A Beginner’s Guide to Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)

Learning Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is a great way to automate repetitive tasks in Excel. This article covers the basics of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and macro coding in Excel. Among the topics covered are functions and sub-procedures. These concepts are fundamental to understanding the nuances of VB code.

Basics of Visual Basic for Applications

You’re not alone if you’re unfamiliar with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Most desktop Microsoft Office applications are built with this event-driven programming language. Its features make it an excellent choice for creating simple, fast-running programs. But before you get started, it’s essential to understand a bit about the language.

If you’re new to programming, Visual Basic is an excellent choice to learn the basics of application writing. The language was designed for Microsoft Office and is highly compatible with the classic VB. Its visual environment is easy to use, and its drag-and-drop feature makes building applications a breeze. However, it also requires a lot of memory, as it has many graphical features.

Once you’ve learned the basics of Visual Basic for Applications, you can build your programs using the language. For example, you can automate word processors or use a database. But if you want to make a more complex program, you’ll need to use a different language.

Macro coding in Excel

You can code in Excel with VBA by using the developer tab. You can access the Developer tab through the File – Options menu. This tab contains the coding instructions. The application’s name is assumed in the code, so you don’t have to specify it. You can also use a workbook reference to ensure the code won’t affect other workbooks. This will prevent accidental execution of your code.

A function procedure is a group of statements that perform calculations and return a value. For example, if you want to calculate the number of sugar cubes given to a horse daily, you could create a table and store all those sugar cubes. Then, you can issue reminders to your caretaker to provide them with sugar cubes daily. An Excel workbook is a mix of data and macros.

Functions

Creating custom functions in Excel is easy, especially if you are familiar with formulas. To create a custom function, you first need to declare its name. For example, if the function’s name is “myDayName,” the result value will be the number of characters in cell A1. Then, after creating the process, you must assign a code so that it will work with all possible cases.

Functions are similar to subroutines, except that a function returns a value when called. For example, if you want to calculate the number of days in a calendar, you can create a function that accepts two numbers and returns the product of those numbers. To make this function, you can follow the steps below.

Sub procedures

Sub procedures are used to execute a specific task in VBA. Typically, a sub-procedure is called by using a particular key. Buttons are also a common way to reach subprocedures. These can be created in the Button menu or ActiveX Controls form. Other excel objects, such as shapes, text boxes, and clip art, can also be used to call subprocedures.

To use a VBA Sub procedure, you must first define its name. The name of a sub-procedure must be unique. It cannot include spaces, special characters, or periods. The title should be a combination of a verb and a noun. If possible, avoid using complete sentences in the name, as this will slow down your work speed.

Error handling

When you’re working with VBA in Excel, you’ve probably heard that you need to understand error handling. Errors can occur for several reasons, including lousy coding, operations that are not possible, and unexpected errors. The best way to deal with these errors is to understand what causes them. For example, if you’re trying to calculate the square root of a cell’s value, but the cell contains some other matter, you’ll receive an error message.

The first thing you’ll want to understand is that error handling can happen during and after your code’s execution. Using error labels in VBA can be a great way to track when the error occurs. You’ll also want to know that VBA allows you to add line numbers to your code. However, you should be aware that adding line numbers to your code is time-consuming.