Normally, when updating a cell with new content, the previous value will be covered unless undo the operation in Excel. However, if you want to keep the previous value for comparing with the updated one, saving the previous value into another cell or into the cell comment will be a good choice. The method in this article will help you to achieve it.
Save previous cell value with VBA code in Excel
Supposing you have a table as below screenshot shown. If any cell in column C changed, you want to save its previous value into the corresponding cell of column G or save in comment automatically. Please do as follows to achieve it.
1. In the worksheet contains the value you will save when updating, right-click the sheet tab and select View Code from the right-clicking menu. See screenshot:
2. In the opening Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, copy the below VBA code into the Code window.
The following VBA code helps you saving previous cell value of specified column into another column.
VBA code: Save previous cell value into another column cell
Dim xRg As Range
Dim xChangeRg As Range
Dim xDependRg As Range
Dim xDic As New Dictionary
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim I As Long
Dim xCell As Range
Dim xDCell As Range
Dim xHeader As String
Dim xCommText As String
On Error Resume Next
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.EnableEvents = False
xHeader = "Previous value :"
x = xDic.Keys
For I = 0 To UBound(xDic.Keys)
Set xCell = Range(xDic.Keys(I))
Set xDCell = Cells(xCell.Row, 7)
xDCell.Value = ""
xDCell.Value = xDic.Items(I)
Next
Application.EnableEvents = True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim I, J As Long
Dim xRgArea As Range
On Error GoTo Label1
If Target.Count > 1 Then Exit Sub
Application.EnableEvents = False
Set xDependRg = Target.Dependents
If xDependRg Is Nothing Then GoTo Label1
If Not xDependRg Is Nothing Then
Set xDependRg = Intersect(xDependRg, Range("C:C"))
End If
Label1:
Set xRg = Intersect(Target, Range("C:C"))
If (Not xRg Is Nothing) And (Not xDependRg Is Nothing) Then
Set xChangeRg = Union(xRg, xDependRg)
ElseIf (xRg Is Nothing) And (Not xDependRg Is Nothing) Then
Set xChangeRg = xDependRg
ElseIf (Not xRg Is Nothing) And (xDependRg Is Nothing) Then
Set xChangeRg = xRg
Else
Application.EnableEvents = True
Exit Sub
End If
xDic.RemoveAll
For I = 1 To xChangeRg.Areas.Count
Set xRgArea = xChangeRg.Areas(I)
For J = 1 To xRgArea.Count
xDic.Add xRgArea(J).Address, xRgArea(J).Formula
Next
Next
Set xChangeRg = Nothing
Set xRg = Nothing
Set xDependRg = Nothing
Application.EnableEvents = True
End SubFor saving the previous cell value in a comment, please apply the below VBA code
VBA code: Save previous cell value in the comment
Dim xRg As Range
Dim xChangeRg As Range
Dim xDependRg As Range
Dim xDic As New Dictionary
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim I As Long
Dim xCell As Range
Dim xHeader As String
Dim xCommText As String
On Error Resume Next
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.EnableEvents = False
xHeader = "Previous value :"
For I = 0 To UBound(xDic.Keys)
Set xCell = Range(xDic.Keys(I))
If Not xCell.Comment Is Nothing Then xCell.Comment.Delete
With xCell
.AddComment
.Comment.Visible = False
.Comment.Text xHeader & vbCrLf & xDic.Items(I)
End With
Next
Application.EnableEvents = True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim I, J As Long
Dim xRgArea As Range
On Error GoTo Label1
If Target.Count > 1 Then Exit Sub
Application.EnableEvents = False
Set xDependRg = Target.Dependents
If xDependRg Is Nothing Then GoTo Label1
If Not xDependRg Is Nothing Then
Set xDependRg = Intersect(xDependRg, Range("C:C"))
End If
Label1:
Set xRg = Intersect(Target, Range("C:C"))
If (Not xRg Is Nothing) And (Not xDependRg Is Nothing) Then
Set xChangeRg = Union(xRg, xDependRg)
ElseIf (xRg Is Nothing) And (Not xDependRg Is Nothing) Then
Set xChangeRg = xDependRg
ElseIf (Not xRg Is Nothing) And (xDependRg Is Nothing) Then
Set xChangeRg = xRg
Else
Application.EnableEvents = True
Exit Sub
End If
xDic.RemoveAll
For I = 1 To xChangeRg.Areas.Count
Set xRgArea = xChangeRg.Areas(I)
For J = 1 To xRgArea.Count
xDic.Add xRgArea(J).Address, xRgArea(J).Text
Next
Next
Set xChangeRg = Nothing
Set xRg = Nothing
Set xDependRg = Nothing
Application.EnableEvents = True
End SubNote: In the code, number 7 indicates the column G you will save the previous cell into, and C:C is the column you will save the previous cell value. Please change them based on your needs.
3. Click Tools > References to open the Refereces – VBAProject dialog box, check the Microsoft Scripting Runtime box, and finally click the OK button. See screenshot:
4. Press the Alt + Q keys to close the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
From now on, when cell value in column C updated, the previous value of the cell will be saved into corresponding cells in column G, or save in comment as below screenshots showed.
Save previous value into another cell:
Save previous value in comment:
