Autofilter with column formatted as date

Question

I am using an AutoFilter with VBA in Excel that works for regular filters, but not a column formatted as date.

I can filter it manually. If I run my code, it filters nothing but when I check the filter and then only click ok (no change being applied to the filter criteria), it filters correctly.

Here is my code:

ws.ListObjects(SheetName).Range.AutoFilter Field:=3, Criteria1 _
        :=">" & CDate([datecell]), Operator:=xlAnd, Criteria2:= _
        "<=" & CDate(WorksheetFunction.EoMonth([datecell], 3))

It seems to be a common problem, but I have not found a solution.

When I run a recorded macro, it does not work either.

Answer 1

Dates can be tricky with Excel VBA AutoFilter. Some find it easier to just loop through the array to be filtered.

Sometimes I have found that one can use the numeric value of the date, especially when dealing with "dates between"

Criteria1:= ">" & CDbl([datecell])
Criteria2:= "<=" & CDbl(WorksheetFunction.EoMonth([datecell], 3))

Note that the above need to be "real dates" and not strings that look like dates. Even a single "string date" will mess things up.

Answer 2

Autofilter() works with 'universal' format yyyy-mm-dd, i.e.:

Criteria1:= ">" & Format([MY_DATE],"yyyy-mm-dd")
Criteria2:= "<=" & Format([MY_DATE],"yyyy-mm-dd")

It's better because Excel can't 'understand' it wrong . If you use mm/dd/yyyy or dd/mm/yyyy Excel can fit 02/jan as 01/feb.

see: http://www.oaltd.co.uk/ExcelProgRef/Ch22/ProgRefCh22.htm

The Rules for Working with Excel (International Issue)

2. When you have to convert numbers and dates to strings for passing to Excel (such as in criteria for AutoFilter or .Formula strings), always explicitly convert the data to a US-formatted string, using Trim(Str(MyNumber)), or the sNumToUS() function shown earlier, for all number and date types. Excel will then use it correctly and convert it to the local number/date formats.

---

Edit:

We can create an universal Function using Application.International like:

Sub MySub()
    Select Case application.International(xlDateOrder)
        Case Is = 0
            dtFormat = "mm/dd/yyyy"
        Case Is = 1
            dtFormat = "dd/mm/yyyy"
        Case Is = 2
            dtFormat = "yyyy/mm/dd"
        Case Else
            dtFormat = "Error"
    End Select

    Debug.Print (dtFormat)

    ...
    Criteria1:= ">" & Format([MY_DATE],dtFormat)
    Criteria2:= "<=" & Format([MY_DATE],dtFormat)
    ...

End Sub

Answer 3

you need to convert the format to the american format, like: ">" & Format([datecell], "mm/dd/yyyy") VBA does not understand another format.

Answer 4

This syntax works for me:

.AutoFilter Field:=2, Operator:=xlFilterValues, Criteria2:=Array(2, Format(Now, "yyyy-mm-dd"))

Hint obtained through a macro registration

Answer 5

Karlos Henrique, Thanks for suggesting Format([datecell], "mm/dd/yyyy"). It works in my file. My previous code is :

Range("A1:D" & Trim(Str(LstRec))).AutoFilter Field:=2, _
  Criteria1:=">=" & StrtDt, _
  Operator:=xlAnd, _
  Criteria2:="<=" & EndDt

My modified code is :

Range("A1:D" & Trim(Str(LstRec))).AutoFilter Field:=2, _
  Criteria1:=">=" & Format(StrtDt, "mm/dd/yyyy"), _
  Operator:=xlAnd, _
  Criteria2:="<=" & Format(EndDt, "mm/dd/yyyy")

Thanks.

Answer 6

Match your "dd-mm-yyy" to the format of the column, so if you have "16-Aug-16" as your source data formatting then make the filter as "dd-mmm-yy"

Answer 7

One solution is to set up correctly the format of the target column. If its formatted as "custom", even if it looks like a date, it won't work.

You are asking VBA to filter based on a date, therefore the format of the columns has to be a date too.

Answer 8

SO this worked for me pretty clean

ActiveSheet.Range("$A$1:$K$35727").AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:= _
        ">=" & Range("G1"), Operator:=xlAnd, Criteria2:="<=" & Range("H1")

You can try this as well

Expected output will start date in my G1 cell and end date will be H1 cell.

Answer 9

I had similar problem, while filtering column with date. When I changed system date format to 01/01/2020, it converted my date to 1/1/2020 in Criteria field. My solution was to convert arguments to str during setting to function.

Answer 10

here's the occam's razor solution... try putting this in Autoopen for the spreadsheet or if you need to, modify it for the sheet that you wish to affect. it will cause the drop down filters for the date headers to appear as individual dates and not as a date hierarchy.

ActiveWindow.AutoFilterDateGrouping = False