Doubt on constants ans variables

Question

I've got an application with sheets, forms and modules. I would like to create constant or public variables to store the index of each column of the sheets so that I can use them along of the code instead of writting the numbers everytime. So, I created
a Public Integer Variable for each column, such as SHT1_ColSuppliers, SHT3_ColVendors and so on, on the workbook domain, and initialized each of them in the event workbook_open. However, I am debugging the code line by line and I see that the variables are
actually null. Would anyone have a solution for where to declare the variables and make it all work out?
Jorge Barbi Martins ([email protected])

Answer 1

I guess I have tried that, however, after the event Workbook Open is over the values of the variables are set to 0 back again aren't they?
Any variable has a limited life time, variables declared inside a sub are gone when the sub ends.
Global declared variable are gone when the project is reset, e.g. when you debug a sub and you click the Reset button within the VBA editor.
A
common mistake is
to declare a variable with the same name
several times in different modules.
Read also this article:
https://support.microsoft.com/KB/141693
Anyway,
this is not an outcome. The solution is to use a Property instead of a variable.
The Property should be static and store the value into a local variable, so when the property is called and the stored value is zero, it can determine the value again.
Furthermore for the column number, resp. heading in your case, I suggest to use a dictionary to store the numbers.
Andreas.
Option Explicit
Public Static Property Get ColumnNumber(ByVal Heading As String) As Integer
Dim Dict As Object 'Scripting.Dictionary
Dim R As Range
Dim Key As String
'Dictionary intialized?
If Dict Is Nothing Then
'Create it
Set Dict = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
'Ignore spelling
Dict.CompareMode = vbTextCompare
'Collect the headings in the top row
For Each R In Range("A1", Cells(1, Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft))
'Get the value as key
Key = R.Value
'Only add unique keys
If Not Dict.Exists(Key) Then Dict.Add Key, R.Column
Next
End If
'Return the number if the header exists
If Dict.Exists(Heading) Then ColumnNumber = Dict(Key)
End Property
Sub Test()
Debug.Print ColumnNumber("WhatEver")
End Sub