Question

I was hoping to define some variables and put them within a vlookup formula. I have outlined below a simple example of what I’m trying to achieve. However I keep getting a ‘438’ error message.

I have put in the original vlookup without the variables and the vlookup with the variables in that are not working. Any input would be appreciated. I believe I have variables defined correctly but I think it’s something to do with the way I’m calling them in the formula.

Sub Macro1()

Dim Lookupcolumn As Range

Dim columnletter_start As String

Dim columnletter_End As String

columnletter_start = ActiveCell.offfet(0, 1).Value

columnletter_End = ActiveCell.offfet(0, 2).Value

Set Lookupcolumn = Sheets("Pricing Analysis").Cells.Find(What:="Cusip", After:=ActiveCell, LookIn:=xlFormulas, LookAt _
        :=xlPart, SearchOrder:=xlByRows, SearchDirection:=xlNext, MatchCase:= _
        False, SearchFormat:=False)

'ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(R[1]C[-8],'CS Primeview'!C[-6]:C[-4],3,FALSE)"

ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(Lookupcolumn,'CS Primeview'columnletter_start:columnletter_End,3,FALSE)"


End Sub

Answer 1

The problem is that indeed you may use any Excel function in your VBA code via Excel.WorksheetFunction. structure and obtain correct results using variables.
However, for your code ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(Lookupcolumn,'CS Primeview'columnletter_start:columnletter_End,3,FALSE)" you try to use Range object as reference in VLOOKUP, but Excel understands as the argument only valid reference as A1 or Named Region.

As a solution try to generate A1-similar argument in your code. For the entire column A:A will go. Good luck!

P.S. One more thing I noticed: 'CS Primeview'columnletter_start:columnletter_End – for this part it seems you missed exclamation before reference, as well as double quotes to concatenate parts, i.e. "'CS Primeview'!" & columnletter_start & ":" & columnletter_End should be correct.