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Visual Basics for Applications for Beginners Page | 2

2 | P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 1 3 T r e v o r E a s t o n O n l i n e P C L e a r n i n g

Copyright © 2013 Trevor Easton Online PC Learning

Author Trevor Easton

All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Trevor

Easton.

For support related to this book, email Online PC Learning Support at

[email protected]

The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, email

addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious. No

association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, email

address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.

This book expresses the author’s views and opinions. The information contained

in this book is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties.

Trevor Easton nor Online PC Learning will be held liable for any damages caused

or alleged to be caused either directly or indirectly by this book.



Visual Basics for Applications for Beginners

Foreword 9

Why I have written this information 9

How to use this e-book 9

Companion Excel Workbook Resource 11

Resource Workbook Contents 11

Chapter 1: What can you do with VBA? 13

OVERVIEW 13

Run a simple test 14

Reduce staff costs 15

The benefits 15

Chapter 2: Understanding the Visual Basic Editor 17

OVERVIEW 17

Basic VBE Components 17

VBE Project Explorer 18

Saving the Workbook 20

The Properties Window 21

Understanding Modules 22

Procedures Window 23

Chapter 3: What is the VBA object based language 27

OVERVIEW 27

Let’s go Camping 27

Understanding Objects 27

Object Properties 28

Is there Method in your Methods 29

What are Events? 30

Chapter 4: Recording your first macro 33

OVERVIEW 33

Where Do I Start? 33

What can I record? 34

The Developer Tab 34

Allowing Macros in your Workbooks 34

Record our first macro 36

Run the macro from the VBA editor 37



Test your new skills at recording macros 39

Chapter 5: Working with VBA (learning to speak the language) 41

OVERVIEW 41

Adding a Module 41

Adding a Userform 43

Code Keywords 44

Entering code 45

Relative and absolute references 48

Line-continuous character 48

Stepping through the code 48

Chapter 6: How to use Variables in VBA 53

OVERVIEW 53

Naming a variable 54

Why use variables? 55

Declaring variables 55

What is a data type? 56

What is the scope of a variable? 57

Chapter 7: IF Statement and Decision Modelling 59

OVERVIEW 59

Decision Modelling 59

If – Then Constructs (True) 60

Single If-Then 61

Multiple If-Then constructs 61

If–Then End If 62

Multiple If - Then - End If 62

If – Else (True, False) 63

If – Then - ElseIf – Else 65

Nested If - Then - Else 66

If – And –Then 66

If – Or – Then 67

If – Not – Then 68

IIf Function 68

Chapter 8: Select Case Constructs 71

OVERVIEW 71

Benefits of the Select Case function 72



Syntax 72

Select Case - (Single condition) 74

Select Case - (Multiple conditions) 74

Select Case – Else 75

Multiple Conditions (Comma separator) 75

Multiple Conditions Between (To) 76

Combining Multiple Conditions (To + Separator) 76

Using Operators with Select Case 77

Select case and Text Conditions 77

Option Compare Text 78

Combining Numbers and Text Conditions 79

Combining Select Case (Magic combinations) 79

Chapter 9: Excel VBA Message Boxes 81

OVERVIEW 81

Let your applications speak for themselves 81

Microsoft Excel’s use for message boxes 81

Simple VBA message box 82

Constants available to the message box function 87

How it all works behind the scenes 89

Multiple lined Message Boxes 89

Message Boxes Examples 90

Chapter 10: Understanding the Input box construct 95

OVERVIEW 95

Why use an Input Box 96

Input Function 97

Input Method 97

Type argument 98

A Simple Input Box 98

VBA Examples 99

Create a User Login 99

Collect employee age 102

BMI Calculator 104

Working with Ranges (Input Method for Objects) 106

Chapter 11: Understanding VBA loops by Examples 107

OVERVIEW 107

Do Loop 108



Do Until Loop 109

Do While Loop 110

For Loop 111

For Each Loop 115

Nesting Loops 117

Chapter 12: Basic Error Handling 121

OVERVIEW 121

Why Use Error Handling? 121

How to Configure Error Settings 122

How to Reset Errors 122

Three Types of VBA Errors 123

When to use error handling 125

What is the VBA Debug? 125

Understanding the On Error Statement 126

VBA Resume Statement Explained 131

Chapter 13: Build your First Userform Database 135

What is a Userform? 135

Userform Project 136

Insert a Userform 138

Userform Properties 138

Toolbox 139

Adding Controls 140

Writing the VBA Code 145

Writing our code 146

Set up the Database Worksheet 150

Test the userform with data 151

Setting up The Interface 151

Running the advanced filter 152

Chapter 14: Developing your first Application 155

How do we develop bullet proof Excel Applications? 155

Where do I start? 155

Great Idea – Bad Design 156

I’m going to share with you my recipe for success. 156

In the line of fire 156



In Conclusion 162

Appendix - Macros in this eBook 163

Message Box Macros 163

Variable Scope 163

If Function Macros 164

Select Case Macros 168

Message Box Macros 172

Input Box Macros 175

Loops Macros 180

My Tax Receipt Macros 192

VBA for Beginners: Features Page | 8


VBA for Beginners: Features

190 Pages: Step by Step Training

Written In language the beginner can understand

This learning guide has been written for the VBA beginner. I have tried to break all of the learning down to the basic building blocks required to understand Visual Basic for Applications.

