Tutorial 12: Enhancing Excel with Visual Basic for Applications

1. Tutorial 12: Enhancing Excel with Visual Basic for Applications

2. Objectives Create a macro using the macro recorder Work with the Project Explorer and Properties window of the VBA Editor Edit a sub procedure Run a sub procedure Work with VBA objects, properties, and methods New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010 2 2 2

3. Objectives Create an input box to retrieve information from the user Create and run If-Then control structures Work with comparison and logical operators Create message boxes Customize the Quick Access Toolbar Customize Excel New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

4. Visual Overview New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

5. The Visual Basic Editor New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

6. Developing an Excel Application Excel applications use Excel commands, tools, and functions to perform an action Stored as an Excel file Can only be opened from within Excel Excel macro recorder Fastest way to create macros New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

7. Developing an Excel Application • Macro buttons provide a quick way to move between worksheets New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

8. Working with the Visual Basic Editor Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Common programming language used by all Microsoft Office programs Used to create Excel macros that make it easier to display data on different types of information New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

9. Working with the Visual Basic Editor • Visual Basic Editor displays three windows: • Project Explore window • Properties window • Code window New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

10. Examining Project Explorer • Use to manage projects (collection of items that make up a customized application) • Contains a hierarchical list of all the objects • Is dockable • Displays project components in a tree structure New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

11. Using the Properties Window • To view a list of properties for any object in alphabetical order and by category New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

12. Naming Modules • Good practice to rename a module (collection of VBA macros) with a descriptive name that describes the type of macros it contains New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

13. Viewing the Code Window • To view contents of the macros in project modules New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

14. Procedures Supported by Visual Basic Sub procedures Perform an action on a project or workbook(e.g., formatting a cell or displaying a chart) Function procedures Return a value Often used to create custom functions that can be entered in worksheet cells Property procedures Used to create custom properties for objects in the project New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

15. Working with Sub Procedures • To create other sub procedures: • Use the macro recorder • Enter new sub procedures into Code window by: • Typing VBA commands directly, or • Using Insert Procedure command • To create a sub procedure without the macro recorder, proper VBA syntax must be used or Excel cannot run the macro New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

16. Working with Sub Procedures • Comment • Statement that describes behavior or purpose of a procedure but does not perform any action • Must begin with an apostrophe (‘) • Appears in a green font • Public sub procedures • Available to other modules in the project • Private sub procedures • Hidden from other modules to avoid conflicts in procedure names New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

17. Creating a Sub Procedure Using Copy and Paste Add Procedure dialog box Inserted sub procedure New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

18. Creating a Sub Procedure Using Copy and Paste • Edited sub procedure • Test a macro by running it from the workbook or from within Visual Basic Editor New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

19. Visual Overview New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

20. Visual Basic Objects New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

21. Visual Basic for Applications Immediate window shows effects of a single command As a command is entered, its effects are instantly applied to the workbook Ideal way to learn VBA syntax and debug programs New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

22. Visual Basic for Applications • VBA: an object-oriented programming language • Tasks are performed by manipulating objects • VBA objects in Excel New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

23. Visual Basic for Applications • Objects are often grouped into collection objects, which are themselves objects • Examples of object collections New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

24. Visual Basic for Applications • Objects and object collections are organized in a hierarchy with Excel at the top and individual cells of a workbook at the bottom • Often referred to as the Excel Object Model New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

25. Visual Basic for Applications • VBA providesspecial object names to refer directly to certain objects • Special object names New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

26. Modifying Properties • VBA language alters objects by either: • Modifying the object’s properties (attributes that characterize the object),or • Applying amethod to the object New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

27. Modifying Properties • To change the property of an object • Examples of changing a property’s value New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

28. Modifying Properties • List of properties and methods • Completed VBA command to set the cell value New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

29. Applying Methods • Method: action that can be performed on an object • Objects and their methods New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

30. Applying Methods • To apply parameter values to a method • Code to apply a method with parameters New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

31. Applying Methods • Select and Move methods New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

32. Working with Variables and Values Power of VBA begins when you start using variables Variables are case sensitive New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

33. Declaring a Variable • When you declare a variable, allocate storage space for it by “dimensioning” it • Can define exactly what type of data can be stored • VBA supports a wide range of data types New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

34. Assigning a Value to a Variable • After a variable is declared, data can be stored in it • Variables can also store objects • Variables can be used to create general procedures that apply to several objects New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

35. Assigning a Value to a Variable • VBA statements in which variables are assigned values or are used to store objects New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

36. Writing a Sub Procedure Charts and statistics in a workbook are based on defined names rather than cell references To display different data, change definition of the defined name New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

37. Creating a Sub Procedure to Switch Defined Names • Defined names are stored in the Names object collection • To modify the definition of a name, use either the Value property or the RefersTo property • Create a dialog box with VBA to prompt the user; Excel automatically switches to that type • Common types of program errors • Syntax errors • Run-time errors • Logical errors New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

38. Retrieving Information from the User To prompt user for the value of the variable InputBox function New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

39. Visual Overview New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

40. If Statements and Customization New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

41. Working with Conditional Statements An error value means that Excel cannot find the defined name used in the formula A macro can be modified to handle this problem by creating a control structure Control structures “make decisions” based on the type of information the user enters New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

42. Working with Conditional Statements • Control structure for the Change_Type macro New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

43. Using the If Statement • Most basic way to run a VBA command in response to a particular condition • In this type of control structure, if a certain condition is met, the program executes a specified command • When the condition of the If statement is not true, the macro does nothing New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

44. Using the If-Then-Else Control Structure Use when macro needs to run an alternate command when the condition is false New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

45. Using the If-Then-ElseIf Control Structure Use if control structure has several conditions Runs commands in response to each condition New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

46. Using Comparison and Logical Operators • Comparison operators • Determine whether the expression used in the condition is true or false • Expression must contain a comparison operator (e.g., <, >, =, <=, >=, <>, and is) • Logical operators • Combine expressions within a condition • Most common logical operators: And and Or • Other control structures supported by VBA: For-Next, Do-While, and Do-Until New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

47. Using Logical Operators • Condition with the And logical operator • Condition using the Or logical operator New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

48. Creating a Message Box A dialog box that includes buttons and an informative message for the user Similar to an input box, but does not contain a text box for user to enter values Create with the MsgBox function New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

49. Creating a Message Box • Some button styles merely inform, some ask a question, and others provide an alert to a problem New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010

50. Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar Makes macros accessible from any sheet in the workbook Add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar Three commands included by default Save Undo Redo New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010