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bjphoto's avatar
bjphoto
Copper Contributor
Feb 29, 2024

return key within a cell range

using excel I'm try to keep my enter key from moving out of an area of a selected cell space. 

example we have a spreadsheet and lettered A-Z with numeric values inside when we enter numbers and get to the end of that space is there a way once you hit enter it will return to the top of the next column on the right.

Excel
  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Gold Contributor
    Feb 29, 2024

    bjphoto 

    You can maybe achieve this behavior in Excel by using a combination of Excel's built-in features and a simple VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macro. Here's how you can set it up:

    1. Enable Developer Tab: If you haven't already, enable the Developer tab in Excel. You can do this by going to File > Options > Customize Ribbon, then checking the box for "Developer" in the right pane.
    2. Open Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Editor: Click on the Developer tab, then click on "Visual Basic" to open the VBA editor.
    3. Insert Module: In the VBA editor, go to Insert > Module to insert a new module.
    4. Paste VBA Code: Copy and paste the following VBA code into the module window:

    Vba Code is untested, please backup your file.

    Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
    If Target.Cells.Count = 1 Then
        If Not Intersect(Target, Me.Range("A:Z")) Is Nothing Then
            If Target.Column = 26 Then
                If Not IsEmpty(Target.Offset(0, 1).Value) Then
                    Target.Offset(1, -25).Select
                End If
            Else
                If Not IsEmpty(Target.Offset(0, 1).Value) Then
                    Target.Offset(0, 1).Select
                Else
                    Target.Offset(1, 0).Select
                End If
            End If
        End If
    End If
End Sub

    5. Save and Close VBA Editor: Close the VBA editor and return to your Excel workbook.

    Now, whenever you enter data in cells A1 to Z1 and press Enter, it will automatically move to the next column in row 2. If you're at the end of row 2 (in column Z), it will move to column A in row 3.

     

    This VBA code is set up to work specifically for the range A:Z, but you can adjust it to work with a different range if needed. Just change the range in the Me.Range("A:Z") part of the code to match your desired range. The text, steps and the code were created with the help of AI

     

    Hope this will help you.

     

    Was the answer useful? Mark as best response and like it!

    This will help all forum participants.

    • bjphoto's avatar
      bjphoto
      Copper Contributor
      Mar 03, 2024

      NikolinoDE 

      this didn't work. This is what I'm trying to do with the flow of the enter key moving across the page and then down.

       

      • NikolinoDE's avatar
        NikolinoDE
        Gold Contributor
        Mar 04, 2024

        bjphoto 

        You can customize the behavior of the Enter key from the Excel options menu.

        Here's how you can do it:

        1. Access Excel Options:

        Click on the "File" tab in the Excel ribbon to access the Backstage view.

        Click on "Options" at the bottom of the list. This will open the Excel Options dialog box.

        2. Navigate to Advanced Options:

        In the Excel Options dialog box, click on the "Advanced" category on the left-hand side.

        3. Locate Editing Options:

        Scroll down until you find the "Editing options" section.

        4. Change Direction After Enter:

        Look for the option labeled "After pressing Enter, move selection" or similar.

        By default, it's set to "Down" which means pressing Enter moves the selection down to the next cell in the same column.

        5. Select Desired Behavior:

        Change the selection to "Right" or "Right (legacy)" depending on your preference. This will make Excel move the selection to the cell on the immediate right after pressing Enter.

        6. Apply Changes and Close:

        Click "OK" to apply the changes and close the Excel Options dialog box.

        After making this change, when you press Enter, Excel will move the selection to the cell on the immediate right instead of the cell below. This behavior will persist until you change it back in the Excel Options menu.

         

        In combination, to navigate only to unlocked cells in Excel, you can lock cells and then unlock those you want to access. Here's how you can do it:

        1. Lock Cells:

          • Select the range or cells you want to lock.
          • Right-click on the selected range and choose "Format Cells" from the context menu.
          • Go to the "Protection" tab in the Format Cells dialog box.
          • Check the "Locked" checkbox to lock the selected cells.
          • Click "OK" to apply the changes.

        2. Select Unlocked Cells:

          • Highlight the cells you want to unlock for users to edit.
          • Right-click on the selected range and choose "Format Cells" from the context menu.
          • Go to the "Protection" tab in the Format Cells dialog box.
          • Uncheck the "Locked" checkbox to unlock the selected cells.
          • Click "OK" to apply the changes.

        3. Protect Worksheet:

          • After locking and unlocking cells, you can protect the worksheet to ensure only unlocked cells can be edited.
          • Click on the "Review" tab in the Excel menu bar.
          • Select the "Protect Sheet" option from the "Changes" dropdown menu.
          • Enter a password if you want to protect the worksheet from unwanted changes (optional).
          • Click "OK" to protect the worksheet.

        After protecting the worksheet, users can only access and make changes to the unlocked cells. If they attempt to navigate to a locked cell, they will be prevented from doing so unless they first unlock the cells or enter the password if one was set.

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