More than 130 full colour illustrations

To add to an easy learning experience I have added over 130 full colour illustrations, many with notes and diagrams to highlight the necessary steps required to learn effectively.

Macros

After you have read this publication you will be returning to find code to use in your future applications. For this reason I have added all of the key macros at the end of the publication. They are listed under the function they belong too. This will save a lot of time when you return to the publication.

Five Projects to complete

In harmony with the spirit of Online PC Learning, that project based learning is a fast and effective learning path. I have included projects throughout the eBook. This will give you the chance to practice your skills as you go.

1. User Login

2. My Age Calculator

3. BMI Calculator

4. My Tax Receipts

Companion Resource Workbook

Along with this eBook you will receive a companion Excel file that is set up to demonstrate many of the chapters within.

Foreword Page | 9


Foreword

Why I have written this information

The chapters in this book and the accompanying files will enable you to

quickly grasp the basics of VBA in Microsoft Excel. There is a lot of

published information on the web that deals with the learning Visual Basic

for applications. Often a newcomer becomes lost with the complexity and

randomness of the information provided.

I have presented the chapters in such a way that each chapter will set the

basis for the next chapter so that you can progressively learn the visual basics

for Applications.

Based on my own learning experience and the questions I asked on Online

P See Learning, these chapters should cover all that is necessary to get you

up and running and developing some awesome VBA code.

There are illustrations throughout the chapters to demonstrate all the key

points that are presented.

How to use this e-book

Go through the book chapter at a time. If you feel you fully understand all the

concepts in each chapter then move to the next chapter.

Open the companion Excel workbook resource file that is provided and view

and run the code that are provided as examples and test it out in your

computer.

You will remember concepts more easily if you use them in a file rather than

just read how to go about achieving the desired result.

Best wishes with your learning endeavors

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Not everybody learns the same way. Some people like learning by rout from books and in many situations that may be necessary. But that’s not me. I am a visual learner and I learn by associating tasks.

We will be learning by examples

Companion Excel Workbook Resource Page | 11


Companion Excel Workbook Resource Along with this eBook you will receive a companion Excel file that is set up to

demonstrate many of the chapters within.

Resource Workbook Contents

o Interface If Function

o Case Function

o Input box function

� My Age Calculator

� BMI Calculator

o Loops

o Error Handling

o Userforms

� My Tax Receipts

As you can see above there are also 3 completed applications.

Chapter 1: What can you do with VBA? Page | 13


Chapter 1: What can you do with VBA?

OVERVIEW

• Automating business processes

• Obtain accurate data analysis

• Reducing labor costs

• Increase job satisfaction

Almost anything that you can do manually in Excel you can do with VBA and

in a fraction of the time normally taken. When the code is written or recorded

it can be executed time and time again in a number of ways.

You can grab objects, workbooks, worksheets, ranges charts and shapes

and do almost anything with them in a fraction of a second.

In fact you can do more with VBA procedures than you can do manually in

many instances. Some tasks can only be accomplished with code.

VBA is an object based language and VBA Macro or procedure is simply a

set of instructions to manipulate objects.

• Format a worksheet

• Add data validation

• Create a chart

• Activate a pivot table

• Filter large data ranges with multiple criteria

• And lots more

Speed up processes

Tasks that would normally take a very long time to do can be accomplished

in just a few seconds.

VBA is an object based VBA is an object based VBA is an object based VBA is an object based language and VBA language and VBA language and VBA language and VBA Macro or procedure is simply a set of Macro or procedure is simply a set of Macro or procedure is simply a set of Macro or procedure is simply a set of instructions to manipulate objects.instructions to manipulate objects.instructions to manipulate objects.instructions to manipulate objects.



Run a simple test

For many years now, to demonstrate the power of Excel 2003 I have

highlighted all of the cells on a worksheet by clicking in the box diagonally to

the left and above cell A1 on a spreadsheet. Then type a number and press

Ctrl + Shift + Enter. This would insert the number into the approximately 16

million cells on the worksheet.

