Create a VBA Array from Column Headers? - arrays

Question

I have a an export "NewExport" that always randomizes the columns of data I receive. I need these columns to align with the order of columns in "TheOrder", so this code will help to re-organize the export to align with the column headers I've already built.
I have 132 columns that need re-alignment, and while I can type it all out, there must be an easier way to align with the column headers I've already created. It should be noted that the below code is shamelessly copy/pasted from another StackOverflow answer.
Sub OrderColumns(ByVal NewExport As Workbook, ByVal TheOrder As Worksheet)
Dim correctOrder() As Variant
Dim lastCol As Long
Dim headerRng As Range, cel As Range
Dim mainWS As Worksheet
Set mainWS = NewExport.Worksheets("Sheet1")
'Need to figure out how to make this an array based on a Range
correctOrder() = Array(TheOrder.Range("A1:A132").Value)
With mainWS
lastCol = .Cells(1, .Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
Set headerRng = .Range(.Cells(1, 1), .Cells(1, lastCol))
End With
Dim newWS As Worksheet
Set newWS = Ninja.Sheets.Add
newWS.Name = "Rearranged Sheet"
Dim col As Long
With newWS
For col = 1 To lastCol
For Each cel In headerRng
If cel.Value = correctOrder(col - 1) Then
mainWS.Columns(cel.Column).Copy .Columns(col)
Exit For
End If
Next cel
Next col
End With
End Sub

Answer 1

While it's not as automated as I would have liked (and requires one piece of hard-coding), I was able to find a solution as such:
Dim correctOrder(132) As Variant
'132 will need to be changed if there's ever any more/less columns added/excluded
For i = 1 To 132
correctOrder(i - 1) = TheOrder.Range("A" & i).Value
Next
This solution gave me the array I was looking for for use later on.

Answer 2

I recently wrote a 'column finder' function for a project of mine.
I've modified it to suit your requirements below.
The function requires you pass the workbook your correct ordered headings are in to capture. You could modify this to require your TargetWorksheet instead so it's a bit more dynamic.
The function returns a single dimension Array.
The function finds the last used Column in the Target Worksheet allowing for changes in the number of column headings (as mentioned in your own answer which has the column number hard coded).
Public Function CorrectOrderHeadingsArrayFunction(ByRef TargetWorkbook As Workbook) As Variant()
With TargetWorkbook.Sheets(1) 'Change this to target your correct sheet
Dim LastColumn As Long
LastColumn = .Cells(1, .Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
CorrectOrderHeadingsArrayFunction= Application.Transpose(Application.Transpose(.Range(.Cells(1, 1), .Cells(1, LastColumn)).Value)) 'This returns the array as single dimension rather than 2D
End With
End Function
As an example, below is some sample 'Test' code to show the concept of using this function .
You could call it like so, and loop through each element perhaps comparing another arrays elements to the correct order elements and do something when the correct order value is found.
Sub TestSub()
Dim CorrectOrderArray As Variant
Dim TargetCorrectOrderElement As Variant
Dim RandomOrderArray As Variant
Dim TargetRandomOrderElement As Variant
CorrectOrderArray = CorrectOrderHeadingsArrayFunction(Workbooks("Export (4).csv")) 'Change this to target your correct workbook
RandomOrderArray = Sheet1.Range("A1:AZ1000") 'Change this to target the correct range for your data.
For Each TargetCorrectOrderElement In CorrectOrderArray
For TargetRandomOrderElement = LBound(RandomOrderArray) To UBound(RandomOrderArray)
If RandomOrderArray(TargetRandomOrderElement) = TargetCorrectorderValue Then
'Do some code to write that column to your worksheet
Exit For 'Leaves the current iteration of the random order array loop to go to the next iteration of the correct order array
End If
Next TargetRandomOrderElement
Next TargetCorrectOrderElement
End Sub