Returns an array of ShapeSheet cells upon which the formula of another cell depends. Read-only.
Version Information Version Added: Visio 2003
Syntax
expression.Precedents
expression A variable that represents a Cell object.
Return Value
Cell()
Remarks
The Precedents property returns an array of the cells that cause the parent Cell object to recalculate its value when their formula or value changes.
Example
The following Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro shows how to use the Precedents property to display a list of cells upon which the "Scratch.X1" cell of a shape depend. The macro draws a rectangle on the active page, adds a Scratch section to the ShapeSheet of the rectangle, and then enters a formula in a cell of that section that is used to bow the sides of the rectangle inward, by changing each of the rectangles sides to an arc. Because the formula used to bow the sides of the rectangle depends on the width and height of the rectangle, the cell that contains the formula, Scratch.X1, is dependent upon the Width and Height cells of the rectangle shape, making these cells precedents.
Visual Basic for Applications
Public Sub Precedents_Example()
Dim acellPrecedentCells() As Visio.Cell
Dim vsoCell As Visio.Cell
Dim vsoShape As Visio.Shape
Dim strBowCell As String
Dim strBowFormula As String
Dim intCounter As Integer
'Set the value of the strBowCell string
strBowCell = "Scratch.X1"
'Set the value of the strBowFormula string
strBowFormula = "=Min(Width, Height) / 5"
'Draw a rectangle on the active page
Set vsoShape = ActivePage.DrawRectangle(1, 5, 5, 1)
'Add a scratch section and then
vsoShape.AddSection visSectionScratch
'Add a row to the scratch section
vsoShape.AddRow visSectionScratch, visRowScratch, 0
'Place the value of strBowFormula into Scratch.X1
'Set the Cell object to the Scratch.X1 and set formula
Set vsoCell = vsoShape.Cells(strBowCell)
'Set up the offset for the arc
vsoCell.Formula = strBowFormula
'Bow in or curve the original rectangle's lines by changing
'each row to an arc and entering the bow value
For intCounter = 1 To 4
vsoShape.RowType(visSectionFirstComponent, visRowVertex + intCounter) = visTagArcTo
Set vsoCell = vsoShape.CellsSRC(visSectionFirstComponent, visRowVertex + intCounter, 2)
vsoCell.Formula = "-" & strBowCell
Next intCounter
'Get the array of precedent cells
acellPrecedentCells = vsoShape.Cells("Scratch.X1").Precedents
'List the cell names and their associated formula
For intCounter = LBound(acellPrecedentCells) To UBound(acellPrecedentCells)
Set vsoCell = acellPrecedentCells(intCounter)
Debug.Print vsoCell.Name & " has this formula: " & vsoCell.Formula
Next