Microsoft Excel spreadsheets have built-in events that can execute basic visual code based on certain actions performed by the user within that specific spreadsheet. These worksheet events allow Microsoft Excel users to run code after activating a worksheet or before deactivating it. These events also allow users to execute code each time a user changes data within a cell or selects a new range of cells. Newer versions of Excel have even created events that allow code to be executed when tables and pivot tables are refreshed or refreshed.
The Worksheet Activate event is a Microsoft Excel event that works in many different versions of Excel. It is designed to run a script of code each time the specific worksheet is activated. This event has no required or optional parameters. This event can be used to display a hidden worksheet upon activation, or it can display a login or data form.
The Worksheet Deactivate event is similar to the Worksheet Deactivate event; it also works in many different versions of Excel. This event is designed to run a code script when a user selects any other worksheet. This event has no required or optional parameters. If the first worksheet is selected and someone else selects another worksheet, then the first worksheet will execute its Deactivate event. This can be used to hide unused worksheets after they have finished being used.
The Worksheet Before Double Click event will execute a code script when a user double clicks on that specific worksheet. This event will work in all versions of Excel. This can be useful if you want to run a macro for a certain cell every time you double-click that cell. You can also use this event to load a macro every time you double-click anywhere in the worksheet.
The Worksheet Before Right Click event will execute a code script every time a user right clicks within an Excel worksheet. This can be useful if you want to create your own context menus for a specific cell or range of cells. This event can also be used to offer various menus based on whether you hold down the ALT key or the CTRL key.
The Calculate Worksheet event will be executed every time Excel needs to recalculate that specific worksheet. Basically if you have a formula and one of its variables changes and the solution to the formula changes then this event will be executed. This can be great if you want to make sure that every time changes are made to data in a spreadsheet, you update an external document. You can also set the external document to update on time.
The Spreadsheet Change event will be executed whenever a cell value or cell format within that specific spreadsheet changes. Users can use this event to mark any changes yellow or change a time that marks the most recent update. This event can also be used to enable error checking to ensure that if a variable within a formula changes, the variable is not a bad input and that the variable will not give the formula an error.
The Worksheet’s Follow Hyperlink event will be executed whenever a user selects a hyperlink within the specific workbook to follow. This event can be used in all versions of Excel. This can be useful if you want to see a list of items from a certain web page or if you want to know which pages you have visited through that specific workbook.
The Worksheet PivotTable Update event will execute the code whenever a PivotTable within that specific worksheet is updated or refreshed. This event uses the target parameter to return the updated pivot table as an object. This allows users to edit the PivotTable or read data by using Visual Basic. This event can be used to update a cell that shows when the pivot table was last updated.
The worksheet selection change event will execute code every time a user selects a different cell or range of cells with that specific worksheet. This event uses the target parameter to return the selected range as an object. I like to use this event to remove formats from my selection. However, this can also be used for many other purposes, such as focusing on a selected area or displaying the average of a selection of cells.
