Excel VBA 101: An Introduction to Automating Tasks and Enhancing Productivity

VBA has been in Excel since around 1995. It has helped thousands of organizations improve their productivity since VBA can work several thousands of times faster than a person can. For example, VBA can loop 1 million times in under one second! Excel exists on millions of computers around the world and VBA is used by most organizations. 

VBA is used in Microsoft Excel to create sophisticated tools that can be used in business, engineering, and science. VBA allows users a level of customization beyond what is typically available in Microsoft Office products, such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Learning VBA programming can help Microsoft Office users access functions beyond what is directly available in the various Office applications.

VBA is fast. What may take a person an hour to do, especially repeatedly, can be done via VBA in seconds, literally? Learning how to use VBA code can be an incredible time-saver.

Learn VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). You’ll learn what a macro is, how to record and then edit a macro, how and why to use comments in the code, what the VBE is (Visual Basic Environment), the various parts of the VBE including the code pane, project window, Properties window, Immediate window. 

You’ll learn about objects, properties, methods, and how and why to use variables. The various topics include how to get information from the user of the macro, the various forms of using the Range object, the various ways to use loops in the VBA code, With/End With, Case statements, IF statements, Error handling, and much more.

• When and when not to use VBA
• How to write VBA code efficiently
• How to work with Excel objects (Ranges, Workbooks, Worksheets, the various properties and methods, and much more)
• Structure code to make it more readable and efficient, including breaking it down into smaller pieces of code/subroutines for easier debugging
• Learn how to handle errors so the user doesn’t see Excel’s errors which often don’t make much sense (such as “object variable or with block variable not set”)
• Opening and saving files, printing

• Recording macros
• Editing macros
• The various parts of the VBE (Visual Basic Environment)
• Interacting with the user via MSGBOX and INPUTBOX
• How to use the “Immediate” window
• Objects, and their properties and methods
• Collections
• Bookmarks
• Variables, and Object variables and how they differ
• Looping
• The multitude of ways of working the Range object (Range, Cells, Offset, Resize, Union, Intersection, and more

In the realm of spreadsheet software, Microsoft Excel stands out as a powerful tool, and delving into the world of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) can unlock a new level of functionality and efficiency. The practical applications of Excel VBA extend across various industries and professional roles. Users can automate complex data manipulations, generate detailed reports with a single click, and optimize time-consuming tasks. The ability to customize Excel's functionality through VBA opens a realm of possibilities for users seeking to tailor their spreadsheet experiences to meet specific needs. As organizations increasingly rely on data-driven decision-making, Excel VBA proficiency becomes a valuable asset.