CODEWITHSUNDEEP
vbaexcelexcel-formulainternationalization
grovel
grovel

Reputation: 663

Excel Macro, inserting internationally valid formula during run-time

I've got an Excel spreadsheet, with a Macro, that inserts a conditional formatting, like this:

Selection.FormatConditions.Add Type:=xlExpression, Formula1:="=UND($A3=""" & lastName & """; $B3=""" & firstName & """)"

As you can see, I've used the German formula for "AND" (i.e. "UND"), and obviously, this code doesn't work as soon as I use it on a French or English version of Excel. Usually formulas are localized automatically, but how can I insert a formula during run-time that will work on ALL versions?

Upvotes: 25

Views: 11424

Answers (7)

LarsS
LarsS

Reputation: 173

I know this thread is ages old, and someone may have found an elegant solution, but I just had the same problem where I needed to apply conditional formatting without modifying the sheet, creating temporary cell contents or named ranges. All users use English language versions of Excel, so the functions used in the formulas are the same, but the regional settings vary by location, and therefore also the parameter separater; In Norwegian, it's ";" instead of ",", much like the rest of Europe, I guess.

For example, I needed to automatically create conditional formatting, using Excel formula for the following criterion:

.FormatConditions.Add xlExpression, Formula1:="=AND(ISNUMBER(B" & I & "),B" & I & ">=" & Ul1 & ")"

Where "Ul1" is a value defined in a previous step, and it's not important for the solution.

However, I needed to be able to run this on computers with both Norwegian and English settings

I and found a very short and simple solution from Andrew Pulsom here: https://www.mrexcel.com/board/threads/french-vba-vs-english-vba.729570/. He just made the parameter separator into a variable:

If Application.International(xlDecimalSeparator) = "," Then
    Sep = ";"
Else
    Sep = ","
End If

Cl1 = "=AND(ISNUMBER(B" & I & ")" & Sep & "B" & I & "<" & Ul1 & ")"

Worked like a charm for me :)

I know that this only solves part of the problem, but I assume that this could apply to many international companies which use English Office installations with local regional settings.

Upvotes: 0

user9479152
user9479152

Reputation: 1

Please refer to the link for more explanation: https://bettersolutions.com/csharp/excel-interop/locale-culture.htm

CultureInfo baseCulture = System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture; 
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = new CultureInfo(xlapp.LanguageSettings.LanguageID(Office.MsoAppLanguageID.msoLanguageIDUI)); 
// do something 
System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = baseCulture;

Upvotes: -1

grovel
grovel

Reputation: 663

Ok, thanks for helping me with this, you've helped me crack this one.

It is indeed not possible to just use English. One can use English when operating on a formula, eg. by setting coding Range("A1").formula="AND(TRUE)", but this does not work with FormatConditions.

My solution is a function that writes a formula temporarily to a cell, reads it through the FormulaLocal property, and returns the localized formula, like so:

Function GetLocalizedFormula(formula As String)
' returns the English formula from the parameter in the local format
  Dim temporary As String
  temporary = Range("A1").formula
  Range("A1").formula = formula
  Dim result As String
  result = Range("A1").FormulaLocal
  Range("A1").formula = temporary
  GetLocalizedFormula = result
End Function

The returned formula can be used on FormatConditions, which will be re-localized or un-localized when the document is later opened on a different-language version of Excel.

Upvotes: 16

Diego
Diego

Reputation: 1

Thanks everyone! I found the post very useful.

My solution is a combination of others, I add it in case somebody finds it useful.

Dim tempform As String
Dim strlocalform1 As String
Dim strlocalform2 As String

' Get formula stored in WorksheetA Cell O1 =IFERROR(a,b)
tempform = Worksheets("Sheet").Range("O1").Formula

' Extract from the formula IFERROR statement in local language.
strlocalform1 = Mid(tempform, 2, InStr(1, tempform, "(") - 1)

' Extract from the formula separator , (comma) in local settings.
strlocalform2 = Mid(tempform, InStr(1, tempform, "a") + 1, 1)

' Add formula in local language to desired field.
pvt.CalculatedFields.Add Name:="NewField", Formula:="=" & strlocalform1 & "FORMULA" & strlocalform2 & ")"

Hope this helps!

Upvotes: -2

Marcus Mangelsdorf
Marcus Mangelsdorf

Reputation: 3070

I just found a very elegant solution to the problem in a German Excel forum. This doesn't write to a dummy cell but rather uses a temporary named range. I used the original idea (credit to bst) to write a translating function for both directions.

Convert localized formula to English formula:

Public Function TranslateFormula_LocalToGeneric(ByVal iFormula As String) As String
    Names.Add "temporaryFormula", RefersToLocal:=iFormula
    TranslateFormula_LocalToGeneric = Names("temporaryFormula").RefersTo
    Names("temporaryFormula").Delete
End Function


Convert English formula to localized formula:

Public Function TranslateFormula_GenericToLocal(ByVal iFormula As String) As String
    Names.Add "temporaryFormula", RefersTo:=iFormula
    TranslateFormula_GenericToLocal = Names("temporaryFormula").RefersToLocal
    Names("temporaryFormula").Delete
End Function

This is very handy if you need to deal with formulas in conditional formatting, since these formulas are always stored as localized formulas (but you could need their generic version, e.g. to use Application.Evaluate(genericFormula)).

Upvotes: 10

K_B
K_B

Reputation: 3678

Store (a trivial version of) the formula in a (hidden) cell in your workbook.

Then when you open the workbook that formula will be translated automatically by excel for the user.

Now you just have to dissect this formula in your script (find the opening bracket "(" and take the past left of that:

Use something like:

strLocalizedFormula = Mid(strYourFormula, 2, InStr(1, strYourFormula, "(") - 2)

where strYourFormula will be a copy from the formula from your worksheet.

I hope this works as I only use an English environment.

Also from reading this: http://vantedbits.blogspot.nl/2010/10/excel-vba-tip-translate-formulas.html I am thinking you should (only) be able to use the english version of a cell formula from VBA.

Upvotes: 5

chris neilsen
chris neilsen

Reputation: 53126

Maybe try this (untested as I only have English version insatlled)

Write your international version of the formula to an out of the way cell using Range.Formula . Then read it back from Range.FormulaLocal, and write that string to the FormatConditions

Upvotes: 2

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