Old Aussie needs Help with starting VBA

[thebigkangaroo]

Hi y’all.

I must first tell you that I and from Australia, 49 years old (and feel every year of it!).

I have very little programming experience but what I remember is that you have a list of commands/functions, when organised into a specific format (ie COBOL) and with the correct syntax, you have an action performed.

I have purchased the John Walkenbach Power Programming with VBA 1000 page book and I don’t know if I am coming or going. If I read the book 10 times front to back I may get somewhere but I would be dead from old age!! What I think I need is a list of commands/functions, in editable (WORD) format so I can use my own examples to understand what each command does etc and some rules about the structure and syntax of the application. Then you go about putting it all together to do little “things” until you learn enough to combine several “little things” to produce a useful program.

Questions for you modern guru’s:

1. Does anyone know where I can get an editable (prefer WORD) list of commands/functions for VBA?
2. Does anyone have any tips for an approach to take to learn VBA sufficiently to be able to develop useful programs for my own use. My brain unfortunately is not a sharp as it used to be

Thankyou very much in anticipation.

Kind Regards

Darren

 

[Smitty]

Welcome to the Board, Darren!

No worries in the least about not understanding this VBA thing (I'm pretty sure I had the same thoughts when I got my first Walkenbach book!)

As for the list of what's available I really wouldn't bother with it, it'll just confuse you more. Instead, start recording some macros performing some everyday tasks with which you're familiar (cut/paste, copy/paste, opening files, etc.), then see what the recorder spits out for you. It may sound silly, but when you record what's familiar it will make much more sense to you than if you tried to write the same code yourself with tips from the book.

There are a lot of free VBA tutorials out there that will help, just do a bingle search for "Free Excel VBA Tutorials" and you'll get plenty. Martin Green has some good ones at www.fontstuff.com

Please feel free to post any recorded code here, and someone will show you what it does, make it better, etc.

I have a few code intros here too if it helps.

 

[venkat1926]

Nobody is old for learning new things. I am also an old Ind

ok now keep that book. that is a good reference book

I suggest you start RECORDING macros (simple mcros slowly increasing in diffisculty)

and see the macro and perhaps it needs editing. I am sure you know how to RECORD - a macro making some steps

for example
suppose A1 has some entry
you RECORD A macro copying this down upto A10 and see the macro. y9u can get the feel of it. you edit it as you like. if in doubt consult the book. even then if it is not clear post it in this newsgroup. Learning form the newsgroups would be most profitable.


excel function
http://www.techonthenet.com/excel/formulas/index_vba.php

useful web page
http://www.excel-vba.com/excel-vba-contents.htm

there are many more pages if you make a google search with key words
"list of commands and function excel vba"

YOU CAN DO IT.

 

[Michael M]

Hi Darren
The above posts have covered it...but Hiker95 posted a list of Books, training sites, tutes, forums, etc.
See below.
But the best place to learn is as stated, record macros and fiddle with them...and hang around here !!

________________________________________

Training / Books / Sites:

How to Learn to Write Macros 
http://articles.excelyogi.com/playin...ba/2008/10/27/

How to use the macro recorder 
http://articles.excelyogi.com/

Click here and scroll down to Getting Started with VBA. 
http://www.datapigtechnologies.com/ExcelMain.htm

If you are serious about learning VBA try 
http://www.add-ins.com/vbhelp.htm

Excel Tutorials and Tips - VBA - macros - training 
http://www.mrexcel.com/articles.shtml

See David McRitchie's site if you just started with VBA
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/getstarted.htm

Debra Dalgleish has some notes how to implement macros here:
http://www.contextures.com/xlvba01.html

David McRitchie has an intro to macros:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/getstarted.htm

Ron de Bruin's intro to macros:
http://www.rondebruin.nl/code.htm

Creating custom functions
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ex...117011033.aspx

Writing Your First VBA Function in Excel
http://www.exceltip.com/st/Writing_Y...Excel/631.html

http://www.excel-vba.com/
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/getstarted.htm
http://www.exceltip.com/excel_links.html

(livelessons video)
Excel VBA and Macros with MrExcel
ISBN: 0-7897-3938-0
http://www.amazon.com/Excel-Macros-M...7936479&sr=1-1

http://www.xl-central.com/index.html

http://www.datapigtechnologies.com/ExcelMain.htm

Dependent validation lists. Debra has a neat little tutorial here.
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal02.html 

Cascading queries
http://www.tushar-mehta.com/excel/ne...ing_dropdowns/

http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal05.html 


Excel Data Validation - Add New Items
http://www.contextures.com/excel-dat...ation-add.html

Programming The VBA Editor - Created by Chip Pearson at Pearson Software Consulting LLC
This page describes how to write code that modifies or reads other VBA code.
http://www.cpearson.com/Excel/vbe.aspx

Locating files containing VBA
Searching Files in Subfolders for VBA code string:
http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/arch...a-code-string/

