learning: VBA or Formulae first?

[sneeky]

My friend is suggesting on his experience that its best to learn vba and its logic; and then learn pro-advanced excel as the formulae will make more sense... once I know the language. And as things can be done much speedier and poss easier in vba. . This may be an idea. What you guys think? Based on your experience and someone who has a lil difficulty with some of the vocabulary and logic (I am logical just come from a medical background not IT?
Sid

 

[Jonmo1]

Keep in mind that responses you recieve are strictly opinions...There's no one right or wrong way to learn..

For me, I found the opposite to be true. Learn formulas first, then VBA.
However, that may stem from another opinion of mine.

If it can be done with a formula, then it probably should be done with a formula.
VBA should really only be used for tasks that cannot be completed with standard built in functions like formulas and pivot tables.

Another factor to consider is that VBA isn't really a part of Excel.
VBA is it's own seperate program, that is kind of bundled with Excel (and Word Outlook etc...)


Also, if a person has previous experience with other languages like C+ or whatever, that might be a reason it was easier for them to learn VBA before formulas.

 

[MARK858]

what I posted in the PM to you the other day was

From my experience get yourself to a reasonable level with the basic functions before going to VBA as you will need a reasonable knowledge of those first as you will be using them in the VBA

I'll stand by that as it probably slowed me down because I didn't but as in the previous post there are many ways to reach the same end.

 

[JLGWhiz]

My friend is suggesting on his experience that its best to learn vba and its logic; and then learn pro-advanced excel as the formulae will make more sense... once I know the language. And as things can be done much speedier and poss easier in vba. . This may be an idea. What you guys think? Based on your experience and someone who has a lil difficulty with some of the vocabulary and logic (I am logical just come from a medical background not IT?
Sid

If you can afford it, purchase one book on VBA programming and one on Excel Formulas. You can purchase books from the MrExcel website, Amazon or a bookstore. I don't know which are best, but I like John Walkenbach personally. He keeps is simple. There is no reason you cannot learn both methods simultaneously.

There are also plenty of free tutorials on line for both.

 

[Jonmo1]

Mark makes a good point..

We frequently use Excel Formulas within VBA, but you generally do not use VBA within Formulas.

 

[shg]

I believe strongly that you should learn to use formulas and the user interface first, then VBA. VBA as a language is compact, but the Excel object model, what everyone flails with, is large -- and almost everything you can do in the object model has an analog in the UI. Set myRng = Range("A1").End(xlDown) is a lot easier to understand if you know that it's the same as Ctrl+Down from the UI; or conversely, knowing Ctrl+Down from the UI would reasonably lead you to believe that you can do the same thing in VBA. Otherwise, your first inclination is to write a loop.

 

[VBA Geek]

If one is not good with excel formulas, then his VBA is limited

 

[hiker95]

sneaky,

See if the below link will help you learn:

Training / Books / Sites as of 1/15/2014
http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-questions/750909-macro-help-advanced-2.html#post3689984

 

[sneeky]

Right got it. As I thought before will stick with formulas first. Thx so much.