1

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)for Excel

Prof. Yitzchak Rosenthal

2

Start the Visual Basic Editor

• Microsoft office applications (e.g. Excel , powerpoint, word, access)

have a built-in visual basic editor• Choose menu choice "Tools | Macro | Visual Basic Editor"

3

The Visual Basic Editor

4

Separate Windows

The VB editor is opened in a separate window from the Excel spreadsheet.

If you close the VB editor you can continue using the spreadsheet.

IF YOU CLOSE THE SPREADSHEET, THE VB EDITOR WILL CLOSE

Spreadsheet WindowVB Editor Window

5

Separate Code Sections• There are different code

sections.

• Double click on a sheet or workbook to enter code for that sheet or workbook.

Step1: Double click here.

Step2: Enter code for sheet1

6

Insert | Module

• Choose the “insert | module”menu to create a new module.

• Modules contain generic code that is used by any sheet.

7

Recording Macros

8

Tools | Macro | Record New Macro• Choose the menu choice “Tools | Macro | Record New

Macro” to start the macro recorder.

9

Enter a name

• Enter a name for the Macro and press OK

10

Stop Recording Button• When you start recording a macro, the “Stop Recording” Toolbar

displays.

• Press the “stop recording” button when you are finished performing the steps for the macro.

“Stop Recording” Button

11

Perform the Steps for the Macro in Excel

• Perform whatever actions you want in Excel.

• Example:– Step 1: insert a new line at the top of the spreadsheet.– Step 2: click on cell A1 to select it

• Then press “stop recording”.

• See next slide for the VBA code that is created by the macro recorder.

12

See code in VB EditorLook at the “Modules” in the VB Editor to see the code for the recorded macro.

13

Execute the Macro

• To execute the macro, choose the menu choice, “Tools | Macro | Macros”

14

Run the Macro

Then choose the macro and click “Run”.

15

The Macro is ExecutedSee the new row

16

VBA vs

VB.Net

17

VBA vs VB.Net

• You can use manyVB.Net concepts and code in VBA• Like VB.Net, VBA also provides the ability to create

textboxes, buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, etc. for use in Excel (we will not cover how to do that here).

HOWEVER

• VBA is based on an older version of Visual Basic.• There are some differences between how to write VBA and

VB.Net code.

18

MsgBox vs MessageBox.Show

• MsgBox vs MessageBox.show

– VBA: MsgBox ("Hello There")

– VB.Net: MessageBox.Show("Hello There")

19

No HANDLES clause in VBA

• Event Handlers– VBA

• No "Handles" clause.• Name of sub determines which event is handled• Example

Private Sub Button1_Click() MsgBox ("hello there")End Sub

– VB.Net• Needs "Handles" clause• Name of sub does NOT determine which event is handled• Example

Private Sub Button1_Click( ByVal sender As System.Object, _

ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _

Handles Button1.Click MessageBox.Show("Hello there") End Sub

DIM may not use initialization value

• VB.Net– In VB.Net you can declare a variable with Dim and give it an initial value all

in one step.

Dim number as Integer = 1

• VBA– In VBA you MAY NOT use an initialization value in a Dim statement.

– Therefore the code above would not be legal.

– Instead do the following:

Dim number as Integernumber = 1

20

21

Call

• Calling a Sub– VBA:

• Must use the "Call" keyword if sub is in a different module

• Don't use parentheses if the sub doesn't contain any parameters

• Example: Call DoIt

– VB.Net:• Just use the name of the Sub

• Example: DoIt( )

22

Writing Your Own Code

23

Sub

• Place all code to be executed in a "subroutine"• Will explain more soon ...

Sub doSomething ( )

MsgBox ("Hello There")

MsgBox ("How are you doing?")

End Sub

24

Sub doSomething ( )

MsgBox ("Hello There")

MsgBox ("How are you doing?")

End Sub

How to run (i.e. execute) a sub

• To execute the subroutine:

– first :

place cursor anywhere in the Sub

– second :

Choose menu choice:

Run | Run Macro

25

Sub doSomething ( )

MsgBox ("Hello There")

MsgBox ("How are you doing?")

End Sub

Other ways to execute a sub

• To execute the subroutine:

– first :

place cursor anywhere in the Sub

– second :

Press F5

OR

press the "Run macro" button

26

What happens when you run this subroutine?

