Walkenbach J., Alexander M. Excel VBA Programming For Dummies

5th ed. — Wiley, 2018. — 416 p. — ISBN: 978-1119518174.Take your Excel programming skills to the next level.To take Excel to the next level, you need to understand and implement the power of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Excel VBA Programming For Dummies introduces you to a wide array of new Excel options, beginning with the most important tools and operations for the Visual Basic Editor.Inside, youll find an overview of the essential elements and concepts for programming with Excel. In no time, youll discover techniques for handling errors and exterminating bugs, working with range objects and controlling program flow, and much more. With friendly advice on the easiest ways to develop custom dialog boxes, toolbars, and menus, readers will be creating Excel applications custom fit to their unique needs!Fully updated for the new Excel 2019
Step-by-step instructions for creating VBA macros to maximize productivity
Guidance on customizing your applications so they work the way you want
All sample programs, VBA code, and worksheets are available at dummies.comBeginning VBA programmers rejoice! This easy-to-follow book makes it easier than ever to excel at Excel VBA!About This BookObligatory Typographical Conventions Section
Check Your Security Settings
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Sample Files Online
Where to Go from HereGetting started with excel vba programming
What Is VBA
Okay, So What Is VBA
What Can You Do with VBA
Inserting a bunch of text
Automating a task you perform frequently
Automating repetitive operations
Creating a custom command
Creating a custom button
Developing new worksheet functions
Creating custom add-ins for Excel
Advantages and Disadvantages of VBA
VBA advantages
VBA disadvantages
VBA in a Nutshell
Excel CompatibilityJumping Right In
First Things First
What You’ll Be Doing
Taking the First Steps
Recording the Macro
Testing the Macro
Examining the Macro
Modifying the Macro
Saving Workbooks That Contain Macros
Understanding Macro Security
Revealing More about the NameAndTime MacroHow vba works with excel
Working in the Visual Basic Editor
What Is the Visual Basic Editor
Activating the VBE
Understanding VBE components
Working with the Project Window
Adding a new VBA module
Removing a VBA module
Exporting and importing objects
Working with a Code Window
Minimizing and maximizing windows
Creating a module
Getting VBA code into a module
Entering code directly
Using the macro recorder
Copying VBA code
Customizing the VBA Environment
Using the Editor tab
Using the Editor Format tab
Using the General tab
Using the Docking tabntroducing the Excel Object Model
Excel Is an Object
Climbing Down the Object Hierarchy
Wrapping Your Mind around Collections
Referring to Objects
Navigating through the hierarchy
Simplifying object references
Diving into Object Properties and Methods
Object properties
Object methods
Object events
Finding Out More
Using VBA’s Help system
Using the Object Browser
Automatically listing properties and methodsBA Sub and Function Procedures
Understanding Subs versus Functions
Looking at Sub procedures
Looking at Function procedures
Naming Subs and Functions
Executing Sub procedures
Executing the Sub procedure directly
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Executing the procedure from the Macro dialog box
Executing a macro by using a shortcut key
Executing the procedure from a button or shape
Executing the procedure from another procedure
Executing Function procedures
Calling the function from a Sub procedure
Calling a function from a worksheet formulaUsing the Excel Macro Recorder
Recording Basics
Preparing to Record
Relative or Absolute
Recording in absolute mode
Recording in relative mode
What Gets Recorded
Recording Options
Macro name
Shortcut key
Store Macro In optionDescriptionIs This Thing EfficientProgramming concepts
Essential VBA Language Elements
Using Comments in Your VBA Code
Using Variables, Constants, and Data Types
Understanding variables
What are VBA’s data types
Declaring and scoping variables
Working with constants
Premade constants
Working with strings
Working with dates
Using Assignment Statements
Assignment statement examples
About that equal sign
Smooth operators
Working with Arrays
Declaring arrays
Multidimensional arrays
Dynamic arrays
Using LabelsWorking with Range Objects
A Quick Review
Other Ways to Refer to a Range
The Cells property
The Offset property
Some Useful Range Object Properties
The Value property
The Text property
The Count property
The Column and Row properties
The Address property
The HasFormula property
The Font property
The Interior property
The Formula property
The NumberFormat property
Some Useful Range Object Methods
The Select method
The Copy and Paste methods
The Clear method
The Delete methodUsing VBA and Worksheet Functions
What Is a Function
Using Built-In VBA Functions
VBA function examples
VBA functions that do more than return a value
Discovering VBA functions
Using Worksheet Functions in VBA
Worksheet function examples
Entering worksheet functions
More about using worksheet functions
Using Custom FunctionsControlling Program Flow and Making Decisions
Going with the Flow, Dude
The GoTo Statement
Decisions, Decisions
The If-Then structure
The Select Case structure
Knocking Your Code for a Loop
For-Next loops
Do-While loop
Do-Until loop
Using For Each-Next Loops with CollectionsAutomatic Procedures and Events
Preparing for the Big Event
Are events useful
Programming event-handler procedures
Where Does the VBA Code Go
Writing an Event-Handler Procedure
Introductory Examples
The Open event for a workbook
The BeforeClose event for a workbook
The BeforeSave event for a workbook
Examples of Activation Events
Activate and deactivate events in a sheet
Activate and deactivate events in a workbook
Workbook activation events
Other Worksheet-Related Events
The BeforeDoubleClick event
The BeforeRightClick event
The Change event
Events Not Associated with Objects
The OnTime event
