How can I explode a single row of columns into multiple rows in Excel VBA

Question

I have a set of data that looks like this.

Source structure

But I would like to duplicate the project columns into individual rows on another sheet. In this situation Each single row in the source sheet would generate four rows in the target sheet since there are four projects.

Here's a picture of the desired target data structure.

Target data structure

This data will be changing regularly and new entries will be added to the bottom of the source. I've figured out how to loop over a range of data but can't figure out how to select individual cells for writing on the next sheet. I'm a VBA newbie, so any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I've got two posts, with usable code and downloadable workbook, on doing this in Excel/VBA on my blog:

http://yoursumbuddy.com/data-normalizer

http://yoursumbuddy.com/data-normalizer-the-sql/

Here's the code:

'Arguments
'List: The range to be normalized.
'RepeatingColsCount: The number of columns, starting with the leftmost,
'   whose headings remain the same.
'NormalizedColHeader: The column header for the rolled-up category.
'DataColHeader: The column header for the normalized data.
'NewWorkbook: Put the sheet with the data in a new workbook?
'
'NOTE: The data must be in a contiguous range and the
'rows that will be repeated must be to the left,
'with the rows to be normalized to the right.

Sub NormalizeList(List As Excel.Range, RepeatingColsCount As Long, _
    NormalizedColHeader As String, DataColHeader As String, _
    Optional NewWorkbook As Boolean = False)

Dim FirstNormalizingCol As Long, NormalizingColsCount As Long
Dim ColsToRepeat As Excel.Range, ColsToNormalize As Excel.Range
Dim NormalizedRowsCount As Long
Dim RepeatingList() As String
Dim NormalizedList() As Variant
Dim ListIndex As Long, i As Long, j As Long
Dim wbSource As Excel.Workbook, wbTarget As Excel.Workbook
Dim wsTarget As Excel.Worksheet

With List
    'If the normalized list won't fit, you must quit.
   If .Rows.Count * (.Columns.Count - RepeatingColsCount) > .Parent.Rows.Count Then
        MsgBox "The normalized list will be too many rows.", _
               vbExclamation + vbOKOnly, "Sorry"
        Exit Sub
    End If

    'You have the range to be normalized and the count of leftmost rows to be repeated.
   'This section uses those arguments to set the two ranges to parse
   'and the two corresponding arrays to fill
   FirstNormalizingCol = RepeatingColsCount + 1
    NormalizingColsCount = .Columns.Count - RepeatingColsCount
    Set ColsToRepeat = .Cells(1).Resize(.Rows.Count, RepeatingColsCount)
    Set ColsToNormalize = .Cells(1, FirstNormalizingCol).Resize(.Rows.Count, NormalizingColsCount)
    NormalizedRowsCount = ColsToNormalize.Columns.Count * .Rows.Count
    ReDim RepeatingList(1 To NormalizedRowsCount, 1 To RepeatingColsCount)
    ReDim NormalizedList(1 To NormalizedRowsCount, 1 To 2)
End With

'Fill in every i elements of the repeating array with the repeating row labels.
For i = 1 To NormalizedRowsCount Step NormalizingColsCount
    ListIndex = ListIndex + 1
    For j = 1 To RepeatingColsCount
        RepeatingList(i, j) = List.Cells(ListIndex, j).Value2
    Next j
Next i

'We stepped over most rows above, so fill in other repeating array elements.
For i = 1 To NormalizedRowsCount
    For j = 1 To RepeatingColsCount
        If RepeatingList(i, j) = "" Then
            RepeatingList(i, j) = RepeatingList(i - 1, j)
        End If
    Next j
Next i

'Fill in each element of the first dimension of the normalizing array
'with the former column header (which is now another row label) and the data.
With ColsToNormalize
    For i = 1 To .Rows.Count
        For j = 1 To .Columns.Count
            NormalizedList(((i - 1) * NormalizingColsCount) + j, 1) = .Cells(1, j)
            NormalizedList(((i - 1) * NormalizingColsCount) + j, 2) = .Cells(i, j)
        Next j
    Next i
End With

'Put the normal data in the same workbook, or a new one.
If NewWorkbook Then
    Set wbTarget = Workbooks.Add
    Set wsTarget = wbTarget.Worksheets(1)
Else
    Set wbSource = List.Parent.Parent
    With wbSource.Worksheets
        Set wsTarget = .Add(after:=.Item(.Count))
    End With
End If

With wsTarget
    'Put the data from the two arrays in the new worksheet.
   .Range("A1").Resize(NormalizedRowsCount, RepeatingColsCount) = RepeatingList
    .Cells(1, FirstNormalizingCol).Resize(NormalizedRowsCount, 2) = NormalizedList

    'At this point there will be repeated header rows, so delete all but one.
   .Range("1:" & NormalizingColsCount - 1).EntireRow.Delete

    'Add the headers for the new label column and the data column.
   .Cells(1, FirstNormalizingCol).Value = NormalizedColHeader
    .Cells(1, FirstNormalizingCol + 1).Value = DataColHeader
End With
End Sub

You’d call it like this:

Sub TestIt()
NormalizeList ActiveSheet.UsedRange, 4, "Variable", "Value", False
End Sub

Answer 2

Try unpivoting using my unpivot add-in here: http://tduhameau.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/the-unpivot-add-in/

Answer 3

You'll need to change the names of wsSource and wsTarget to their actual sheet names:

Sub tgr()

    Dim wsSource As Worksheet
    Dim wsTarget As Worksheet
    Dim arrSource() As Variant
    Dim arrData() As Variant
    Dim rIndex As Long
    Dim cIndex As Long
    Dim DataIndex As Long
    Dim lNumProjects As Long

    Set wsSource = Sheets("Source")
    Set wsTarget = Sheets("Target")
    arrSource = wsSource.Range("A1").CurrentRegion.Value
    lNumProjects = UBound(arrSource, 2) - 3
    ReDim arrData(1 To lNumProjects * (UBound(arrSource, 1) - 1), 1 To 5)

    For rIndex = 2 To UBound(arrSource, 1)
        For cIndex = 1 To lNumProjects
            DataIndex = DataIndex + 1
            arrData(DataIndex, 1) = arrSource(rIndex, 1)
            arrData(DataIndex, 2) = arrSource(rIndex, 2)
            arrData(DataIndex, 3) = arrSource(rIndex, 3)
            arrData(DataIndex, 4) = arrSource(1, cIndex + 3)
            arrData(DataIndex, 5) = arrSource(rIndex, cIndex + 3)
        Next cIndex
    Next rIndex

    If DataIndex > 0 Then
        wsTarget.Range("A2:E" & Rows.Count).ClearContents
        wsTarget.Range("A2:E2").Resize(DataIndex).Value = arrData
    End If

    Set wsSource = Nothing
    Set wsTarget = Nothing
    Erase arrSource
    Erase arrData

End Sub