl K
Hint: Right Clicking on Charts Doesn’t Show the Add Hyperlink option, so Select the Chart and Ctrl K
Adding Hyperlinks using Worksheet Formulas.
Hyperlinks can be added using worksheet formulas.
=HYPERLINK( Link Location, Name)
Link Location: This is the path and file name to the document to be opened.
The Link Location can refer to a place in a document – such as a specific cell or named range in an Excel worksheet or workbook, or to a bookmark in a Microsoft Word document. The path can be to a file that is stored on a hard disk drive. The path can also be the path on a server or a URL, HTTP or FTP and a location of an object, document, World Wide Web page, or other destination on the Internet or an intranet. The Link Location can be a text string enclosed in quotation marks or a reference to a cell that contains the link as a text string.
Name: This is the text or value that is displayed in the cell. The Name is displayed in blue and is underlined.
Eg:
Jump to a cell on Another sheet
=HYPERLINK(Sheet3!B3,”Monthly Budget”)
The above will add a Hyperlink, titled “Monthly Budget” and link to Sheet3!B3 of the current workbook
Jump to a Named Range on Another sheet
=HYPERLINK(Budget,”Yearly Budget”)
The above will add a Hyperlink, titled “Yearly Budget” and link to the Named Range “Budget” of the current workbook
Open a File on a network Drive
=HYPERLINK(“//Server01\01 Administration\Administration.docx”,”Open Admin File”)
The above will add a Hyperlink, titled “Open Admin File” and link to the file at: //Server01\01 Administration\Administration.docx
Open a File on a network Drive at a specific bookmark
=HYPERLINK(“[//Server01\01 Administration\Administration.docx]Contents”,”Open Admin File @ TOC”)
The above will add a Hyperlink, titled “Open Admin File @ TOC” and link to the Named Section “Contents” of the file at: //Server01\01 Administration\Administration.docx
Jump to a Web Page
=HYPERLINK(“http://chandoo.org/wp/”,”Goto Chandoo.org”)
The above will add a Hyperlink, titled “Goto Chandoo.org” and link to http://chandoo.org/wp/
Send an Email
=HYPERLINK(“mailto:chandoo.d@gmail.com”,”Email Chandoo”)
The above will add a Hyperlink, titled “Email Chandoo” and send an email to chandoo.d@gmail.com
Adding Hyperlinks Programmatically using VBA
Hyperlinks can be added to a worksheet or a worksheet object programmatically using some simple code
Sheets(SheetName).Hyperlinks.Add Anchor:=Sheets(SheetName).Range(Range), Address:=””, SubAddress:=”Address!Range“, TextToDisplay:=NameWhere:
SheetName: The Name of the Sheet where the Hyperlink is to go
Range: The Range where the Hyperlink is to go
Address!Range: The address and Range linked to in the Hyperlink
Name: The Display Name of the Hyperlink
Types of Hyperlinks
There are 5 Types of Hyperlinks which Excel offers, each is described below:
- Existing File
- Existing Web Page
- Place in This Document
- Create a New Document
- Send an Email Link
Existing File
Select the existing File or Web Page icon in the Link to: area
Navigate to the existing file using the Look in: area of the dialog
Add your Display Text in the Text to display: area
Add a ScreenTip…, a Tip which is displayed when you hover the mouse over a Hyperlink
Use the Bookmark… button to jump to predefined Named Ranges and common Cell References dialog
Existing Web Page
Select the Existing File or Web Page icon in the Link to: area
Navigate to the existing file using the Look in: area of the dialog
Add your Display Text in the Text to display: area
Add a ScreenTip…, a Tip which is displayed when you hover the mouse over a Hyperlink
Place in This Document
Select the Place in this Document icon in the Link to: area
Type in Cell Reference using the Type in Cell Reference: area of the dialog or select a Defined Names in the Defined Names area
Add your Display Text in the Text to display: area
Add a ScreenTip…, a Tip which is displayed when you hover the mouse over a Hyperlink
Create a New Document
Select the Create New Document icon in the Link to: area
Type in the Name of the New Document in the Name of the New Document: area of the dialog.
