We can select a few cells in Excel and quickly see their count, sum etc. in the status bar. Ever wanted to customize the status bar to show something else, say difference? You can use VBA add-ins with application level events to achieve this. In this Example, learn how to customize status bar with Excel VBA. We will see how to set up a class module, application event in our personal macro add-in.
Note: This is a reasonably advanced VBA example. If you are a VBA newbie, start with FREE Excel VBA Crash Course, and come back when you are ready.
If you just want to show difference in a specific worksheet…
Then you could use Worksheet_SelectionChange() Event in that sheet to set Application.StatusBar to what you need.
But our problem is a bit more complicated. We want to customize status bar to show difference in any Excel file.
Using Excel Add-in to customize status bar
Anytime you want to use a macro or automate things in multiple files, you need to create Excel add-ins. While this sounds complicated. making an add-in is rather simple. You just create the necessary VBA code and save the file as “Excel Add-in” type. Once such a file is saved, you can then install this add-in using Developer ribbon > Excel Add-in button. Now, you can use the add-in functionality from any open file.
For the purpose of our status bar customization, we will use Personal Macro workbook.
If you do not yet have a personal macro workbook, go make one. Refer to above link for instructions.
Step by step instructions to add status bar changing code
Step 1: Open Excel, go to Visual Basic Editor (ALT+F11) and locate your personal macro add-in file.
Step 2: Insert a class module. In the personal macro file, insert a class module. Name this module as clsApp.
Paste below code in the class.
Public WithEvents app As ApplicationThis adds a variable (property) called app to the class clsApp.
Step 3: Insert a module. In this module, we will write necessary code to make an object instance of the clsApp.
Paste this code.
Option Explicit
'code originally from https://jkp-ads.com/Articles/buildexceladdin05.asp
'Variable to hold instance of class clsApp
Dim mcApp As clsApp
Public Sub Init()
'Reset mcApp in case it is already loaded
Set mcApp = Nothing
'Create a new instance of clsApp
Set mcApp = New clsApp
'Pass the Excel object to it so it knows what application
'it needs to respond to
Set mcApp.app = Application
End SubWhat this code is doing? As annotated in the comments, this code is simply to initialize the mcApp variable with current Excel application.
Step 4: Go back to class module and add app level event. Now, let’s go back to the class module and click on on the drop-down above and select “app” and select the event SheetSelectionChange.
This adds a blank event at app level for SheetSelectionChange.
Paste below code.
Private Sub app_SheetSelectionChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)
Application.StatusBar = ""
On Error GoTo Finish
If Selection.Cells.Count = 2 Then
Application.StatusBar = "Diff: " & (Selection.Cells(1) - Selection.Cells(2))
Else
Application.StatusBar = ""
End If
Finish:
End SubWhat’s going on here: This code simply checks with Selection has two cells. If so, it sets the statusbar to the word “Diff:” followed by actual difference.
In all other cases (including any errors), the status bar is set to empty (which resets it).
Step 5: Go to ThisWorkbook on the add-in file add code to init
Finally, we want to load mcApp (our instance for the Excel Application) whenever Excel is loaded. To do this, go to ThisWorkbook on the personal add-in file, double click on it and add the Workbook Open event.
Paste below code in there.
'code originally from https://jkp-ads.com/Articles/buildexceladdin05.asp
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Application.OnTime Now, "'" & ThisWorkbook.FullName & "'!Init"
End SubThat is all. We have now created an application level event listener that monitors any selection changes across all open workbooks. If user selects two cells, then it will display the difference between them in the status bar.
Here is an illustration of the chain of actions that happen
Show cell difference in status bar – Video Tutorial
I made a video explaining the entire code and demoed the result. Watch it below if you are still hazy about the process. You can also watch this on my YouTube channel.
References & Resources to learn more…
Big thanks to Jan Karel Pieterse & late Chip Pearson for excellent info on class module driven application event listeners.
