Applying An Alphabetical Sort To Your VBA Array List
What This VBA Code Does
Sometimes it is vital to get your lists in order. Below are a couple of VBA macros I use whenever I need to reorder the contents of my array storage variables. You can use this with characters or words that are stored inside your array. It even works with numbers by moving those ahead of character strings of text. In case you need to go in the opposite direction, I’ve added a second VBA macro that will sort in reverse alphabetical order.
Sorting Alphabetically (A-Z)
Sub Alphabetically_SortArray()
'PURPOSE: Sort an array filled with strings alphabetically (A-Z)
'SOURCE: www.TheSpreadsheetGuru.com/the-code-vault
Dim myArray As Variant
Dim x As Long, y As Long
Dim TempTxt1 As String
Dim TempTxt2 As String
myArray = Array("D", "1", "A", "B", "F", "C", "E")
'Alphabetize Sheet Names in Array List
For x = LBound(myArray) To UBound(myArray)
For y = x To UBound(myArray)
If UCase(myArray(y)) < UCase(myArray(x)) Then
TempTxt1 = myArray(x)
TempTxt2 = myArray(y)
myArray(x) = TempTxt2
myArray(y) = TempTxt1
End If
Next y
Next x
End SubReverse Alphabetical Order! (Z-A)
Sub ReverseAlphabetical_SortArray()
'PURPOSE: Sort an array filled with strings in reverse alphabetical order (Z-A)
'SOURCE: www.TheSpreadsheetGuru.com/the-code-vault
Dim myArray As Variant
Dim x As Long, y As Long
Dim TempTxt1 As String
Dim TempTxt2 As String
myArray = Array("D", "1", "A", "B", "F", "C", "E")
'Alphabetize Sheet Names in Array List
For x = LBound(myArray) To UBound(myArray)
For y = x To UBound(myArray)
If UCase(myArray(y)) > UCase(myArray(x)) Then
TempTxt1 = myArray(x)
TempTxt2 = myArray(y)
myArray(x) = TempTxt2
myArray(y) = TempTxt1
End If
Next y
Next x
End SubUsing VBA Code Found On The Internet
Now that you’ve found some VBA code that could potentially solve your Excel automation problem, what do you do with it? If you don’t necessarily want to learn how to code VBA and are just looking for the fastest way to implement this code into your spreadsheet, I wrote an article (with video) that explains how to get the VBA code you’ve found running on your spreadsheet.
Getting Started Automating Excel
Are you new to VBA and not sure where to begin? Check out my quickstart guide to learning VBA. This article won’t overwhelm you with fancy coding jargon, as it provides you with a simplistic and straightforward approach to the basic things I wish I knew when trying to teach myself how to automate tasks in Excel with VBA Macros.
Also, if you haven’t checked out Excel’s latest automation feature called Power Query, I have put together a beginner’s guide for automating with Excel’s Power Query feature as well! This little-known built-in Excel feature allows you to merge and clean data automatically with little to no coding!
How Do I Modify This To Fit My Specific Needs?
Chances are this post did not give you the exact answer you were looking for. We all have different situations and it’s impossible to account for every particular need one might have. That’s why I want to share with you: My Guide to Getting the Solution to your Problems FAST! In this article, I explain the best strategies I have come up with over the years to get quick answers to complex problems in Excel, PowerPoint, VBA, you name it!
I highly recommend that you check this guide out before asking me or anyone else in the comments section to solve your specific problem. I can guarantee that 9 times out of 10, one of my strategies will get you the answer(s) you are needing faster than it will take me to get back to you with a possible solution. I try my best to help everyone out, but sometimes I don’t have time to fit everyone’s questions in (there never seem to be quite enough hours in the day!).
I wish you the best of luck and I hope this tutorial gets you heading in the right direction!
After 10+ years of creating macros and developing add-ins, I've compiled all the hacks I wish I had known years ago!
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Chris Newman
Chris is a finance professional and Excel MVP recognized by Microsoft since 2016. With his expertise, he founded TheSpreadsheetGuru blog to help fellow Excel users, where he shares his vast creative solutions & expertise. In addition, he has developed over 7 widely-used Excel Add-ins that have been embraced by individuals and companies worldwide.