
Tips.Net > ExcelTips Home > Macros > VBA Examples > Resizing a Text Box in a Macro
Summary: Text boxes are easy to add to a document and manually resize, as needed. If you want to resize the text box in a macro, however, the way to do it effectively may seem elusive. This tip explains how you can resize a text box to cover a desired range of cells. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)
Rob has a text box, in a worksheet, that contains text copied from Word. He wants to know how he can resize the text box using a macro, so that it covers a specific range of cells.
There are a couple of ways you can approach this task. One is to specify, in the macro, exactly which cells you want to cover with the text box, and then adjust the properties of the text box to match the characteristics of the cells you specify.
Sub ResizeBox1()
Dim sTL As String
Dim sBR As String
Dim rng As Range
' Change top-left and bottom-right addresses as desired
sTL = "A1"
sBR = "M40"
' Ensure a text box is selected
If TypeName(Selection) <> "TextBox" Then
MsgBox "Text box not selected"
Exit Sub
End If
With Selection
Set rng = ActiveSheet.Range(sTL)
.Top = rng.Top
.Left = rng.Left
Set rng = ActiveSheet.Range(sBR)
.Width = rng.Left + rng.Width
.Height = rng.Top + rng.Height
End With
Set rng = Nothing
End Sub
In order to use the macro, change the address of the cells you want to use for the top-left and bottom-right of the text box. Then, select the text box and run the macro.
If you prefer, you could use a named range to specify the range to be covered by the text box. The following macro expects that the range will be named RangeToCover. When you select the text box and run the macro, the text box is resized to match the size of the range.
Sub ResizeBox2()
Dim l_rRangeToCover As Range
Dim l_rLowerRight As Range
' Ensure a text box is selected
If TypeName(Selection) <> "TextBox" Then
MsgBox "Text box not selected"
Exit Sub
End If
' Get the range to cover
Set l_rRangeToCover = _
ActiveSheet.Range(Names("RangeToCover").RefersToRange.Value)
' Get its lower right cell
Set l_rLowerRight = _
l_rRangeToCover.Cells( _
l_rRangeToCover.Rows.Count, _
l_rRangeToCover.Columns.Count)
' Resize the text box
With Selection
.Left = l_rRangeToCover.Left
.Top = l_rRangeToCover.Top
.Width = l_rLowerRight.Left + l_rLowerRight.Width - .Left
.Height = l_rLowerRight.Top + l_rLowerRight.Height - .Top
End With
End Sub
Tip #3143 applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 2000 2002 2003 2007
Save Time! You can have this tip (and several hundred just like it) in the ExcelTips annual archives. Imagine having over 400 tips available at your fingertips, in each annual volume.
You can put times into a worksheet, but then what? Need to do calculations with times? How about working with elapsed time? Don't be confused; learn how easy it can be. (more information...)
Ask an Excel Question
Make a Comment
ExcelTips FAQ
ExcelTips Premium
Beauty Tips
Bugs and Pests Tips
Car Tips
Cleaning Tips
College Tips
Cooking Tips
Excel2007 Tips
ExcelTips
Family Tips
Gardening Tips
Health Tips
Home Tips
Money Tips
Organizing Tips
Pet Tips
Word2007 Tips
WordTips
Advertise on the
ExcelTips Site