Excel Excellence (Microsoft Excel training that "sticks"): Macros

Excel training that “sticks” by

Laura Winger

Microsoft Excel Excellence

Microsoft Excel Excellence 2

Formulas Formatting, Filtering and Finance Sorting and Pivot Tables Stats and Graphs Access Basics PowerPoint Tricks

Macro Basics Syntax & Comments Variables If Statement & Reserved Words Controls Cells in Excel Loops Recording

“It is when the tools of production are

transparent, that we are inspired to create.”

- Chris Anderson, The Long Tail


Macro Basics - Syntax

• Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)– Syntax similar to Java and C++– Example:

If(oneValue = anotherValue) Then

……

Else

……

End If– As with formulas, you do not need to worry about

capitalization. If you write “if”, when you go to another line of code, it will automatically correct itself it “If”


Macro Basics – Comments• Commenting is a good practice for ALL programmers, the more

information, the better!• Use comments to describe sections of code and to make notes

for yourself or other programmers• To write a comment, start with an apostrophe• The end of the line is the end of the comment, so if you need

multiple lines of comments, each line must start with an apostrophe

• A comment can be on its own line, or at the end of a line of code• Anything after the apostrophe is seen as a comment by the

code'This macro was created on 4/1/2012'Created for Acme, Inc.'For help using this macro, please contact administrator.


Macro Basics - Variables

• Variables are objects that store information– Can be set to be a string (text), integer, long (number with

decimals), date, boolean (true or false) and much more…

What kind of variable would you use to store…

Variable type Reasoning

a person’s name? String Names are not numbers or dates, they are text.

a person’s age? Integer While you could say you are 35½, you generally give your age in whole numbers, so integer makes the most sense.

a person’s birthday? Date (Duh?)

a person’s hourly wage? Long Wages often have cents, so you would want to use long instead of integer.


Macro Basics - Variables• To declare a new variable name, start with the word “Dim”

Dim newVar As String• Once you have a declared variable, you can give it values

newVar = “Some text”– Note that this can be interpreted as “set variable newVar to be

equal to ‘Some text’”. Setting values always go left to right.– Values for strings must be in quote marks, otherwise VBA

will think it’s a variable or some code it doesn’t recognize. – Values for dates need to have pound signs around them

Dim myDate As DatemyDate = #1/14/2011#

– Values for numbers (i.e. integers, long) can be entered without any punctuation

Dim newVar1 As IntegerDim newVar2 As LongnewVar1 = 42newVar2 = 37.9



• Let’s pretend we’re writing a macro about ages. Dim myName as StringDim myAge as IntegerDim myBirthday as DatemyName = “Laura”myAge = 27myBirthday = 07/11/1984

• Then we could write code that checks if today is my birthday, and if so, we would want to add 1 to my age. myAge = myAge + 1

• But first, we’ll have to learn a few more tools…

Like in formulas, capitalization does not matter in VBA

programming!**With one exception, which we’ll get into later.


Macro Basics – If Statement• If statements follow If, Then, Else format

– Else is optional– Must end with an “End If” statement*

*Unless done in one line

If myAge > 20 ThenallowedToDrink = True

End IfallowedToDrink = FalseIf myAge > 20 Then allowedToDrink = TrueIf myAge > 20 Then

allowedToDrink = TrueElse

allowedToDrink = FalseEnd If

How are these different?

In Ex. 1, allowedToDrink has no value unless myAge is greater than 20, in which case it becomes True.

In Ex. 2, the default value is False, unless myAge is greater than 20, in which case it becomes True.

In Ex. 3, allowedToDrink gets a value either way.


Macro Basics – Reserved Words• Reserved words are special words that VBA has listed in its dictionary; these

words alone cannot be declared or used as variables. • Date is not only a type of variable; it can be used in a formula to give you

today’s date (based on the computer system’s date)

myDate = Date + 1 'this gives you tomorrow’s date

myDate = Date - 1 'this gives you yesterday’s date• Now gives you today’s date and the current time

curTime = Now - Date 'this gives you the current time without the date• Time also gives you the current time• True and False are also reserved because they are the values of booleans


Macro Basics – If Statement– What is wrong with this code?Dim myName As StringDim myAge As IntegerDim myBirthday As DatemyName = "Laura" 'note that quotes are usedmyAge = 27myBirthday = #7/11/1984# 'pound signs indicate a dateIf Date = myBirthday Then myAge = myAge + 1 'on my birthday, I will be a year olderEnd If

• Hint: What date is my next birthday?• Answer: It will never be 7/11/1984 again, so we need to

transform myBirthday to be in the present year.



