Practical Techniques to Find Last Rows and Columns in Excel Using VBA

Using a UsedRange for Columns

This method leverages the UsedRange property of the worksheet to identify the boundary of the area used. This way, you can easily find the last column that contains the data.

How to use UsedRange:

• The UsedRange provides information about all the cells used in the worksheet, and you can count the number of columns from this area to find the last column.
• However, keep in mind that if there are blank cells between the data, this method may not give you the right results.

Example Code:

Sub FindingLastColUsingUsedRange()
	Dim wS As Worksheet
	Dim LastCol As Long

	Set wS = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1") ' Replace "Sheet1" with your worksheet name

	' Find the last non-blank column using UsedRange
	LastCol = wS.UsedRange.Columns.Count

	' Display the result in the Immediate window
	Debug.Print LastCol
End Sub

Conclusion

Knowing how to find the last row and column used in a worksheet is a very important skill in data processing automation using Excel VBA.

In this article, we have discussed some efficient VBA methods to accomplish this task. One of them is End(xlUp), which allows us to quickly find the last row in a specific column, very useful for vertically structured data.

In addition, we also discuss End(xlToLeft), which serves to find the last column filled in a specific row, ideal for horizontally structured data. The UsedRange method has also been described, which can be used to find both the last row and column, and is very effective when data is spread across the worksheet.

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the data structure and your analysis needs. The End(xlUp) and End(xlToLeft methods are the right choice for structured and sequential datasets, while UsedRange is more suitable for more complex datasets with data spread across various rows and columns.