How to Use a VBA Loop to Populate a Dictionary from Excel Rows

Learn how to efficiently loop through a specified range in Excel using VBA and add unique values to a dictionary object.
---

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: VBA loop from D6 to end of row and add to dictionary keys

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Use a VBA Loop to Populate a Dictionary from Excel Rows

Working with data in Excel can be tricky, especially when you're trying to extract unique values from a specific range. If you're using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) and encountering errors while trying to loop through a row to populate a dictionary, you’re not alone. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to properly implement this, resulting in a smooth experience without hitting that pesky "91 error".

Understanding the Problem

You may face an issue while trying to loop through a specified range in an Excel worksheet, collecting unique values to store them in a dictionary object. A common hurdle occurs when the defined range or the dictionary object isn't correctly set up, leading to runtime errors, specifically the "91" error.

This problem commonly manifests as the following: you want to loop from a specific starting cell (like D6) to the end of row 6, gather values, and store them into a dictionary. The goal here is to ensure that only unique values are added, and you'd like to avoid empty or erroneous values in the process.

The Solution: Step-by-Step Guide

To address this problem, let’s break down a solution into a clear structure. Below are the steps to create a loop that correctly retrieves unique entries into a dictionary:

Step 1: Define Your Range

You will first need to define your target range effectively in your VBA code. The following snippet sets rg to cover cells from D6 to the last used cell in row 6:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This line of code makes sure you are precisely targeting the desired range.

Step 2: Create the Dictionary

Once your range is defined, you want to create a dictionary object to hold your unique values:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This dictionary will allow you to add only unique values, as it doesn’t permit duplicates.

Step 3: Loop through Each Cell in the Range

Next, you'll need to loop through each cell in the defined range and add unique values to the dictionary. Here’s how to do it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 4: Final Checks and Output

After populating the dictionary, it’s wise to check if any unique values were collected. If not, you can alert the user:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

You can then print the unique keys to the Immediate window:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Putting It All Together

The complete code looks as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By carefully implementing the solutions outlined above, you can effectively gather unique values from a specified range in Excel using VBA. This approach not only avoids the dreaded "91 error" but also enhances your data handling capabilities. Happy coding!