Is there a simple way to replace with placeholders in Excel?

Question

I have a formula like this:

=IF(OR($A1="xyz",$B1="abc",$C5="dmz"),1,0)

I'd like to replace each cell address with a static address that explicitly states the worksheet, i.e.

=IF(OR(Sheet1!$A$1="xyz",Sheet1!$B$1="abc",Sheet1!$C$5="dmz"),1,0)

I have this:

Public Function absoluteFormula(sheetname As String, ByVal formula As String) As String

Dim re As New RegExp
Dim matches As MatchCollection
Dim mtch As Match
Dim absoluteAddress As String


'get all addresses in formula
re.pattern = "[$][A-Za-z]+[0-9]+"
re.Global = True

Set matches = re.Execute(formula)

'replace each address with its static version
For Each mtch In matches
    absoluteAddress = sheetname & "!" & getAbsoluteAddress(re, mtch.value)
    formula = Replace(formula, mtch.value, absoluteAddress)
Next

absoluteFormula = formula

End Function


'makes row static, e.g. "$AU1" -> "$AU$1"
Private Function getAbsoluteAddress(re As RegExp, address As String)

Dim matches As MatchCollection
Dim alphaColumn As String


re.pattern = "[A-Za-z]+"

Set matches = re.Execute(address)
alphaColumn = matches(0).value
getAbsoluteAddress = Replace(address, alphaColumn, alphaColumn & "$")


End Function

This seems like a lot of code to accomplish what is basically (pseudocode):

find all instances of "[$][alpha]+"
replace with sheetname & "!" & instance & "$"

Is there a simpler way to perform this substitution?

Answer 1

Not completely tested but would something like this help? Select a single cell which has a formula and run Sample. I have not done any error handling. I am assuming that the ActiveCell WILL have a formula. I am also going with what you said in the above comment that your formula will not have Named Ranges

Dim sformula As String
Dim sh As String

Sub Sample()
    Dim cell As Range, c As Range

    '~~> This is what you want to append
    sh = "Sheet1!"

    '~~> Store the formula in a variable
    sformula = ActiveCell.Formula

    Debug.Print sformula

    '~~> Get the precedents
    Set cell = ActiveCell.Precedents

    '~~> Loop though them
    For Each c In cell
        ReplaceAddress c.Address                                            '~~> $A$1
        ReplaceAddress c.Address(RowAbsolute:=False)                        '~~> $A1
        ReplaceAddress c.Address(ColumnAbsolute:=False)                     '~~> A$1
        ReplaceAddress c.Address(RowAbsolute:=False, ColumnAbsolute:=False) '~~> A1
    Next

    Debug.Print sformula
End Sub

Function ReplaceAddress(s As String) As String
    Dim pos As Long

    pos = InStr(1, sformula, s)

    Do While pos > 0
        If pos = 1 Then
            sformula = sh & sformula
        ElseIf pos > 1 Then
            '~~> Various checks for "!","$" and ":"
            If Mid(sformula, pos - 1, 1) <> "!" And Mid(sformula, pos - 1, 1) <> "$" And _
            Mid(sformula, pos - 1, 1) <> ":" And Mid(sformula, pos - 2, 1) <> ":" Then
                sformula = Left(sformula, pos - 1) & sh & Mid(sformula, pos)
            End If
        End If
        '~~> Find next occurance
        pos = InStr(pos + 1, sformula, s)
    Loop
    ReplaceAddress = sformula
End Function

Various tests

Before:

=IF(OR($A1="xyz",$B1="abc",$C5="dmz"),1,0)

After:

=IF(OR(Sheet1!$A1="xyz",Sheet1!$B1="abc",Sheet1!$C5="dmz"),1,0)

---

Before:

=VLOOKUP(K4,N10:Q18,1,0)

After:

=VLOOKUP(Sheet1!K4,Sheet1!N10:Q18,1,0)

---

A slightly more complex test

Before:

=IF(G4>MAX($D$4:$D$8),"N/A",INDEX($B$4:$B$8,INDEX(MATCH(G4,$C$4:$C$8,1),0,0),0))

After:

=IF(Sheet1!G4>MAX(Sheet1!$D$4:$D$8),"N/A",INDEX(Sheet1!$B$4:$B$8,INDEX(MATCH(Sheet1!G4,Sheet1!$C$4:$C$8,1),0,0),0))

Followup from comments

Use this

Sub Sample()
    Dim cell As Range, c As Range

    '~~> This is what you want to append
    sh = "Sheet1!"

    '~~> Store the formula in a variable
    sformula = ActiveCell.Formula

    Debug.Print sformula

    '~~> Get the precedents
    Set cell = ActiveCell.Precedents

    '~~> Loop though them
    For Each c In cell
        ReplaceAddress c.Address                                            '~~> $A$1
        ReplaceAddress c.Address(RowAbsolute:=False)                        '~~> $A1
        ReplaceAddress c.Address(ColumnAbsolute:=False)                     '~~> A$1
        ReplaceAddress c.Address(RowAbsolute:=False, ColumnAbsolute:=False) '~~> A1

        sformula = Replace(sformula, c.Address(RowAbsolute:=False), c.Address)
        sformula = Replace(sformula, c.Address(ColumnAbsolute:=False), c.Address)
        sformula = Replace(sformula, c.Address(RowAbsolute:=False, ColumnAbsolute:=False), c.Address)
    Next

    Do While InStr(1, sformula, "$$")
        sformula = Replace(sformula, "$$", "$")
    Loop

    Debug.Print sformula
End Sub

Function ReplaceAddress(s As String) As String
    Dim pos As Long

    pos = InStr(1, sformula, s)

    Do While pos > 0
        If pos = 1 Then
            sformula = sh & sformula
        ElseIf pos > 1 Then
            '~~> Various checks for "!","$" and ":"
            On Error Resume Next
            If Mid(sformula, pos - 1, 1) <> "!" And Mid(sformula, pos - 1, 1) <> "$" And _
            Mid(sformula, pos - 1, 1) <> ":" And Mid(sformula, pos - 2, 1) <> ":" Then
                sformula = Left(sformula, pos - 1) & sh & Mid(sformula, pos)
            End If
            On Error GoTo 0
        End If
        '~~> Find next occurance
        pos = InStr(pos + 1, sformula, s)
    Loop
    ReplaceAddress = sformula
End Function