How to Use the Table Manager

Once the Excel file is set up correctly (Setting up the Excel File) and the tables(s) are built (Building the Tables), you're ready to go. When you open the Excel file , the Auto_Open() routine fires. This is in the standard module you added to your Excel file.

Auto_Open() processes all the tables in your workbook building a form that corresponds to each table. Then, when you double-click inside the table, the form that corresponds to that table pops up. You can navigate through the form, making changes, additions, and deletions.

Occasionally, especially if you're making VBA changes of your own, you will need to rebuild the forms. The quickest way is to press Alt-F8 and run Auto_Open(). This rebuilds the forms. You can tell that need to rebuild the forms if you double-click in a table Excel enters cell-editing mode rather than bringing up the table's form.

There are two other routines in the Alt-F8 menu.

BuildDataDescriptionTable builds a table in your workbook containing all the descriptive data for all your workbook's tables. It adds a sheet called Parameters unless the Parameters sheet already exists.

ExtendDataValidation copies the data validation parameters in the top row of each table and copies the data validation information to all cells in the column. It iterates across the columns of each table. Using the table's form slightly modifies the data validation in the table such that Excel believes that a column's entries each have different data validation parameters. Visually inspecting the data validation in each cell of a column reveals no visible differences but Excel believes they are different.

Known Problems

• ExtendDataValidation should be unnecessary. The table manager should either perform it automatically as it exits from the table's form.