Excel VBA Programming: Automating Excel through Visual Basic for Application

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INTRODUCTION

Visual Basic for Application (VBA) is an Object Oriented Programming (OOP) language. This implies that VBA Excel is used to manipulate Objects contained in Microsoft Excel. These Excel Objects are listed below:

Application Object (Excel)

Workbook Object

Worksheet Object ( Range Object, Name Object, etc.)

With Visual Basic for Application Excel, you will be able to automate Microsoft Excel tasks.

VBA Excel Environment

The main components of VBA Excel Software Environment are as follows: Note that you can refer to the image of the VBA Excel Software Environment below to best understand the identification of its different components.

Menus: This contains VBA Excel Software Environment menu options.

Standard Toolbar: This mainly contains shortcuts to VBA Excel commands.

Project Widow: This is where the name of the VBA projects in an active Workbook will be displayed alongside all the Excel Objects (Sheet1, Sheet2, Sheet3, ThisWorkbook).

Properties Widow: This is where properties of the selected Worksheet, Module, or UserForm is displayed and from where you can modify such properties.

Programming Widow: This is where an inserted Module or UserForm will be docked and opened so that macro codes can be written in it or paste into it.

VISUAL BASIC APPLICATION (VBA) FOR EXCEL BASICS

The following are VBA Excel basics which if well understood will ensure a good foundation for the remaining sections of this book.

Save a Workbook as a Macro-Enable Document

To be able to record and execute macros in an Excel Workbook, you have to first save it as Macro-Enabled document. To do this, follow these steps:

Click on the Office Button on the top-left of Microsoft Excel.

Point to Save As and click on Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook.

Input the name for the workbook.

Click the Save button.

Fix Macro Disabled Error

When you open a macro-Enabled Workbook, you might receive a security warning at the top of the active Worksheet that Macros have been disabled. For you to be able to edit an existing macro in that Workbook or execute it, you must first fix this error. To fix it;

Click the Options button in front of the macro security warning message.

Select the option Enable this content.

Click the OK button.

Note that the reason this macro disable error is persistent is the macro security settings status