Add your Display Text in the Text to display: area
Add a ScreenTip…, a Tip which is displayed when you hover the mouse over a Hyperlink
You can choose wether to Edit the File Now or Later in the When to Edit area
Send an Email Link
Select the Email Address icon in the Link to: area
Type in the Email Address in the Email Address: area of the dialog.
Add your Display Text in the Text to display: area
Add your Email Subject in the Subject: area
Add a ScreenTip…, a Tip which is displayed when you hover the mouse over a Hyperlink.
Editing Hyperlinks
Once you have a hyperlink established you can edit the hyperlink by right click on the hyperlink and select Edit Hyperlink
The Edit Hyperlink dialog will vary depending on the type of Hyperlink as described above.
Deleting Hyperlinks
Once you have a hyperlink established you can delete the hyperlink by right click on the hyperlink and select Remove Hyperlink
Hyperlink Uses
Hyperlink can be used for a number of uses as described above.
Tables of Contents
One common use of hyperlinks is the creation of Tables of Contents.
The construction of a Table of Contents page was discussed here Table of Contents
The construction of Tables of Contents can also be automated using some simple VBA.
So instead of reinventing the wheel I will direct you to The Microsoft Office Blog where Tables of Conents were recently discussed.
Table of Contents 1 or Table of Contents 2
Dealing with Lots of Hyperlinks
The following 2 posts at http://chandoo.org/forums have solved users problems and will easily be adapted to other Hyperlink issues
Find Dead Hyperlinks
http://chandoo.org/forums/topic/check-broken-external-hyperlinks
Edit Hyperlinks
http://chandoo.org/forums/topic/marco-for-editing-link-in-workbook
How have you used Hyperlinks?
How have you used Hyperlinks?
Let us all know in the comments below:
28 Responses to “Pimp your comment boxes [because it is Friday]”
This borders on Excel soft-cell...er, soft-core...porn. My favorite kind.
Wow, that is pimp-TASTIC! I have a question, as a VBA n00b: additional comment boxes stay plain unless I "run" the macro. Is there a way to change all comments, going-forward?
hi Chandoo, well, I like the macro approach. For those who don't like it, there is another way: just add the "draw" toolbar to the shapes toolbar (via Custom etc), click on "edit comment", click on the auto-shape and then choose "draw" drop-down, --> modify auto-shape --> then you even can have a heart or a banner (I like the horizontal banner in in purple :-)) . in excel 2007, you have to add this custom menu that you choose via Excel Options --> Custom --> it is called "change/ modify auto-shape"!!!
best,
@Chandoo. Great Post 🙂
@Tim : the way the macro is coded, it must be run very time.
@Community: If someone has an idea to perform it when opening an existing excel, it should be nice.
@Community: if someone has some code to revamp the commentboxes on all sheets, please share it. 🙂
@Microsoft Excel-progammers: some pimpoptions for the commentboxes should be great.
Cheerio
Tom
For the auto run, please add the codes in workbook:
Private Sub Workbook_SheetActivate(ByVal Sh As Object)
Call Comments_Tom
End Sub
Wow, that was a lot of fun... Thanks Tom!
@Jeff... Now, 5000 people know about your favorite porn... 😛
@Tim ... you can write an event to handle the new comments. I wouldnt recommend it as it is really painful. another option is to use the macro suggested by Yukikomi. It will update comments everytime you activate the sheet.
@laguerriere: very cool 🙂
@Chandoo ... Thanks! This is good stuff. I combined your tip with a tip from Mark O'Brien, then assigned it to a button on Excel 2010's Quick Access Toolbar, to format comments AS I add them. I also like how Mark's code saves me the trouble of backspacing my name out of new comments:
Sub AppendToExistingComment()
'Source: Mark O'Brien at http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57296
Dim oRange As Range
Dim oComment As Comment
Dim sText As String
'Use object variable to hold range.
