Chapter 11: Introduction to VBA

Spreadsheet-Based Decision Support Systems

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Overview

11.1 Introduction 11.2 The Visual Basic Editor 11.3 The Object Browser 11.4 Summary

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Introduction

The basics of the Visual Basic Editor environment.

The components of the Project Explorer, Properties, and Code Windows.

The difference between a property, method, and event.

The Object Browser.

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The Visual Basic Editor

Project Explorer

Properties Window

Code Window

Immediate and Watch Windows

VBE Toolbars

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Objects

Objects in Excel include– Workbooks and worksheets– Cells and ranges of cells– Charts

There is an object hierarchy which orders these objects– Workbooks contain worksheets– Worksheets contain ranges– Ranges contain cells

Objects are manipulated in VBA by– Properties = value is given to describe or format the object– Methods = arguments are used to perform an action on the object

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Visual Basic Editor

The Visual Basic Editor (VBE) is the environment in which you work with VBA programming code.– Tools > Macro > Visual Basic Editor – VBE icon from VBE Toolbar– ALT + F11

Three main windows in the VBE– Project Explorer– Properties– Code

Two other windows in VBE, used for debugging– Immediate– Watch

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Visual Basic Editor (cont)

The Visual Basic Editor windows

Project Explorer

Properties Window

Code Window

Watch Window

Immediate Window

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Project Explorer

Lists all projects in any open workbook.

Each workbook has a project, and each project can have several parts– Workbook and worksheets

– Modules

– Forms

Use Insert > Module or Insert > User Form to add a new module or form to the current project; can also use icon from standard toolbar.

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Properties Window

Contains detailed information about any selected part of a project in the Project Explorer.

Some basic naming and formatting properties can be modified for worksheets and workbooks.

Properties are very important for user forms– Formatting

– Position

– Picture

– Scrolling

– Behavior

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Code Window

Displays the VBA code for the highlighted part of a project in the Project Explorer.

When macros are recorded they are simultaneously created as VBA code in the Visual Basic Editor.

There are three types of macros or procedures – Sub procedures

– Function procedures

– Event procedures

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Immediate and Watch Windows Both of these windows are used for debugging.

Immediate Window executes whatever is entered immediately.

Watch Window displays values of inserted variables.

Use the View menu option to view or hide any window.

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The Object Browser

Properties and Methods

Libraries, Classes, and Members

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Object Browser

Provides a list of properties and methods of all Excel objects which may be manipulated in VBA.

There are larger categories into which various objects are grouped– Classes = groups of related objects

– Libraries = collections of VBA and Excel object classes

– Members = properties, methods, and constants of a selected class of objects

View > Object Browser or icon from standard toolbar.

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Object Browser (cont’d)

All classes containing the searched object are shown in the top window.

All members of a selected class are shown below.

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Summary

The Visual Basic Editor (VBE) is the environment in which you work with VBA programming code.

There are three main windows in VBE: the Code Window, the Project Explorer, and the Properties Window.

The Object Browser provides a list of properties and methods of all Excel objects that may be manipulated in VBA.

Properties are the physical descriptions of all Excel objects, and the description of the particular property is called the value of the property.

Methods are the actions that can be performed on the object. The elements of a method statement are called the arguments of the method.

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