Keypress eventsError-Handling Techniques
Types of Errors
An Erroneous Example
The macro’s not quite perfect
The macro is still not perfect
Is the macro perfect yet
Giving up on perfection
Handling Errors Another Way
Revisiting the EnterSquareRoot procedure
About the On Error statement
Handling Errors: The Details
Resuming after an error
Error handling in a nutshell
Knowing when to ignore errors
Identifying specific errors
An Intentional ErrorBug Extermination Techniques
Species of Bugs
Identifying Bugs
Debugging Techniques
Examining your code
Using the MsgBox function
Inserting Debug.Print statements
Using the VBA debugger
About the Debugger
Setting breakpoints in your code
Using the Watches window
Using the Locals window
Bug Reduction TipsBA Programming Examples
Working with Ranges
Copying a range
Copying a variable-size range
Selecting to the end of a row or column
Selecting a row or column
Moving a range
Looping through a range efficiently
Looping through a range efficiently (Part II)
Prompting for a cell value
Determining the selection type
Identifying a multiple selection
Changing Excel Settings
Changing Boolean settings
Changing non-Boolean settings
Working with Charts
AddChart versus AddChart
Modifying the chart type
Looping through the ChartObjects collection
Modifying chart properties
Applying chart formatting
VBA Speed Tips
Turning off screen updating
Turning off automatic calculation
Eliminating those pesky alert messages
Simplifying object references
Declaring variable types
Using the With-End With structureCommunicating with your users
Simple Dialog Boxes
UserForm Alternatives
The MsgBox Function
Displaying a simple message box
Getting a response from a message box
Customizing message boxes
The InputBox Function
InputBox syntax
An InputBox example
Another type of InputBox
The GetOpenFilename Method
The syntax for the GetOpenFilename method
A GetOpenFilename example
The GetSaveAsFilename Method
Getting a Folder Name
Displaying Excel’s Built-in Dialog BoxesUserForm Basics
Knowing When to Use a UserForm
Creating UserForms: An Overview
Working with UserForms
Inserting a new UserForm
Adding controls to a UserForm
Changing properties for a UserForm control
Viewing the UserForm Code window
Displaying a UserForm
Using information from a UserForm
A UserForm Example
Creating the UserForm
Adding the CommandButtons
Adding the OptionButtons
Adding event-handler procedures
Creating a macro to display the dialog box
Making the macro available
Testing the macroUsing UserForm Controls
Getting Started with Dialog Box Controls
Adding controls
Introducing control properties
Dialog Box Controls: The Details
CheckBox control
ComboBox control
CommandButton control
Frame control
Image control
Label control
ListBox control
MultiPage control
OptionButton control
RefEdit control
ScrollBar control
SpinButton control
TabStrip control
TextBox control
ToggleButton control
Working with Dialog Box Controls
Moving and resizing controls
Aligning and spacing controls
Accommodating keyboard users
Testing a UserForm
Dialog Box AestheticsUserForm Techniques and Tricks
Using Dialog Boxes
A UserForm Example
Creating the dialog box
Writing code to display the dialog box
Making the macro available
Trying out your dialog box
Adding event-handler procedures
Validating the data
Now the dialog box works
A ListBox Example
Filling a ListBox
Determining the selected item
Determining multiple selections
Selecting a Range
Using Multiple Sets of OptionButtons
Using a SpinButton and a TextBox
Using a UserForm as a Progress Indicator
Creating the progress-indicator dialog box
The procedures
How this example works
Creating a Modeless Tabbed Dialog Box
Displaying a Chart in a UserForm
A Dialog Box ChecklistAccessing Your Macros through the User Interface
Customizing the Ribbon
Customizing the Ribbon manually
Adding a macro to the Ribbon
Customizing the Ribbon with XML
Customizing Shortcut Menus
Adding a new item to the Cell shortcut menu
What’s different since ExcelPutting it all together
Creating Worksheet Functions — and Living to Tell about It
Why Create Custom Functions
Understanding VBA Function Basics
Writing Functions
Working with Function Arguments
A function with no argument
A function with one argument
A function with two arguments
A function with a range argument
A function with an optional argument
Introducing Wrapper Functions
The NumberFormat function
The ExtractElement function
The SayIt function
The IsLike function
Working with Functions That Return an Array
Returning an array of month names
Returning a sorted list
Using the Insert Function Dialog Box
Displaying the function’s description
Adding argument descriptionsCreating Excel Add-Ins
Okay...So What’s an Add-In
Why Create Add-Ins
Working with Add-Ins
Understanding Add-In Basics
Looking at an Add-In Example
Setting up the workbook
Testing the workbook
Adding descriptive information
Protecting the VBA code
Creating the add-in
Opening the add-in
Distributing the add-in
Modifying the add-inThe part of tens
Ten Handy Visual Basic Editor Tips
Applying Block Comments
Copying Multiple Lines of Code at Once
Jumping between Modules and Procedures
Teleporting to Your Functions
Staying in the Right Procedure
Stepping Through Your Code
Stepping to a Specific Line in Your Code
Stopping Your Code at a Predefined Point
Seeing the Beginning and End of Variable Values
Turning Off Auto Syntax CheckResources for VBA Help
Letting Excel Write Code for You
Pilfering Code from the Internet
Leveraging User Forums
Visiting Expert Blogs
Mining YouTube for Video Training
Attending Live and Online Training Classes
Learning from the Microsoft Office Dev Center
Dissecting the Other Excel Files in Your Organization
Asking Your Local Excel GuruTen VBA Do’s and Don’ts
Do Declare All Variables
Don’t Confuse Passwords with Security
Do Clean Up Your Code
Don’t Put Everything in One Procedure
Do Consider Other Software
Don’t Assume That Everyone Enables Macros
Do Get in the Habit of Experimenting
Don’t Assume That Your Code Will Work with Other Excel Versions
Do Keep Your Users in Mind
Don’t Forget About Backups