Set oRange = ActiveCell
'Use object variable for comment
Set oComment = oRange.Comment
'text to be added to the comment box
sText = InputBox("Type text to be added:", "APPEND TO COMMENT TEXT")
If Len(sText) = 0 Then End
'If Active Cell has a comment then append new text to the end of the comment text
If Not oComment Is Nothing Then
sText = oComment.Text & vbNewLine & sText
oRange.Comment.Delete
End If
'Add a comment with the contents of sText
oRange.AddComment sText
DoEvents
Comments_Tom
End Sub
Thank you very much for the code, it seems to be working for the most part; I am having a problem however. Once the routine makes the corrections to the comment, the comment becomes invisible. By invisible, I mean that when I highlight my mouse over it, nothing appears. However, when I right click the cell and click 'edit comment' then the comment becomes visible and I enter edit mode. Upon clicking out of the comment, it simply vanishes again. I've tried to fix this problem by adding a .shape.visible = msoTrue but then every comment is always visible. o_O please advise...
Thank you,
Nick
@Nick- That is because the font color of the comment is white and when you select the color of selection is also white hence you can not see anything. Try to change the color code in the routine to something else. would work
Thanks for that! The code works perfectly!
[...] look at Format Excel Comment Boxes using VBA Macros | Chandoo.org - Learn Microsoft Excel Online [...]
@ Chandoo - code works great and the comments look super cool. But I have ran into a small issue. In the comments, I am inserting pictures. When I run the macro, for all comments which already have pictures; pictures are deleted. Pls help me retain the pics in comments.
[…] posted some code one of his readers submitted, it "pimps" your comment boxes from those boring black-text-on-yellow rectangles to something more professional and eye-pleasing. […]
love in it
Hi Tom,
This looks really excellent. I am however relatively new to macros / VBA codes so having copy pasted your code in the Developer mode of an Excel file, what are the next steps to use them? Can you please help? Just to recap, I opened a blank Excel workbook, clicked on Developer, copy pasted the comments code and saved the file to the desktop.
Now how do I go about using it to add comments to an existing file? My apologies for asking a question which may be basic to you great geniuses, but I am not there yet and aspire to get there.
Many thanks for helping me with next steps that I need to take so that I can now use the code.
Best Wishes
Deepak Dave, CMA, MBA, PMP
Senior Management Consultant
Dear Dave,
The best thing to do is to copy the macro in the personal.xls(x) file. The personal excel file will always be launched when you open excel so you can use it with every excelworkbook.
Read all about it on the page of Microsoft.
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Copy-your-macros-to-a-Personal-Macro-Workbook-aa439b90-f836-4381-97f0-6e4c3f5ee566
Once you have the macro in the personal, you can 'call' the macro by the keyboardcombination 'alt+f8' and klik on the macroname.
Hope this clarifies the 'how to'. Good luck with your first steps in the wonderfull world of macro's.
Tom
Hi Tom,
Many thanks. I will try that out. Learning is fun and learning this stuff is even more amazing.
Best Wishes
Deepak Dave
There is a line 'Dim LArea As Long' which does not appear to be used. Have I missed something?
Dear Gary,
Correct the 'Dim LArea As Long' is indeed not relevant and can be deleted.
Tom
Excellent hack!
For some reason when I opened my file after using LibreOffice Calc, all comment boxes had changed to some arrow shape.
So this macro helped me from manually changing more than 5000 comments in a worksheet, or having to install some Excel extension.
I used it with the following attributes to get back old style comments:
It helped me from manually changing more than 5000 comments in a worksheet, or having to install some Excel extension.
.Shape.AutoShapeType = msoShapeRectangle
.Shape.TextFrame.Characters.Font.Name = "Calibri"
.Shape.TextFrame.Characters.Font.Size = 10
.Shape.TextFrame.AutoMargins = True
.Shape.TextFrame.AutoSize = True
Thanks a lot!
This was helpful, thank you
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information for me. And i am glad reading your article.
But wanna remark on some general things, The site style is great,
the articles is really great : D. Good job, cheers
Is there code to add to this that will format a particular part of the comment (i.e. make the last sentence in the comment bold and in italics)?
This is fantastic!
How would I add auto-sizing to it?
I tried adding this:
.Shape.AutoSize = True but it gives me an error and as a novice at VBA I can't figure it out.
.Shape.TextFrame.AutoSize = True
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This is GREAT!
How should the code be changed in order to tun once for all worksheets in a workbook?