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Learning VB for excel

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  • 01-07-2011 9:22am
    #1
    hotshots85
    Registered Users Posts: 332 ✭✭


    Hi All,


    I'm a complete begnner to any kind of programming but am looking itno learning some Visual Basic. I want to use it for my job to build macros and the likes to speed up some process.

    What the best way to start? Learning VB form the ground up or leanr it specifcally for excel? Any good ideas for source material?


    Cheers

    Hotshots


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    #2
    Taltos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,830 ✭✭✭✭Taltos


    A simple way is to start recording simple macros - then go in an start making simple changes or even just walk through the code using F8 so you can watch how it moved through the code.

    Also - google is your friend here....


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    #3
    HivemindXX
    Registered Users Posts: 1,208 ✭✭✭HivemindXX


    Don't try to learn Visual Basic, meaning either VB6 or VB.NET. The version used in Excel (and Access and Word) is called VBA which stands for Visual Basic for Applications. It's pretty similar but why learn the wrong thing and then get caught out by one of the differences. Once you know VBA moving to VB.NET is basically a question of learning the .Net framework.

    Taltos suggestion to record macros is a good one. A basic rule of thumb is that anything (with some exceptions mostly to do with security) you can do through the user interface you can automate with VBA.

    John Walkenbach's book is excellent. I have a pretty old version but this is a link to the current version.
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Excel-Power-Programming-Spreadsheets-Bookshelf/dp/0470044012/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1309509334&sr=8-3

    There's also a great range of helpful web sites for Excel programming. Here's a selection.
    http://spreadsheetpage.com/
    http://www.mrexcel.com/articles.shtml
    http://www.ozgrid.com/free-excel.htm


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