How to Delete Cells in Excel Using VBA Based on Specific Conditions

Learn how to delete all cells in a range using VBA when a specific value is found in a certain column in Excel.
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How to Delete Cells in Excel Using VBA Based on Specific Conditions

If you're working with Excel and need to delete certain rows based on specific criteria, the task can become quite daunting—especially if you're using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) for automation. One common requirement is to delete all cells in a certain range if they match specific values in a designated column. In this guide, we'll break down a common issue encountered when trying to perform such a task using VBA, and provide a solution to help you streamline your work in Excel.

The Problem at Hand

Matteo, an Excel user, wants to delete rows from a worksheet named "Dati" whenever the first cell in that row contains values that start with "FLWE" or "FW". He attempts to make this happen using an initial piece of VBA code but runs into issues. The code is structured to iterate through each row but doesn't perform as expected, leading to frustration and confusion.

The Original Code

Here's the original VBA code Matteo wrote:

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

Despite the logic, this code doesn’t function as intended. So, what's going wrong?

Understanding the Issue

The main problem lies in the way the loop iterates through the rows. When a row is deleted, all subsequent rows shift up. This causes the loop to skip over specific rows because the RowFINE variable continues to increase, leading to unintended behavior.

Example Breakdown

Consider this example: If you are iterating from row 1 to 5 and delete row 3, what happens next?:

Row 4 shifts up to become row 3.

The loop then increments RowFINE to 4, which means it will skip the new row 3 (previously row 4) entirely.

The Solution

To fix this issue, you need to modify the loop to traverse the rows in reverse order. This way, deleting a row does not affect the indices of the rows that you are yet to check.

Updated Code

Here's the revised version of Matteo’s VBA code:

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

Changes Implemented

The loop now starts from LastRowDati2 and goes down to 1, with a step of -1.

This structure ensures that when a row is deleted, it won’t affect the rows you have yet to check, as the iteration is moving in reverse.

Conclusion

By implementing this simple change, you can successfully delete rows in Excel based on specific conditions without losing any data integrity in the process. Using the correct logic in your VBA scripts not only helps prevent errors but also significantly increases the efficiency of your data management tasks.

If you have similar issues or questions regarding VBA in Excel, feel free to reach out for more advice or share your own experiences in the comments below!