- Application Events in Excel [cpearson]
- Application Events as part of Excel Add-in [jkp-ads]
Setting up Personal Macro add-in Workbook
More info on Worksheet_SelectionChange event
Learn Excel VBA
- Excel VBA Crash Course – FREE basic course
- Excel VBA Online Classes – Paid full length course
This article is inspired from a question posted in my Facebook group by Istiyak.
21 Responses to “How to Filter Odd or Even Rows only? [Quick Tips]”
Infact, instead of using =ISEVEN(B3), how about to use =ISEVEN(ROW())
So it takes away any chance of wrong referencing.
I like Daily Dose of Excel
I like it.
Just a heads up, you do need to have the Analysis ToolPak add-in activated to use the ISEVEN / ISODD functions. An alternative to ISEVEN would be:
=MOD(ROW(),2)=0
rather than use a formula, couldn't you enter "true" in first cell and "false" in the second and drag it down and than filter on true or false.
Just for clarification, is Ashish looking to filter by even or odd Characters or rows?
so many functions to learn!
Nice support by chandoo and team as a helpdesk. Give us more to learn and make us awesome. Always be helpful.......
In case you want to delete instead of filter,
IF your data is in Sheet1 column A
Put this in Sheet2 column A and drag down
=OFFSET(Sheet1!A$1,(ROWS($1:1)-1)*2,,)
(This is to delete even rows)
To delete odd rows :
=OFFSET(Sheet1!A$2,(ROWS($1:1)-1)*2,,)
If your numbered cells did not correspond to rows, the answer would be even simpler:
=MOD([cell address],2), then filter by 0 to see evens or 1 to see odds.
I sometimes do this using an even simpler method. I add a new column called "Sign" and put the value of 1 in the first row, say cell C2 if C1 contains the header. Then in C3 I put the formula =-1 * C2, which I copy and paste into the rest of the rows (so C4 has =-1 * C3 and so forth). Now I can just apply a filter and pick either +1 or -1 to see half the rows.
Another way, which works if I want three possibilities: in C2 I put the value 1, in C3 I put the value 2, in C4 I put the value 3, then in C5 I put the formula =C2 then I copy C5 and paste into all the remaining rows (so C6 gets =C3, C7 gets =C4, etc.). Now I can apply a filter and pick the value 1, 2, or 3 to see a third of the rows.
Extending this approach to more than 3 cases is left as an exercise for the reader.
Another way =MOD(ROW();2). In this case, must to choose betwen 1 and 0.
[...] How to Filter Even or Odd rows only [...]
very different style Odd or Even Rows very easy way to visit this site
http://www.handycss.com/tips/odd-or-even-rows/
Thanks for the tip, it worked like magic, saved having to delete row by row in my database.
Thanks!
Thankssssssssssssssss
Hi Chandoo- First of all thanks for the trick. It helped me a lot. Here I have one more challenge. Having filtered the data based on odd. I want to paste data in another sheet adjacent to it. How can I do that?
For Example-
A 1 odd
B 3 odd
C 4 even
D 6 even
I have fileted the above data for odd and want to copy the "This is odd number" text in adjacent/next sheet here. How can I do that. After doing this my data should look like this
A 1 odd This is odd number
B 3 odd This is odd number
C 4 even
D 6 even
Hi! Could you please help me find a formula to filter by language?
Thank you!
Chandoo SIR,
I HAVE A DATA IN EXCEL ROWS LIKE BELOW IS THERE ANY FORMULA OR A WAY WHERE I CAN INSTRUCT I CAN MAKE CHANGES , MEANS I WANT TO WRITE ONLY , THE FIG IS FRESH, BUT IN BELOW ROW IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY TAKE THE SOME WORDS FROM FIGS AND MAKE IN PLURAL FORM , WHILE USING '' ARE'' LIKE BELOW
The fig is fresh - row 1
Figs are fresh - row 2
The Pomegranate is red - row 3
Pomegranates are red - row 4
=IF(EVEN(A1)=A1,"EVEN - do something","ODD - do something else") with iferron (for blank Cell)