Microsoft Excel worksheets have built-in events that can execute basic visual code based on a certain action performed by the user within that specific worksheet. These worksheet events allow Microsoft Excel users to run code after activating a worksheet or before deactivating a worksheet. These events also allow users to run code each time a user changes data within a cell or selects a new range of cells. Newer versions of Excel have even created events that allow code to run when tables and pivot tables are updated or updated.
The Worksheet Activate event is a Microsoft Excel event that works in many different versions of Excel. It is designed to run a code script each time the specific worksheet is activated. This event has no required or optional parameters. This event can be used to display a hidden worksheet upon activation or it can display a login or data form.
The Worksheet Deactivate event is similar to the Worksheet Deactivate event; it also works in many different versions of Excel. This event is designed to run a code script when a user selects any other worksheet. This event has no required or optional parameters. If the first worksheet is selected and someone selects another worksheet, the first worksheet will execute its Deactivate event. This can be used to hide unused worksheets once they are done using.
The Worksheet Before Double Click event will run a code script when a user double clicks on that specific worksheet. This event will work in all versions of Excel. This can be useful if you want to run a macro for a particular cell every time you double-click that cell. You can also use this event to load a macro every time you double-click anywhere in the worksheet.
The Worksheet before right-click event will run a code script every time a user right-clicks an Excel Worksheet. This can be useful if you want to create your own context menus for a specific cell or range of cells. This event can also be used to offer multiple menus based on whether you hold down the ALT key or the CTRL key.
The Calculate Worksheet event will run every time Excel has to recalculate that specific worksheet. Basically, if you have a formula and one of your variables changes and the solution to the formula changes, this event will run. This can be great if you want to make sure that whenever changes are made to data in a worksheet, you update an external document. You can also configure the external document to update on schedule.
The worksheet change event will run every time a cell value or cell format changes within that specific worksheet. Users can use this event to mark any change in yellow or change a time that marks the most recent update. This event can also be used to allow error checking and to ensure that if a variable within a formula changes, the variable is not a bad input and that the variable will not give an error to the formula.
The Follow Hyperlink Worksheet event will run every time a user selects a hyperlink within the specific workbook to follow. This event can be used in all versions of Excel. This can be useful if you want to see a list of items on a certain web page or if you want to know which pages you have visited through that specific workbook.
The Worksheet PivotTable Update event will execute code every time a pivot table is updated or updated within that specific worksheet. This event uses the target parameter to return the updated pivot table as an object. This allows users to edit the pivot table or read data by using visual basic. This event can be used to update a cell that shows when the pivot table was last updated.
The Worksheet Selection Change event will run code every time a user selects a different cell or range of cells with that specific worksheet. This event uses the target parameter to return the selected range as an object. I like to use this event to remove formats from my selection. However, this can also be used for many other purposes, such as focusing on a selected area or displaying the average of a selection of cells.
