Today, lets learn how to make a simple timer app using Excel. First some background…,
Recently, I learned how to solve Rubik’s cube from my nephew. As a budding cuber, I wanted to track my progress. Initially I used the stopwatch in my iPhone. But it wont let me track previous times. So I thought, “Well, I can use Excel for this”.
So I made a small timer app using Excel. Its quite minimalistic. It has a single button. I press it and it tracks the start time (date & time stamp). If I press the button again, it records the duration.
This way, I can see my progress over next few weeks and may be plot the trend.
Demo of the Excel VBA timer
Here is a short demo. This is what we will be building.
Tutorial to make a timer in Excel
To make a timer app in Excel, first we need to understand the logic for this. If VBA apps can be defined on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being easiest to develop and 10 being most complex), our timer app can be classified as 1.5. It is really simple. But nevertheless, it is a good idea to list down various ingredients and basic logic to follow.
So we need,
- A table to store the time stamps & durations
- A button (simple text box will do) to start & stop the timer
Set up the timer worksheet
In a blank worksheet, make space for a 2 column table. Type Time stamp & Duration as column headings and make a table from these (CTRL+T to insert the table)
Note: For the macro to work, you do not need a table. Any 2 column range will do. A table makes our timer app look sexy.
Also, insert a rounded rectangle and format it to look like a button (from Format Ribbon > Shape Styles, select something slick and pretty)
In a blank cell, type the word “Start”. Name this cell as timer.button.label
Now, click on the rounded rectangle button, go to formula bar and type =timer.button.label
💡 Tip: Yes, you can assign names or cell references to shapes. This way, whatever text is in the cell will be shown inside the shape.
Other names to make:
Although we can write VBA code without creating these names, our code will be readable with these names. So here we go:
- Select the header “Timestamp” of the table and name it as time.stamp.start
- Name the table as Durations from Table Design ribbon
- In a blank cell, write the formula =COUNTA(Durations[Timestamp])
- This counts how many timestamps are already inserted.
- Now name this cell as count.of.timestamps
We are done. Lets roll in to VBA.
Writing the VBA code for timer
Open VBE (Visual Basic Editor) and insert a new module in your timer workbook. There write this code.
Sub startStopTimer()
If Range("timer.button.label") = "Start" Then
Range("time.stamp.start").Offset(Range("count.of.timestamps") + 1).Value = Now
Range("timer.button.label") = "Stop"
Else
Range("time.stamp.start").Offset(Range("count.of.timestamps"), 1).Value = Now - Range("time.stamp.start").Offset(Range("count.of.timestamps"))
Range("timer.button.label") = "Start"
End If
End Sub
Assign this macro to the timer button
Right click on timer button and choose “Assign macro”. Select the startStopTimer sub from the list and click ok.
Now go ahead and test it. Assuming you have used same names as per this post, your timer should work.
How this macro works?
When you click on the timer button, you want one of the 2 things to happen.
- You want to start the timer
- You want to stop the timer
What you want to do can be checked with this logical check.
Range("timer.button.label") = "Start"
If this is true, then you want to start the timer.
Else, you want to stop the timer.
If you want to start the timer
Then, we need to go to the last row of the table + 1 and insert current time (now) in that cell.
This is done by,
Range("time.stamp.start").Offset(Range("count.of.timestamps") + 1).Value = Now
Once we do that, we need to change timer button’s text to “Stop”.
This is done by,
Range("timer.button.label") = "Stop"
If you want to stop the timer
Then, we need to go to the last row’s 2nd column of the table and print the difference between latest time (now) and starting time (last row, first column value)
This is done by,
Range("time.stamp.start").Offset(Range("count.of.timestamps"), 1).Value = Now - Range("time.stamp.start").Offset(Range("count.of.timestamps"))
Once we do that, we need to change the button text to “Start” by using this code:
Range("timer.button.label") = "Start"
That’s all. Our VBA code is rather simple.
One last step, formatting the duration
If you look at the duration, it could read something like 0.0042354. This is because duration is displayed as a fraction of day. So 0.0042354 means the duration is 0.42% of a day.
Now, wouldn’t it be better if we can show this in minutes and seconds?
To do that, select the entire table column of durations, press CTRL+1
Then, set formatting as custom and type code as [mm]:ss
And you are done!
Download Simple Timer Excel VBA workbook
Click here to download Simple Timer Excel VBA workbook. Play with it. Use it to track your Sudoku, crossword or knitting times. Or even Rubik’s cube times. See what trends and patterns you can uncover.
Do you use Excel for tracking time?
I know many companies use Excel based trackers to keep track of employee time. I personally use time tracking features of Excel for needs like this all the time.
What about you? Do you use Excel time functions like NOW, TODAY and VBA to track progress? What techniques you apply? Please share using comments.
Like tracking? You will love these
If you track things with Excel, you are going to find below tutorials very useful.
- Tracking issues & risks – Project management
- Tracking to dos – Project Management
- Expense tracker using Excel – 7 templates
- Annual goals tracker
- Bonus: Introduction to VBA – 5 part crash course
Note: Rubik’s cube image by Booyabazooka thru Wikimedia
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
I think this is among the most significant
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?