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.
24 Responses
I’d suggest simply using the subtotal function and filtering the data using the Win/Loss column. You get the same results and the formula is more comprehensible.
@John
That is one option.
There are times however when you want to see the whole data table or a filtered subset and still want to produce summary reports against an unfiltered field.
Is there a particular reason why you are using a comma and the unary (–) operator for the second array in the SUMPRODUCT formula? It seems to work the same if you were to string the arrays together using the asterisk (*). The advantage is that SUMPRODUCT treats the entire string of arrays as a single array.
@Mathew
Your correct, There is no difference.
I thought it may have been easier to explain this method.
Is there a way to do this on a large set of data? As in ~100,000 rows? When I try I get an error because the formula becomes too long. It says the max length of a formula is 8,192 characters. Excel 2010.
How do I incorporate a specific text within a cell for the second array. For instance, – -(C7:C13=”Apple”)
when I chose a specific text the formula does not work.
@RB
I am not sure what is the issue as if I use the sample data in the post the following work fine
Count:
=SUMPRODUCT(SUBTOTAL(3,OFFSET(C7:C13,ROW(C7:C13)-MIN(ROW(C7:C13)),,1)), –(C7:C13=”L”))
Sum:
=SUMPRODUCT(SUBTOTAL(3,OFFSET(C7:C13,ROW(C7:C13)-MIN(ROW(C7:C13)),,1)),(C7:C13=”L”)*(D7:D13))
You may want to check that there are no leading or trailing spaces in your list of Apples
I should have given a better explanation. Heres my situation. I have a column with cells filled with names like Column 1, Column 2, Pier 1, Pier 2, etc. If the cell just contained Pier and searched for that it works. But because it has other characters in the cell its not recognizing the pier. So how can I extract specific characters of a string of text in this formula?
Hopefully this was a better explanation
Hello-
This formula works pretty well for me except that it slow down excel and prevents some of my macros from working. I was wondering if there was a way to program this in VBA so that excel isn’t always trying to recalculate it. I would like to use a push of a button to get it to run then paste in a cell.
Thanks!
I am trying to sum filtered data in a column, but would want to ignore the negative values in the column. How to go about doing this?
@Akshay
Why not just add a filter to that column to only show the values greater than zero?
The negative values are required for reporting purposes, but their effect on the total is distorting the required output. Please advise.
@Akshay
I’d suggest making a post in the Chandoo.org Forums
http://forum.chandoo.org/
Attach a sample file to simplify the task
I have this working for counting and summing, however, I have a list and for the second array, I need a criteria. That is, I’m looking for b13:b200=”01.??.??” or =left((a1,2) or something like that. These types of criteria matches do not appear to work as I get a blank as a result.
Thanks!
@Bob
As your formula b13:b200=”01.??.??” looks like you are trying to check the first day of the month of the range
What about trying Day(B13:B200)=1
Hai Experts,
i understood this formula well and working fine in MS Excel 2013
but when the same am trying to place in google Spreadsheet it shows error as
“SUMPRODUCT has mismatched range sizes. Expected row count: 1. column count: 1. Actual row count: 2014, column count: 1.” and as a result #VALUE! Appears in cell.
Can anyone please help me how would i get it done in Google Spread sheet
or is there any other formula as a substitute for this.
Thank you very much.
thanks for providing this.. but why does excel keeps on prompting Circular referencing in cell D3?
@Vivek
I don’t know
I just downloaded the file and it is working fine and not showing that error
Goto the Formulas, Calculation Options Tab and check that Calculation is set to Automatic
What version of Excel and Windows are you using ?
I know that this forum is for MS Excel, but I am trying to help someone who is working in Google Sheets. The below formula works in Excel but Google Sheets returns:
“SUMPRODUCT has mismatched range sizes. Expected row count: 1. column count: 1. Actual row count: 39000, column count: 1.” and as a result #VALUE! Appears in cell.
This is the same problem asked by Srichirin above. Does anyone know if there is a formula for Google Sheets that will replicate what MS Excel does?
=SUMPRODUCT(SUBTOTAL(3,OFFSET($C$6:$C$39500,ROW($C$6:$C$39500)-MIN(ROW($C$6:$C$39500)),,1)),- -($C$6:$C$39500=H1),($D$6:$D$39500))
Trying to find a SUMPRODUCT formula that counts the word Closed by date for the last 7 days in a filtered list.
=COUNTIF(M:M,”>”&TODAY()-7) works ok for unfiltered count Column M contains Closure dates (blank if open) and Column L is Status Open or Closed
@ Terry
Please ask the question at the Chandoo.org Forums
https://chandoo.org/forum/
Please attach a sample file to ensure a quicker more accurate answer
I used this formula and worked like a charm! But, now I’ve been requested to use it but adding not one but two criteria in the same formula. For instance the sum I was doing added negative and positive numbers. I’ve been asked to use the exact same formula but adding that only positive numbers were considered… any idea on how to do this?
How exactly do you do sum filtered cells when two criteria are need not just one?
Thank you so much brother literally I have been struggling since morning to get the sum of the filtered category, however, after reading your blog attentively i got my solution, so thanks a lot once again.