How to Add Default Values to New Table Rows in Excel with Formulas and VBA

When you have a table in Excel, you can use the Tab key to quickly add a new row at the bottom of the table. However, sometimes you may want to have some default values for the new row, such as a serial number, a date, or a text. There are two main ways to achieve this:

• Using calculated column formulas: This method involves entering a formula in the first row of the table that will automatically fill the rest of the column with the desired value. For example, if you want to have a serial number in column A, you can enter =ROW ()-1 in cell A2, and this will generate a sequence of numbers starting from 1. Similarly, if you want to have a text like “N/A” in column B, you can enter ="N/A" in cell B2, and this will fill the column with the same text. The advantage of this method is that it is simple and does not require any VBA code. The disadvantage is that it may not work for some values that need to be fixed or changed manually, such as a date or a name.
• Using VBA code: This method involves writing a macro that will run whenever a new row is added to the table, and assign the default values to the cells of the new row. For example, if you want to have the current date and time in column C, you can write a code that will insert =NOW () in the new cell of column C, and then convert it to a value. The advantage of this method is that it gives you more flexibility and control over the default values. The disadvantage is that it requires some knowledge of VBA and may not work if the macro is disabled or deleted.

Procedures

In this section, I will explain the procedures for both methods using an example table. The table has four columns: ID, Name, Date, and Status. I want to have the following default values for each column:

• ID: A serial number starting from 1
• Name: A text “N/A”
• Date: The current date and time
• Status: A text “Pending”

Here is how the table looks like before adding any new rows:

Using calculated column formulas

To use this method, I need to enter the following formulas in the first row of the table:

• In cell A2, I enter =ROW ()-1. This will generate a serial number starting from 1.
• In cell B2, I enter ="N/A". This will fill the column with the text “N/A”.
• In cell C2, I enter =NOW (). This will show the current date and time.
• In cell D2, I enter ="Pending". This will fill the column with the text “Pending”.

After entering the formulas, the table will look like this:

Now, if I press the Tab key in cell D2, a new row will be added at the bottom of the table, and the formulas will be copied to the new row. The table will look like this:

I can repeat this process to add more rows to the table, and the formulas will automatically fill the columns with the default values.

Using VBA code

To use this method, I need to write a macro that will run whenever a new row is added to the table, and assign the default values to the cells of the new row. Here are the steps to do this:

• Open the Visual Basic Editor by pressing Alt+F11 on the keyboard.
• In the Project Explorer window, find the worksheet that contains the table, and double-click on it. This will open the code window for the worksheet.
• In the code window, select Worksheet from the left drop-down menu, and Change from the right drop-down menu. This will create a sub procedure called Worksheet_Change that will run whenever a change is made on the worksheet.
• In the sub procedure, write the following code:

Private Sub Worksheet_Change (ByVal Target As Range)
    'Declare variables
    Dim tbl As ListObject
    Dim newRow As ListRow
    Dim lastRow As ListRow
    Dim lastCell As Range
    
    'Set the table object
    Set tbl = Me.ListObjects ("Table1") 'Change the table name as needed
    
    'Set the last row and cell of the table
    Set lastRow = tbl.ListRows (tbl.ListRows.Count)
    Set lastCell = lastRow.Range (lastRow.Range.Columns.Count)
    
    'Check if the change is made in the last cell of the table
    If Not Intersect (Target, lastCell) Is Nothing Then
        'Add a new row to the table
        Set newRow = tbl.ListRows.Add
        
        'Assign the default values to the new row
        newRow.Range (1) = lastRow.Range (1) + 1 'Serial number
        newRow.Range (2) = "N/A" 'Name
        newRow.Range (3) = Now () 'Date and time
        newRow.Range (4) = "Pending" 'Status
        
        'Convert the date and time to a value
        newRow.Range (3).Value = newRow.Range (3).Value
    End If
End Sub

• Save and close the Visual Basic Editor.
• Go back to the worksheet and test the macro by pressing the Tab key in the last cell of the table. A new row should be added with the default values.

Comprehensive explanation

In this section, I will explain the code and the logic behind the VBA method in more detail.

The macro uses the Worksheet_Change event, which is triggered whenever a change is made on the worksheet. The event has a parameter called Target, which is a range object that represents the cell or cells that were changed. The macro checks if the Target is the last cell of the table, which means that the user pressed the Tab key to add a new row. If so, the macro performs the following actions:

• It declares some variables to store the table object, the new row object, the last row object, and the last cell object. These variables are used to refer to the elements of the table and manipulate them.
• It sets the table object by using the Me keyword, which refers to the current worksheet, and the ListObjects collection, which contains all the tables on the worksheet. The table object is identified by its name, which can be changed as needed.
• It sets the last row object by using the ListRows collection of the table object, and the Count property, which returns the number of rows in the collection. The last row object is the last existing row of the table before adding a new one.
• It sets the last cell object by using the Range property of the last row object, which returns a range object that represents the entire row, and the Columns property, which returns a collection of columns in the range. The last cell object is the last column of the last row, which is where the user pressed the Tab key.
• It adds a new row to the table by using the Add method of the ListRows collection. The new row object is returned by the method and stored in a variable.
• It assigns the default values to the new row by using the Range property of the new row object, which returns a range object that represents the entire row, and the index number of the column. The default values are either calculated from the last row values, such as the serial number, or entered as constants, such as the text or the date and time.
• It converts the date and time to a value by using the Value property of the range object, which returns or sets the value of the cell. This is done to prevent the date and time from changing every time the worksheet recalculates, and to keep it fixed at the moment when the row was added.

Example

To illustrate how the VBA method works, I will use a scenario and an example with real numbers.

Suppose I have a table that tracks the orders of a online store. The table has four columns: Order ID, Customer Name, Order Date, and Order Status. I want to have the following default values for each column:

• Order ID: A serial number starting from 1001
• Customer Name: A text “N/A”
• Order Date: The current date and time
• Order Status: A text “Pending”

Here is how the table looks like before adding any new rows:

Now, I press the Tab key in cell D2, which is the last cell of the table. This will trigger the macro, and a new row will be added with the default values. The table will look like this:

I can repeat this process to add more rows to the table, and the macro will automatically fill the columns with the default values.

Other approaches

There are some other possible approaches to add default values to new table rows when using the Tab key, such as:

• Using data validation: This method involves setting up a list of valid values for each column, and then applying data validation to the entire column. For example, if I want to have a list of possible order statuses, such as “Pending”, “Shipped”, “Delivered”, or “Cancelled”, I can create a named range with these values, and then use data validation to restrict the input in column D to this list. The advantage of this method is that it prevents invalid or inconsistent entries, and allows the user to choose from a drop-down menu. The disadvantage is that it does not automatically fill the cells with a default value, and the user has to select one manually.
• Using conditional formatting: This method involves applying a formatting rule to the cells of the table that will change their appearance based on a condition. For example, if I want to highlight the rows that have a status of “Pending” with a yellow color, I can use conditional formatting to create a rule that will apply this format to the cells in column D that contain the text “Pending”. The advantage of this method is that it makes the table more visually appealing and easy to read. The disadvantage is that it does not change the value of the cells, and the user has to enter or select one manually.