Run macro in the background

[bjanger]

Hi,

I know there is a way to run macro in the background i.e. without seeing all steps in the macro being executed, but I can't remember the code.

Anyone who knows it?

BR
Bjanger

 

[DonkeyOte]

turn off screen updating property... however if using this option always a good idea to put an error handler into the routine such that were it to fail screenupdating would be reset to True !

Sub Marine()
On Error GoTo Handler:
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
....
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Exit Sub

Handler:
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Stop

End Sub

 

[bjanger]

Thanks!

 

[Richard Schollar]

Turning off screen updating doesn't strictly make the code execute in the background - the user interface is effectively disabled (or rather pretty much unusable) whilst the macro executes.

Application.ScreenUpdating is one of those settings that automatically resets to True on macro completion (so having error handling to reset it is not really necessary). The reason why you see it set to True in so many routines is to adhere to good coding practice.

The behaviour of Screenupdating resetting to True is in contrast to other settings (most notably EnableEvents, for example) that does not reset to True - so you should always use error handling if you turn off events (and want them back on again).

 

[DonkeyOte]

http://www.mrexcel.com/td0133.html

 

[Richard Schollar]

Yes, it's wrong.

EDIT: perhaps when it was first released that may have applied to xl2002 but presumably subsequent patches have fixed that and it never applied to 2003 AFAIK.

 

[Jon von der Heyden]

Application.ScreenUpdating is one of those settings that automatically resets to True on macro completion (so having error handling to reset it is not really necessary). The reason why you see it set to True in so many routines is to adhere to good coding practice.

Er, I remember you telling me this not so long ago, and since then I haven't bothered setting it back to True and I never ntoiced any adverse effects.

Jon