Execution time varies with computers but the job is done in about 3 to 4

seconds. The point that I would make is that if you were to type a number

into 1 cell at a rate of 1 per second and did that 24 hours a day, 7 days of

the week, it would take about 180 days to complete the task.

We just did that in 3 seconds!

From 2007 onwards the columns and rows increased to 1048576 rows and

16384 columns which is equal to 17,179,869,184 cells on each sheet. If you

tried to do that, there would not be the available resources necessary to

accomplish the task.

If you were to highlight just the first 20 columns which is 20,971,520 cells

and then add a number the way I have described it would take about 6

seconds for the 20 million cells to be filled.

Here is the code to do that. Don’t save your work if run this experiment as

the file will be about 55 mb in size.

Sub AddNumber()

Columns("A:T")= "8"

End Sub

Can VBA save you time? The answer is yes, and lots of it.

Analyze data

Now let’s look at a more practical example.

As an example let’s say you have a large data set with 30 columns as

headers and 5000 rows deep and you want to filter that data based on some

multiple criteria. That is easy enough to do with the advanced filter that Excel

offers. The problem is every time you want a result you need to set up the

filter to run with the new data and criteria.

With a small piece of code, that laborious task is no longer necessary, you

just click a button and the filter is automatically set for you. Then add a

simple variable and the criteria can be changed depending on the option

selected by the user.



Reduce staff costs

Repetitive tasks

Anything that you do in Excel on a regular basis is a good candidate for a

VBA procedure.

Two real examples

Example 1

A hospital with 20 wards has staff in each ward working four hours a week to

put together a list of all the staff working on each day and each shift. They

then go to their roster and copy that information to another spreadsheet.

To do this with a VBA procedure takes less than 3 seconds and the same

program is used for all 20 groups. Time saved per week is 80 hours at

approximately $30 per hour which saves approximately $2400 per week.

Example 2

Every morning an activity report needs to be run and sent to the director.

This is a repetitive task that takes one hour. Imagine starting your day with

that ahead of you. This process can be automated with VBA instructions and

performed with just a couple of clicks.

The benefits

1. Better job satisfaction

2. Accurate data

3. Labor savings

If you are paying wages time is money and anything that can save time and

eliminate human error is good business practice.



Chapter 2: Understanding the Visual Basic Editor Page | 17


Chapter 2: Understanding the Visual Basic Editor

OVERVIEW

In this chapter we will take a tour of the Visual Basic Editor. I will run you

through the standard setup and some of the key options you will need to

understand.

• VBE Project Explorer • Changing the project name • Protecting the code • Saving the Workbook • The Properties Window • Docking and Undocking • Understanding Modules • Modules are filing cabinets • Naming the Module • Procedures Window • Intellisense • Adding comments to your code • VBE Immediate Window • Quick test

Basic VBE Components

SHORTCUT FOR VBE: Alt+F11

To get started let’s open the Visual Basic Editor. (The Visual basic editor is a

program that comes with Microsoft Office)

Open the VBE by holding down the Alt+F11key and enable these windows in

your editor. Click on the View tab and select the windows that you to appear

in the editor.

For a basic setup you should have the Project Explorer / Properties Window

and the Intermediate Window visible as you work. These options are

available from the View tab on the menu bar of the Visual Basic Editor as

illustrated below.



VBE Project Explorer

SHORTCUT FOR THE PROJECT EXPLORER: Ctrl+R As you look at the Visual Basic Editor you will notice that the name given to

each workbook by the Visual Basic Editor is “Project-VBA Project”.

Below the name in the Project Explorer

the hierarchy or tree with all of the

objects for each project exist. If you

cannot see the Project Explorer then

click on the View tab at the top of the

VBE and click on Project Explorer.

When you single click on each object or

module you select it. You can then right

click to view the shortcut menu and

choose from the options. Options

include opening the properties or

viewing the code or deleting the object.

If you double click an object you will be taken to the code for the procedure

in the VBA Code Editor.

Changing the project name

It is good practice to change the name of the Project to more accurately

reflect what that project does. If you have several workbooks open this will

help you to clearly identify each project.

To change the project name:

1. Right click on the VBA Project



2. Choose the General tab

3. Add your new name in the box for Project Name

4. Click OK

Protecting the code

If you do not want your precious code altered or perhaps you want to keep it

secret, then you should protect the VBA part of your application.

1. Right click on the VBA project title

2. Select the VBA Project Properties

3. Tick the box next to Lock project for viewing

4. Add your password and confirm it in the text boxes provided

5. Click Save

6. Close and save your workbook

When you next go to the VBA Editor you will need to supply tour password

to open it so do not forget what the password was.

