Excel 2007 – Use the VBA SaveAs Method

You see a lot of old SaveAs code that does not specify the FileFormat parameter. In Excel versions before Excel 2007, code without this parameter will not cause too many problems because Excel will use the current FileFormat
of the existing file -- and the default FileFormat for new files is a normal workbook.

But because there are so many new file formats in Excel 2007, you shouldn't use code that doesn’t specify the FileFormat parameter.

In Excel 2007, the SaveAs method requires you to provide both the FileFormat parameter and the correct file extension.

For example, in Excel 2007 this line of code will fail if the ActiveWorkbook is not an .xlsm file:

ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs "C:/ron.xlsm"

But this code will always work:

ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs "C:/ron.xlsm", fileformat:=52 
' 52 = xlOpenXMLWorkbookMacroEnabled = xlsm (workbook with macro's in 2007)

These are the main file formats in Excel 2007:

51 = xlOpenXMLWorkbook (without macro's in 2007, .xlsx)
52 = xlOpenXMLWorkbookMacroEnabled (with or without macro's in 2007, .xlsm)
50 = xlExcel12 (Excel Binary Workbook in 2007 with or without macro's, .xlsb)
56 = xlExcel8 (97-2003 format in Excel 2007, .xls)

Note: I always use the FileFormat numbers instead of the defined constants in my code so that it will compile OK when I copy the code into an Excel 97-2003 workbook. (For example, Excel 97-2003 won't know what the xlOpenXMLWorkbookMacroEnabled constant is.)

Example

At the end of this section is a basic VBA code example for a macro named Copy_ActiveSheet_New_Workbook()that copies the ActiveSheet to a new Workbook and then saves it in a format that matches the file extension of the parent workbook.

Note: You can use this [gs macro] in Excel 97-2007.

If you run the code in Excel 2007, it will look at the FileFormat of the parent [gs workbook] and save the new file in that format. However, if the parent workbook is an .xlsm file and there is no VBA code in the new workbook, the code will save the new file as an .xlsx file.

If the parent [gs workbook] is not an .xlsx, .xlsm or .xls file, then it will be saved as an .xlsb file.

[tab:Case SaveAs]

If you always want to save in a certain format you can replace this part of the macro:

Select Case Sourcewb.FileFormat
Case 51: FileExtStr = ".xlsx": FileFormatNum = 51
Case 52:
    If .HasVBProject Then
        FileExtStr = ".xlsm": FileFormatNum = 52
    Else
        FileExtStr = ".xlsx": FileFormatNum = 51
    End If
Case 56: FileExtStr = ".xls": FileFormatNum = 56
Case Else: FileExtStr = ".xlsb": FileFormatNum = 50
End Select

With the single line of code from this list for the format you want to use:

FileExtStr = ".xlsb": FileFormatNum = 50 
FileExtStr = ".xlsx": FileFormatNum = 51
FileExtStr = ".xlsm": FileFormatNum = 52
FileExtStr = ".xls": FileFormatNum = 56

[tab:CSV or TXT]

Or maybe you want to save the one sheet [gs workbook] to .[gs csv], .txt, or .prn. (you can use this also if you run the macro in Excel 97-2003):

FileExtStr = ".csv": FileFormatNum = 6
FileExtStr = ".txt": FileFormatNum = -4158
FileExtStr = ".prn": FileFormatNum = 36

Here’s the full code example.

Sub Copy_ActiveSheet_New_Workbook()
'Working in Excel 97-2007
    Dim FileExtStr As String
    Dim FileFormatNum As Long
    Dim Sourcewb As Workbook
    Dim Destwb As Workbook
    Dim TempFilePath As String
    Dim TempFileName As String

    With Application
        .ScreenUpdating = False
        .EnableEvents = False
    End With

    Set Sourcewb = ActiveWorkbook

    'Copy the sheet to a new workbook
    ActiveSheet.Copy
    Set Destwb = ActiveWorkbook

    'Determine the Excel version and file extension/format
    With Destwb
        If Val(Application.Version) < 12 Then
            'You use Excel 97-2003
            FileExtStr = ".xls": FileFormatNum = -4143
        Else
            'You use Excel 2007
            'We exit the sub when your answer is NO in the security dialog that you
            'only see when you copy a sheet from a xlsm file with macro's disabled.
            If Sourcewb.Name = .Name Then
                With Application
                    .ScreenUpdating = True
                    .EnableEvents = True
                End With
                MsgBox "Your answer is NO in the security dialog"
                Exit Sub
            Else
                Select Case Sourcewb.FileFormat
                Case 51: FileExtStr = ".xlsx": FileFormatNum = 51
                Case 52:
                    If .HasVBProject Then
                        FileExtStr = ".xlsm": FileFormatNum = 52
                    Else
                        FileExtStr = ".xlsx": FileFormatNum = 51
                    End If
                Case 56: FileExtStr = ".xls": FileFormatNum = 56
                Case Else: FileExtStr = ".xlsb": FileFormatNum = 50
                End Select
            End If
        End If
    End With

    '    'If you want to change all cells in the worksheet to values, uncomment these lines.
    '    With Destwb.Sheets(1).UsedRange
    '        .Cells.Copy
    '        .Cells.PasteSpecial xlPasteValues
    '        .Cells(1).Select
    '    End With
    '    Application.CutCopyMode = False

    'Save the new workbook and close it
    TempFilePath = Application.DefaultFilePath & "\"
    TempFileName = "Part of " & Sourcewb.Name & " " & Format(Now, "yyyy-mm-dd hh-mm-ss")

    With Destwb
        .SaveAs TempFilePath & TempFileName & FileExtStr, FileFormat:=FileFormatNum
        .Close SaveChanges:=False
    End With

    MsgBox "You can find the new file in " & TempFilePath

    With Application
        .ScreenUpdating = True
        .EnableEvents = True
    End With
End Sub

[tab:END]