8160” Computers/Spreadsheets ™ g Easier! 2nd Edition Accelerate into the Excel Making Everythin fast lane and zip through 2nd Edition A Microsoft® B spreadsheet customizations l V Excel VBA Programming Open the book and find: Exce Microsoft® ® Are you ready to make Excel jump through hoops? Do • How to work in the Visual Basic® your spreadsheets work exactly the way you want? With Editor ing this book, you can say “yes”! Inside, you’ll find step-by-step ® m m • Tips for error-handling and bug Progra instructions on how to significantly enhance the power of extermination Excel using the VBA language. You’ll soon be building your • Ways to build automatic own Excel applications so you can get the most out of procedures and events your data. • How to use the Excel macro • Dive into VBA — see how VBA is implemented in Excel, apply recorder advanced techniques, and use VBA with other Office applications • UserForm techniques and tricks • Get into it — explore programming concepts from range objects and worksheet functions to events and error-handling • Instructions for designing VBA macros • Communication is key — learn how to build dialog boxes that look like they came straight from Microsoft’s software lab • Steps for accessing your macros through the user interface • Safety first — use Excel macros to make your spreadsheets more secure and lock out viruses • Secrets for creating Excel add-ins • Make it your own — develop custom worksheet functions, create add-ins, design user-oriented applications, and boost your career options Learn to: • Use the essential tools and operations Go to Dummies.com® for VBA Visit the companion Web site at http://www.com/ for videos, step-by-step examples, go/excelvbaprogrammingfd2e, where you can download the how-to articles, or to shop! • Work with range objects and control sample files featured in the book and view bonus chapters program flow • Handle errors and eliminate bugs in your code $29.99 UK • Develop custom user interfaces for your applications, including dialog boxes ISBN 978-0-470-50369-0 John Walkenbach is principal of J-Walk and Associates, Inc., a leading authority on spreadsheet software and creator of the award-winning Power Utility Pak. Walkenbach has written more than 50 books and 300 articles for publications including PC World, InfoWorld, and Windows.
John Walkenbach Walkenbach Author of Excel 2010 Bible www.8160” Get More and Do More at Dummies.com® Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include e Apps • Checklists • Charts • Common Instructions • And Other Good Stuff! To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to Mobil www.com/cheatsheet/excelvbaprogramming Get Smart at Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. Check out our • Videos • Illustrated Articles There’s a Dummies App for This and That • Step-by-Step Instructions With more than 200 million books in print and over 1,600 unique Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering titles, Dummies is a global leader in how-to information. Now our Dummies. * you can get the same great Dummies information in an App.
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Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2010925699 ISBN: 978-0-470-50369-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 www.indd ii 4/12/10 11:20 PM About the Author John Walkenbach is the bestselling author of more than 50 spreadsheet books and lives in southern Arizona. When he’s not using Excel, he’s prob- ably playing clawhammer banjo.indd iii 4/12/10 11:20 PM www.indd iv 4/12/10 11:20 PM Dedication This book is dedicated to Toad and Mrs.
Toad because I’m running out of people for book dedications. Author’s Acknowledgments I’m grateful to all the talented people at Wiley Publishing for giving me the opportunity to write Excel books. Special thanks to Colleen Totz Diamond (project editor) and Jan Karel Pieterse (technical editor). They certainly made my job easier.indd v 4/12/10 11:20 PM Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.
For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U. at 877-762-2974, outside the U. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Composition Services Media Development Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees Project Editor: Colleen Totz Diamond Layout and Graphics: Ashley Chamberlain, Acquisitions Editor: Katie Mohr Samantha K.
Cherolis Copy Editor: Melba Hopper Proofreaders: Laura L. Bowman, Technical Editor: Jan Karel Pieterse Jessica Kramer Editorial Manager: Jodi Jensen Indexer: Rebecca Salerno Media Development Assistant Project Manager: Jenny Swisher Media Development Associate Producer: Josh Frank Editorial Assistant: Amanda Graham Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.com) Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director Publishing for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher Composition Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services www.indd vi 4/12/10 11:20 PM Contents at a Glance Introduction.
1 Part I: Introducing VBA. 11 Chapter 1: What Is VBA?. 13 Chapter 2: Jumping Right In. 23 Part II: How VBA Works with Excel.
35 Chapter 3: Working In the Visual Basic Editor. 37 Chapter 4: Introducing the Excel Object Model. 55 Chapter 5: VBA Sub and Function Procedures. 69 Chapter 6: Using the Excel Macro Recorder.
81 Part III: Programming Concepts. 93 Chapter 7: Essential VBA Language Elements. 95 Chapter 8: Working with Range Objects. 115 Chapter 9: Using VBA and Worksheet Functions.
129 Chapter 10: Controlling Program Flow and Making Decisions. 141 Chapter 11: Automatic Procedures and Events. 161 Chapter 12: Error-Handling Techniques. 183 Chapter 13: Bug Extermination Techniques.
197 Chapter 14: VBA Programming Examples. 211 Part IV: Communicating with Your Users. 233 Chapter 15: Simple Dialog Boxes. 235 Chapter 16: UserForm Basics.
253 Chapter 17: Using UserForm Controls. 269 Chapter 18: UserForm Techniques and Tricks. 289 Chapter 19: Accessing Your Macros through the User Interface. 313 Part V: Putting It All Together.
331 Chapter 20: Creating Worksheet Functions — and Living to Tell about It. 333 Chapter 21: Creating Excel Add-Ins .indd vii 4/12/10 11:20 PM Part VI: The Part of Tens. 361 Chapter 22: Ten VBA Questions (And Answers). 363 Chapter 23: (Almost) Ten Excel Resources .indd viii 4/12/10 11:20 PM Table of Contents Introduction.
1 Is This the Right Book?. 1 So You Want to Be a Programmer. 3 What I Assume about You. 3 Obligatory Typographical Conventions Section.
4 Check Your Security Settings. 5 How This Book Is Organized. 6 Part I: Introducing VBA. 6 Part II: How VBA Works with Excel.
6 Part III: Programming Concepts. 7 Part IV: Communicating with Your Users. 7 Part V: Putting It All Together. 7 Part VI: The Part of Tens.
7 But Wait, There’s More!. 7 Icons Used in This Book. 8 Getting the Sample Files. 9 Part I: Introducing VBA.
11 Chapter 1: What Is VBA? .13 Okay, So What Is VBA?. 13 What Can You Do with VBA?. 14 Inserting a bunch of text. 15 Automating a task you perform frequently.
15 Automating repetitive operations. 15 Creating a custom command. 15 Creating a custom button. 16 Developing new worksheet functions.
16 Creating complete, macro-driven applications. 16 Creating custom add-ins for Excel. 16 Advantages and Disadvantages of VBA. 17 VBA in a Nutshell.
18 An Excursion into Versions .indd ix 4/12/10 11:20 PM x Excel VBA Programming For Dummies, 2nd Edition Chapter 2: Jumping Right In .23 First Things First. 24 What You’ll Be Doing. 25 Taking the First Steps. 25 Recording the Macro.
26 Testing the Macro. 27 Examining the Macro. 27 Modifying the Macro. 30 Saving Workbooks That Contain Macros.
30 Understanding Macro Security. 31 More about the NameAndTime Macro .