Note:

Protection in Excel Workbooks is not hard to crack. So in essence you will

be protecting your code from the honest and less experienced Excel user.



Saving the Workbook

In Office 2007, Microsoft changed its file structure for workbooks from a binary (.xls) to a special (Microsoft) .xml format. That is why the file structure changed from (.xls ) to (.xlsx). The x indicating the xml format.

It is necessary to save your file to a .xlsm (Macro enabled) file if you are

using 2007 plus versions. You will be prompted (as shown below) with a

warning and if you continue without choosing .xlsm all of your code will be

deleted from the workbook.

DO NOT CLICK “YES” or all will be lost.

Follow the steps listed below and your work will be fine and safely stored.

Here are the steps:

• File / Save As

• Save as type = .xlsm

• File name = “Add Appropriate”

• Location = Where you want to store the file

• Save = This will execute your options



The Properties Window

SHORTCUT FOR THE PROPERTIES WINDOW: F4

Objects have properties. In fact all objects have properties. What we mean

by properties is that the object can have a name or a color or a size and so

on. In essence it is a setting for the object.

Think of it as descriptive, like an adjective in English. Properties available to

an object vary depending on the object selected.

You will need to have the properties window readily available. It is possible

to float this window if that is preferable to your development style. I

personally like to have the properties window somewhere on the screen as I

am writing code. It can be floating or docked. This illustration below shows

the floating Project Explorer and the Propertied Window. To float them click

on the top of the window and drag the window to where you want. Notice

here we have Sheet2 selected and the relevant properties are displayed for

that object.

Docking and Floating Windows

Docking means, locking the window into its home position in the Visual Basic

Editor. To undock (float) the window, hold down the left mouse button on the



title and drag the window to the location of your choice. The main thing is

that you can get to it quickly.

To dock the window to the left hand pane, first maximize the VBE editor then

drag the window to the left hand side of the screen.

Understanding Modules

Modules are the home for procedures. You can add multiple procedures /

macros to a single module. Just as you can have multiple rooms in a home.

Modules are filing cabinets (Modular filing cabinet)

Modules are like filing cabinets for your procedures. A filing cabinet

organizes your paperwork. Open a draw and select the tab for “Rates” and

you should expect of find all of the rate bills. Our Modules serve the same

purpose. When you open the VBE you should quickly be able to locate your

specific procedure by the name of the module.

Naming the Module

You should name a Module to represent the contents that it contains. This is

done in the properties window for that module. Double click on the Module

and then change the name in the properties window.

As an example:

If you put all of the procedures



that filter ranges into a Module, you could call that Module “MyFilters” or

something descriptively similar. This is like a tab at the top of the Modular

filing cabinet. Don’t put unrelated macros in a named module.

So in summary a Module can contain multiple procedures. It is a good idea

to keep them manageable by categorizing the procedures and limiting the

number within each Module.

Procedures Window

The procedures window or code editor is where you add, view and edit the

VBA code. When you record a macro, the code will appear in this window.

Here is an example of a simple procedure to toggle the sheet tabs visibly.

Sub is short for “Sub Procedure”.

IntelliSense

A great feature that is often overlooked is IntelliSense. IntelliSense appears

when you type a period (Dot) to separate the levels of the object members in

that hierarchy. This will give you a list of members associated with the

object. Double click on the list item to insert it into the code for that

procedure.

This is a list of methods and properties available to the object. If you cannot

find it in the list then it is not available to the object.



If this feature does not appear to be working for you then go to Tools /

Options / Auto List Members to activate IntelliSense.

Adding comments to your code

Macros can be very long and can be associated with other procedures. It is

a good idea to add comment to your code so that others who view and edit it

can understand what is happening. For me, it is so I can remember what the

code is doing each time I visit it. It is very good practice to add comments

throughout your procedures and name them intuitively.

There are two ways to do this. The most common is to use an apostrophe (‘)

in front of your comment. For example: ‘here is my comment

The second method and now almost extinct is the (Rem) statement. Put the

statement in front of you comment e.g.

Rem here is my comment

When you do this you will notice that that line of code will change color to let

you know it is not part of the executable code.

VBE Immediate Window

SHORTCUT FOR THE IMMEDIATE WINDOW: Ctrl+G

This window is very useful in testing small parts of the code as you are

developing the procedure.

You will be able to use this window with single statements. Simply type in

your statement and press enter. As the name suggests, it will execute the

code immediately.

Quick Test

Here is an example. In cell A5 type the value 11, then in the Immediate

window add a question mark followed by Range("A5")>10. The (?) will print

the answer in the Immediate window. Put the curser inside the code and



press enter and you will see True appear in the next line in the immediate

window. Because the number 11 is greater than the number 10.

? Range("A5")>10

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