Microsoft Excel
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Ron de Bruin
Excel Automation

Microsoft MVP Program

Sheet Direction in Excel 2007-2013

Important message to visitors of this page

Ron de Bruin decided to remove all Windows Excel content from his website for personal reasons. If you want to know why, head over to rondebruin.nl.

Luckily, Ron was kind enough to allow me to publish all of his Excel content here.

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Jan Karel Pieterse


Default sheet direction for new workbooks

In Excel 97-2003 there is always a option in Tools>Options on the International tab to change the default sheet direction. But in Excel 2007 there is only a option to change the default direction in Office Button>Excel Options...Advanced if you have installed at least one RightToLeft language.
In Excel 2010-2013 they add this option back in File>Options...Advanced.

Screenshot from Excel 2003 :

But we can always change the default direction with VBA code if every new workbook you create is wrong:
The default sheet direction for Excel you can change with this code line in every Excel version.
Application.DefaultSheetDirection = xlLTR 'or use xlRTL

Do this one time to change the default direction

1: Alt F11 to open the VBA editor
2: Ctrl g to open the Immediate window

    In the Immediate window type
    Application.DefaultSheetDirection = xlLTR
    And press Enter

3: Alt q to close the VBA editor
4: Create a new workbook to test it

 

Change ActiveWorksheet direction

In Excel 97-2003 there is always a option in Tools>Options on the International tab to change it.
In Excel 2010-2013 you can also change it in the user interface : File>Options...Advanced

And you have this option in Excel 2007-2013.

Right click on the QAT and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
Select "All Commands" In the "Choose commands from" dropdown.
Select "Right to Left Document"
Add
OK

Or use this toggle macro in Excel 97-2013.

Sub Toggle_Sheet_Direction_ActiveSheet()
    ActiveSheet.DisplayRightToLeft = Not ActiveSheet.DisplayRightToLeft
End Sub