Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 13, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Andrew needs, in his macro, to display a dialog box that allows a user to switch windows. When someone clicks the Window menu (in Excel), the available workbooks are listed at the bottom of the menu. Those are what Andrew needs to show up in the dialog box. He wonders if there is a built-in dialog box to do this, or if he needs to create his own.
The short answer is that there is no built-in dialog box to accomplish this task. You can, however, easily create your own. Here is a simple example:
Sub SwitchWindows()
Dim i As Integer
Dim n As Integer
Dim s As String
Dim v As Variant
n = Windows.Count
s = "Choose Window from:"
For i = 1 To n
s = s & Chr(10) & i & ") " & Windows(i).Caption
Next
s = s & Chr(10) & "Enter a number from 1 to " & n
v = Application.InputBox(prompt:=s, Type:=2)
i = Val(v)
If i >= 1 And i <= n Then
Windows(i).Activate
End If
End Sub
All this does is create a list of the names for each window in your system. It presents them in an InputBox, and then switches to whatever window the user selected.
If you are seeking different ways to present the same information, you can refer to this tip.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11910) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!
Recording macros is a great approach to getting started with macros, but at some point you'll need to create one from ...
Discover MoreRequiring users to input a password in Excel increases the security of the worksheet and can prevent someone from running ...
Discover MoreMany times you need to select just the visible cells before taking some action. It is helpful to know how to make this ...
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