VBA MsgBox - Complete Guide with code examples
The MsgBox displays a message with direct interaction from the user. The Msgbox is window that appears on the screen that prompts the user to make a selection, or display information.
Let’s begin by understanding the syntax.
Syntax:
MsgBox(prompt[,buttons][,title][,helpfile,context])
- Prompt − (Required) – A String that is displayed as a message in the dialog box. The maximum length is approximately 1024 characters.
- Buttons − (Optional) A Numeric expression that specifies the type of buttons to display. Refer to the table below.
- Title − (Optional) A String expression displayed in the title bar of the dialog box. If the title is left blank, the application name is placed in the title bar.
- Helpfile − (Optional) A String expression that identifies the Help file to use for providing context-sensitive help for the dialog box.
- Context − (Optional) A Numeric expression that identifies the Help context number assigned by the Help author to the appropriate Help topic. If context is provided, helpfile must also be provided.
Sub YesNoDemo()
' Dim statement is used to Assign the variables
Dim Message, Style, Title, Help, Ctxt, Response, MyString
Message = "Do you like to code?" ' Msgbox Message
Style = vbYesNo + vbCritical + vbDefaultButton2 ' Buttons to be displayed
Title = "Excelbuddy.com MsgBox Demonstration" ' Msgbox Title
Help = "helpfile.txt" ' Define Help file.
Ctxt = 3000 ' Define topic context.
‘ Displaying the actual MsgBox variable inputs from above
Response = MsgBox(Message, Style, Title, Help, Ctxt)
If Response = vbYes Then ‘ Yes as selected answer
MyString = “Yes” ‘ You can add a performed action
Else ‘ No as selected answer
MyString = “No” ‘ You can add a performed action
End If
End Sub
VBA MsgBox Button Parameters
The button parameters are broken up into 5 groups. These constants work as follows:
- Group 1 – Buttons
- Group 2 – Icons
- Group 3 – Select which button is highlighted when the message box appears.
- Group 4 – Set the modal type of the message box.
- Group 5 – General settings
Please note: When using the Msgbox function, you can only select one of each category. This is shown in the code demonstrations below.
- button type
- icon type
- default button
- modal type
| Constant | Group | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| vbOKOnly | 1 | Buttons | Ok button. |
| vbOKCancel | 1 | Buttons | Ok and cancel buttons. |
| vbAbortRetryIgnore | 1 | Buttons | Abort, Retry and Ignore buttons. |
| vbYesNoCancel | 1 | Buttons | Yes, No and Cancel buttons. |
| vbYesNo | 1 | Buttons | Yes and No buttons. |
| vbRetryCancel | 1 | Buttons | Retry and Cancel buttons. |
| vbCritical | 2 | Icon | Critical Message icon. |
| vbQuestion | 2 | Icon | Warning Query icon. |
| vbExclamation | 2 | Icon | Warning Message icon. |
| vbInformation | 2 | Icon | Information Message icon. |
| vbDefaultButton1 | 3 | Default button | Set button 1 to be selected. |
| vbDefaultButton2 | 3 | Default button | Set button 2 to be selected. |
| vbDefaultButton3 | 3 | Default button | Set button 3 to be selected. |
| vbDefaultButton4 | 3 | Default button | Set button 4 to be selected. Note that there will only be four buttons if the help button is included with vbAbortRetryIgnore or vbYesNoCancel. |
| vbApplicationModal | 4 | Modal | Cannot access Excel while the button is displayed. Msgbox is only displayed when Excel is the active application. |
| vbSystemModal | 4 | Modal | Same as vbApplicationModal but the message box is displayed in front of all applications. |
| vbMsgBoxHelpButton | 5 | Other | Adds a help button |
| vbMsgBoxSetForeground | 5 | Other | Sets the message box windows to be the foreground window |
| vbMsgBoxRight | 5 | Other | Right aligns the text. |
| vbMsgBoxRtlReading | 5 | Other | Specifies text should appear as right-to-left reading on Hebrew and Arabic systems. |
VBA MsgBox Return Values
The following are all the return values for the MsgBox function:
vbOk
vbCancel
vbAbort
vbRetry
vbIgnore
vbYes
vbNo
Each of these values represents a button that was clicked.
Msgbox Example
The following code will prompt the user with a statement with “Yes” or “No” as inputs.
Sub YesNoDemo()
' Here we display the Return Values
' Make sure the values questions are in parenthesis
If MsgBox("Do you like coffee? ", vbYesNo) = vbYes Then
MsgBox "Coffee runs the world!"
Else
MsgBox "How do you operate without coffee?"
End If
End Sub
Msgbox Message Boxes
Group 2 – Msgbox Icon Demos
Here are examples how to use Group 2 of the Msg Button Paramenters. Group 2 is the Icon’s displayed in the pop-up window. There are four to choose from.
' Yes/No buttons with Critical icon resp = MsgBox("Having fun yet?", vbYesNo + vbCritical) ' Yes/No buttons with Warning Query icon resp = MsgBox("Having fun yet?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion) ' Yes/No buttons with Warning Message icon resp = MsgBox("Having fun yet?", vbYesNo + vbExclamation) ' Yes/No button with Information Message icon resp = MsgBox("Having fun yet?", vbYesNo + vbInformation)
Here are the display messages in Excel.
vbCritical
vbQuestion
vbExclamation
vbInformation
Additional Examples using Button Parameters
' This shows how 4 buttons: Yes, No, Cancel, Help plus it highlights button 2
resp = MsgBox("Example of Button 2 Highlighted", vbYesNoCancel + vbDefaultButton2 + vbMsgBoxHelpButton)
' This shows how 4 buttons: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Help plus it highlights button 3
resp = MsgBox("Example of Button 2 Highlighted", vbAbortRetryIgnore + vbDefaultButton3 + vbMsgBoxHelpButton)
