Copy all range names programmatically in Excel

Summary

In Microsoft Office Excel, you can create a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro that you can use to copy all the range names from the active workbook to another workbook.

More information

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To create and use a macro to copy all of the range names from the active workbook to another workbook, use the steps in the following example:

1. Start Excel, and then in a new workbook, click select cell A1.

2. Perform one of the following actions:

   • In Microsoft Office Excel 2007, click the Formulas tab, and then click Define Name in the Defined Names group.
   • In Microsoft Office Excel 2003 in and earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, point to Name on the Insert menu, and then click Define.

3. In the Define Names dialog box, in the Names In workbook box, type Range1, and then click OK.

4. Select cell B1.

5. Perform one of the following actions:

   • In Excel 2007, click the Formulas tab, and then click Define Name in the Defined Names group.
   • In Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, point to Name on the Insert menu, and then click Define.

6. In the Define Names dialog box, in the Names In workbook box, type Range2, and then click OK.

7. Press ALT+F11 to start the Visual Basic editor.

8. On the Insert menu, click Module.

9. On the module sheet, type the following code:

   Sub Copy_All_Defined_Names()
      ' Loop through all of the defined names in the active
      ' workbook.
        For Each x In ActiveWorkbook.Names
         ' Add each defined name from the active workbook to
         ' the target workbook ("Book2.xls" or "Book2.xlsm").
         ' "x.value" refers to the cell references the
         ' defined name points to.
         Workbooks("Book2.xls").Names.Add Name:=x.Name, _
            RefersTo:=x.Value
      Next x
   End Sub
   

10. Press ALT+F11 to return to Excel.

11. Perform one of the following actions:

    • In Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Save As, click Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook, and then save the workbook as Book1.xlsm.
    • In Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, click Save on the File menu, and then save the workbook as Book1.xls.

12. Perform one of the following actions:

    • In Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click New, click Blank Workbook, and then click Create.
    • In Excel 2003, click New on the File menu, and then click Blank workbook in the New Workbook task pane.
    • In Excel 2002 and in earlier versions of Excel, click New on the File menu, click Workbook, and then click OK.

13. Perform one of the following actions:

    • In Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Save As, click Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook, and then save the workbook as Book2.xlsm.
    • In Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, click Save As on the File menu, and then save the workbook as Book2.xls.

14. Switch to Book1.

    Note

    You may have to minimize or restore Book2 to see the Book1 button.

15. Perform one of the following actions:

    • In Excel 2007, click the Developer tab, and then click Macros.

      Note

      If the Developer tab is not displayed, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Excel Options, click Popular, click to select the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box, and then click OK.

    • In Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, point to Macro on the Tools menu, and then click Macros.

16. In the Macro name list, click Copy_All_Defined_Names, and then click Run.

17. Switch to Book2 and note that cell A1 is named Range1, and that cell B1 is named Range2.