• Fixed code:Dim myName As StringDim myAge As IntegerDim myBirthday, curBirthday As DatemyAge = 27myBirthday = #7/11/1984#

curBirthday = DateSerial(Year(Date), _ Month(myBirthday), Day(myBirthday))If Date = curBirthday Then myAge = myAge + 1End If

Note that multiple

variables of the same type can be declared in one line, just

separate them with a comma and a space!

Use an underscore to continue a line

of code to the next line for easy

reading.


Macro Basics - Variables• Review declaring variables

– Syntax: Dim newVar as String• Declare variables as String, Integer, Date, Long, etc.

– Can declare multiple variables of one typeDim newVar1, newVar2 as String

• Why declare Variables?– Helps eliminate (or bring attention to) incorrect formats

• For example, this will throw an errorDim myBirthday as DatemyBirthday = “Laura”

– Use capitalization to check your spelling• All my variables have at least one capital letter• When I type the variable, I write it with all lower case letters• If the variable is spelled correctly, it will capitalize automatically

when I go to another line.• If variable is not declared, it will default to the last form typed

Macro Basics – Creating a Macro

• Are you ready? In the View ribbon, go to Macros, and then View Macros

• Type in a name for your macro (no spaces), and hit Create




dim myName as stringdim myAge as integerdim myBirthday, curBirthday, curDate as datemyname = “Kevin” 'write your name, but don’t forget the quotes!myage = 27 'try putting in multiple spaces after the equals signcurdate = #1/15/12#mybirthday = #7/11/84# 'or use your own birthday herecurbirthday = dateserial(year(date), month(mybirthday), day(mybirthday))if curdate = curbirthday then myage = myage + 1end if

• VBA creates a new macro for you called a “Sub”, and even puts the “End Sub” code at the bottom. In between, type this code:

Did VBA correct your capitalization?What did it do to your dates?

Congratulations!You just wrote your first VBA macro!

Now take a break

and celebrate!


Macro Basics – Controls

• You can run the whole macro by hitting F5 on your keyboard or clicking the Run button

• You can step into your macro by hitting F8• Put a Break into your macro by clicking in the

gray area just left of the code.



• Try putting a break in your code on the beginning of the If statement.

• Hit F5 or click the Run button• Take your cursor and hover over one of the

variables. Does it have a value?



• Hit the Reset button• Change curDate to the date of your

birthday, then run it again.• Hit F8 to step into the If statement• Hover over myAge – if the text is still

highlighted in yellow, it hasn’t run that line of code yet

• Hit F8 again• Now myAge should have increased!



• Click and drag the yellow arrow back up to the line above the If statement.

• Hit F8 twice; myAge should have increased again.


Macro Basics – Cells in Excel• There are many ways to call cells, but for our purpose,

we’re going to use just one• Syntax: Cells([row], [column])• The row and column can be hard-coded or use variables• The Value of a cell is either the text, or if there’s a

formula, what the formula evaluates to– Call the Value with this syntax:

Cells([row], [column]).Value• You can set the Value of a cell like this:

Cells([row], [column]).Value = 1• You can get the Value of a cell and store it in a variable:

newVar1 = Cells([row], [column]).Value


Macro Basics – Cells in Excel

• Identify and change values and formats of cellsCells([row], [column]).ActivateActiveCell.Value = “Hello”Range("A1:B2").Select– Selection.Interior.ColorIndex = 9– Cells([row], [column]).Interior.ColorIndex = 9


Macro Basics – User Input• Message Boxes can be used to alert the user of a critical issue,

or to get boolean feedback from the user• Syntax: MsgBox([Prompt], [Buttons], [Title]...)• Only the Prompt is required, the rest are optional• The Prompt is the text you want displayed in the message box.• For a message:

MsgBox("You have started a macro. Press OK to continue.")• To get feedback:

myVariable = MsgBox("Are you well today?", vbYesNo)

• Input Boxes are used to get data from the user• Syntax: InputBox([Prompt], [Title]...)• Again, only the Prompt is required• To get a value from the user:

myAge = InputBox(“How old are you?”)


Macro Basics - Loops

• Loops– For Loops increment an integer until it reaches a max

valueFor i = 1 To 10 Step 2

’(code inside for loop)Next i• The Step sets the interval i will increase by; this is optional,

and if not set, will default to 1– While Loops continue to loop until a certain condition

is metWhile i <= 10

’ (code inside while loop) i = i + 2Wend

These two sample codes essentially are equivalent, but we’ll show you examples that differentiate the two types of Loops.

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Excel Excellence (Microsoft Excel training that "sticks"): Macros

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