27

Running the subroutine• Excel spreadsheet displays• First message box appears. • Press OK• Second Message box appears• Press OK• subroutine is finished

(returns to the code window)

Sub doSomething ( )

MsgBox ("Hello There")

MsgBox ("How are you doing?")

End Sub

When you press OK the 2nd message box will appear (not shown)

Functions

28

29

Functions

• You can define your own VBA functions for use in the Excel spreadsheet.

Sample Function

This function calculates the sum of the values from lowNumber to highNumber

30

Function summation(lowNumber As Integer, highNumber As Integer) as Integer

Dim count As Integer

summation = 0

For count = lowNumber To highNumber

summation = summation + count

Next count

End Function

Using the sample function in Excel31

Formulas View

ValuesView

Rules for Functions

• The function has a type specified AFTER the parameter list– Function summation(lowNumber As Integer,

highNumber As Integer) as Integer

• The name of the function is used as a variable inside the function

• The entire function call “becomes the value” that the name of the function had when the function finished executing.

32

33

Quick Intro to VB for the Novice

34

Syntax

• Syntax– syntax means the "grammar" of (or the rules for writing)

a programming language or command

35

Syntax of SUB

• First line :– Must type "Sub"

(without the quotes)

– make up a name for the sub

– must type parentheses

• Body :– Use VBA

statements

• Last Line:– must type "End

Sub" (without the quotes)

Sub doSomething ( )

MsgBox ("Hello There")

MsgBox ("How are you doing?")

End Sub

These are required

make up a name for the Sub (more later ...)

VBA statements go here

36

More than one sub

• You can have many Subroutines

• Each subroutine must have a unique name

• When you execute a subroutine only it runs, not the other subroutines

37

Example

• Each sub has a unique name

• You can run each sub separately

Sub doSomething ( )

MsgBox ("Hello There")

MsgBox ("How are you doing?")

End Sub

Sub doSomethingElse ( )

MsgBox ("I am having fun.")

MsgBox ("Are you having fun?")

End Sub

38

Rules for subroutine names

• Rules for Subroutine names

– must start with a letter

– can include • letters (e.g. A B C a b c etc.)

• digits (e.g. 0 1 2 etc.)

• underscores (i.e. _ )

– may not be a VBA "keyword"• some keywords are "sub", "end", "dim" (we'll see more later)

– may NOT include any "special" characters (e.g. !@# etc)

• Examples on next slide ...

39

Examples

• Legal subroutine names– mySubroutine– hello– born2ride– born_to_ride

• Illegal subroutine names– 3cheers

• may not start with a number

– bagels&lox• may not include characters other than letters or nubmers or underscore

( _ )

– name with spaces• may not include spaces in the name

END OF PRESENTATION

The following slides are “in progress”

40

41

MsgBox ("Your message goes here")

42

MsgBox( )

• MsgBox ( ) is used to display a dialog box with a message to the user.

• Syntax:– You must include the word "MsgBox" (without the quotes)

followed by a set of parentheses– Place the message in the parentheses– For now (until I teach you otherwise) assume that the entire

message should be enclosed in quotes (later we'll learn more about when you don't need the quotes ...)

– For now (until I teach you otherwise) assume that the entire statement must be typed on one line (later we'll learn how to break up a long line ...)

• Example on next slide ...

43

Example

• Sub showAMessageBox( ) MsgBox ("This will be displayed in a message

box") End Sub

Put the message in quotes.

44

Numbers

• If your message only includes a number, you do NOT have to put it in quotes (we'll explain why later)

• Example: The following is perfectly fine:

Sub showANumber( )MsgBox(123)

End Sub

No quotes necessary around a number.

45

Expressions

46

Only one "value"

47

String Expression

• String expressions

"This is a constant string expression"

"This is another string expression"

• Numeric expressions

33+4

48

• msgbox(<string expression>)

49

Differences between VB.Net and VBA

50

MsgBox vs MessageBox.Show

VB.Net:MessageBox.Show(“my message”)

VBA:msgbox(“my message”)

51

No HANDLES clause in VBA

• There is no Handles clause in VBA.

• In VBA the NAME of the sub indicates which events it handles– Example:

button1_click is the name of the click handler for the button named button1