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: Using InputBox to Get Data.

Using InputBox to Get Data

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 22, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


3

If you are developing a simple custom application in Excel, you may want to use the InputBox function to retrieve information from the user, and then place that information in a particular place in a worksheet. This can be easily done in the following manner:

UserValue = InputBox("Value to use?")
Cells(1, 1).Value = UserValue

These two lines, when inserted into a macro, prompt the user for input. This input is assigned to the UserValue variable by the InputBox function. The contents of this variable are then deposited in cell A1 of the current worksheet using the Cells method. If you prefer, you could also use the Range object to specify a location for the value, as shown here:

UserValue = InputBox("Value to use?")
Range("B3").Value = UserValue

This example deposits the value of UserValue into cell B3.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2290) 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: Using InputBox to Get Data.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Moving Drawing Objects

When you need to move a drawing object around your document, you use the mouse after you select the object. This tip ...

Discover More

Printing Rows Conditionally

Need to only print out certain rows from your data? It's easy to do if you apply the filtering or sorting techniques ...

Discover More

Calculating an Average within a Date Range

Need to find an average of the values that fall within a date range? Excel provides a number of ways you can do this, ...

Discover More

Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Skipping Hidden Rows in a Macro

As your macro processes information in a worksheet, you may want to make sure that it skips over rows that are hidden. ...

Discover More

Finding Cells Filled with a Particular Color

Do you need to find cells that are formatted with a particular color? How you accomplish this task depends on your ...

Discover More

Unprotecting Groups of Worksheets

Unprotecting a single worksheet is relatively easy. Unprotecting a whole lot of worksheets is harder. Here's how you can ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 1?

2019-03-14 12:34:40

Prashant

Hi
I want to search the sub folder. And recieve the output message as folder exists or not.
C:\info

Here "info" is the parent folder.

I want to search the folder name through inputbox which is present under info folder or not


2018-02-17 07:30:06

Don Hornbrook

And, of course, it can be done in just a single line, like:

Range("B3").Value = InputBox("Value to use?")


2018-02-17 05:51:48

Rick Rothstein

Here is code snippet that will allow you to react to whatever the user does with the InputBox (replace the MsgBox code lines with whatever code you want to execute for that situation)...

Dim Answer As String
'....
'....
Answer = InputBox("Tell me something")
If StrPtr(Answer) = 0 Then
MsgBox "The user clicked the Cancel button."
ElseIf Len(Answer) = 0 Then
MsgBox "The user clicked OK without entering anything!"
Else
MsgBox "The user entered the following..." & vbLf & vbLf & Answer
End If


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.