XL98: Using a Macro to Activate a Chart Changes the Selection (188494)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q188494

SYMPTOMS

When you run a macro that activates and deactivates a chart, the chart remains selected. If your macro "expects" that the selection from before the chart is activated will remain the selection after the chart is deactivated, it may fail or may not perform as it did in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel.

CAUSE

If you programmatically activate an embedded chart in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, the chart is not selected. The range or object that was selected before the chart was activated remains selected on the worksheet.

This behavior has changed in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition. In Microsoft Excel 98, programmatically activating a chart selects the chart area. Therefore, when the chart is deactivated, it remains selected.

This change in functionality may cause problems with code that expects the selection to remain as it was before the chart activation.

WORKAROUND

To programmatically deactivate and deselect an embedded chart, you must select another object on the worksheet.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. In earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, you can use the following line of code in a macro to restore the selection before the chart is activated: 
   ActiveWindow.Visible = False
In Microsoft Excel 98, you can use the following sample macro to restore the worksheet selection after the chart is deactivated. This macro demonstrates how you can store the selection before activating an embedded chart, and how to restore that selection and deactivate the chart. 

Sub ChartSelection()

    Dim myobj As Object

    ' Save the current selection in the object variable "myobj".
    Set myobj = Selection

    ' Activate the embedded chart.
    ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(1).Activate

    ' Restore the selection.
    myobj.Select

End Sub
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/17/2005
Keywords:kbprb kbProgramming KB188494
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