Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Exiting a For ... Next Loop Early.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 29, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
If you use For ... Next loops in your macro programming (who doesn't?), then you should know that they can take a great deal of time. You can minimize this by only checking what you need. For instance, consider the following code, which checks an array to see if a value exists. If it doesn't, then it adds the value to the end of the array. If it does, then the value is not added.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
AddIt = False
For J = 1 to NumEntries
If NumValues(J) = ToAdd Then AddIt = True
Next J
If AddIt Then
NumEntries = NumEntries + 1
NumValues(NumEntries) = ToAdd
End If
This works great, but if the array gets large, you can end up going through the For ... Next loop quite a few times. Now consider the following code, which accomplishes the same task, but dumps out of the For ... Next loop early if a match is detected.
AddIt = False
For J = 1 to NumEntries
If NumValues(J) = ToAdd Then
AddIt = True
Exit For
End If
Next J
If AddIt Then
NumEntries = NumEntries + 1
NumValues(NumEntries) = ToAdd
End If
Now if a match is found early on in the loop, all the rest of the iterations are skipped because the Exit For statement is encountered and the loop is basically exited right away. The result is a faster running macro.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2260) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Exiting a For ... Next Loop Early.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
When writing macros, you may want to position a message box at a specific location on the screen. This can't be done in ...
Discover MoreWhen developing a macro that others may use, you might want to test it out to make sure it works properly if an ...
Discover MoreMake your macros too long, and Excel may just refuse to run them at all. This tip explains what the limit is for macros, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments