User-Defined Function Argument

Descriptions In Excel 2010

Category: VBA Functions | [Item URL]

One of the new features in Excel 2010 is the ability to provide argument descriptions for
user-defined functions. These descriptions appear in Function Arguments dialog box -which is displayed after you choose a function using the Insert Function dialog box.
Here's a simple (but very useful) user-defined function:
Function EXTRACTELEMENT(Txt, n, Separator) As String
EXTRACTELEMENT = Split(Application.Trim(Txt), Separator)(n - 1)
End Function

Here's a VBA macro that provides a description for the EXTRACTELEMENT function,
assigns it to a function category, and provides a description for each of its three arguments:
Sub DescribeFunction()
Dim FuncName As String
Dim FuncDesc As String
Dim Category As String
Dim ArgDesc(1 To 3) As String
FuncName =
FuncDesc =
character"
Category =
ArgDesc(1)
ArgDesc(2)
ArgDesc(3)

"EXTRACTELEMENT"
"Returns the nth element of a string that uses a separator
7
=
=
=

'Text category
"String that contains the elements"
"Element number to return"
"Single-character element separator"

Application.MacroOptions _
Macro:=FuncName, _
Description:=FuncDesc, _
Category:=Category, _
ArgumentDescriptions:=ArgDesc
End Sub

You need to run this macro only one time. After doing so, the descriptive information is
stored in the workbook (or add-in) that defines the function.
Here's how the function appears in the Function Arguments dialog box:

What about compaatibility with

h earlier verssions?
If the file
f is openeed in Excel 2007,
2
the arg
gument descrriptions are nnot displayed. If you savve
the wo
orkbook as an
a XLS file, the Compatiibility Checkker kicks in and tells youu that the
functio
on descriptio
ons will be removed.
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