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-978054.php

Excel 2003 Power Programming with VBA, by John Walkenbach

VBA and Macros for Microsoft Excel, by Bill Jelen "Mr.Excel" and Tracy Syrstad

Excel Hacks 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools, by David & Traina Hawley

VBA and Macros for Microsoft Excel 2007, by Bill Jelen "Mr.Excel" and Tracy Syrstad

Excel 2007 Book: you can try this...there is a try before you buy ebook available at this link…
http://www.mrexcel.com/learnexcel2.shtml 

DonkeyOte: My Recommended Reading:

Volatility
http://www.decisionmodels.com/calcsecretsi.htm

Sumproduct
http://www.xldynamic.com/source/xld.SUMPRODUCT.html

Arrays
http://www.xtremevbtalk.com/showthread.php?t=296012

Pivot Intro
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Pivots/pivotstart.htm

Email from XL - VBA
http://www.rondebruin.nl/sendmail.htm

Outlook VBA
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?ID=40

Function Dictionary
http://www.xlfdic.com/

Function Translations
http://www.piuha.fi/excel-function-name-translation/

Dynamic Named Ranges
http://www.contextures.com/xlNames01.html

And, as your skills increase, try answering posts on sites like:
http://www.mrexcel.com/
http://www.excelforum.com/
http://www.ozgrid.com/
http://www.vbaexpress.com/portal.php
http://p2p.wrox.com/excel-vba-79/


Where to paste code in VBE VBA
Introducing the Excel VBA Editor
http://www.ask.com/web?qsrc=2417&o=1...cel+VBA+Editor

VBA for Excel (Macros)
http://www.excel-vba.com/excel-vba-contents.htm

VBA Lesson 11: VBA Code General Tips and General Vocabulary
http://www.excel-vba.com/vba-code-2-1-tips.htm

Excel VBA -- Adding Code to a Workbook
http://www.contextures.com/xlvba01.html 

Explanation and Examples of VBA
http://www.beyondtechnology.com/vba.shtml

Training for Excel, Access, VBA, with free downloads and course notes
http://www.fontstuff.com/excel/index.htm

VBA samples for Excel and outlook, couple of video tutorials

http://www.codeforexcelandoutlook.com

More VBA samples
http://msmvps.com/blogs/nateoliver

Simple short VBA for beginners with explanations
http://www.angelfire.com/biz7/julian_s/julian/julians_macros.htm#J
__________________
hiker95

 

[Peter_SSs]

When I read your thread title I thought you were old, and then I saw this:

I must first tell you that I and from Australia, 49 years old ..

You're just a youngster!
(My photo was taken quite a few years ago )

Anyway, welcome to another Aussie!

 

[Michael M]

Anyway, welcome to another Aussie!

Yeah, cheers to that one Peter....we'll take over this Board yet !!
Darren your just a kid.....I'm closer to 60 than 55 !!...I've only been doing this stuff for a couple of years....but once the bug bites ....and guys like Peter have been helping out, advising, correcting, encouraging for ages....and they're always willing to help if your trying to help yourself.

 

[chuckchuckit]

Everyone above covered it. And I would also say, you are a youngster...

I started programming again less than a year now after bad carpel tunnel had me quit 20 years ago.

When I started all over from scratch (because my former programming in 'C' for DOS was no longer valid), I started simple. I would mention that just learn little pieces at a time to do only what you need or want to do. No need to learn everything all at once. Many people here will help with just about any question there is.

And I started saving all my routines I learned into my own library. So I could look them up easily later without having to learn them all over again. And I copy many of others routines.

I do not know what others use here to save their VBA code routines but I just make copies and save them in an Excel file VBA editor I named "MY VBA LIBRARY ROUTINES". Using a different "Sub" name for each routine.

Have fun! Because it is.

Chuck

 

[thebigkangaroo]

Well its good to see some Aussies and some more "mature" gentlemen on the site. Everyone sounds very helpful and friendly. I am going to take all of your advice, keep close contact with this forum and hopefully be in a position to return favours to others as you have done for me. Again, thankyou all very much.
ps - for the Aussies, I live in Geelong, Victoria and it is bloody cold at the moment. Good excuse to stay in front of the fire and practive VBA
cheers

 

[venkat1926]

all of you y are youngsters some of you babies as far as my age is concerned.
you will be surprised to know my age but I am not going to reveal it directly.

 

[chuckles1066]

ps - for the Aussies, I live in Geelong, Victoria and it is bloody cold at the moment. Good excuse to stay in front of the fire and practive VBA
cheers

Pah, by "bloody cold" you mean temperatures in the low teens?

Last winter it was so cold here the flame on my lighter froze

Welcome to the board!

My two euros worth as someone who is rapidly learning VBA - you've got to shamelessly borrow others code as posted here.

Use it. Experiment with it. If you think "ooh, that's neat", keep it, add comments to it so you'll remember what it does.

This site is a perfect example of the reason the internet came into being, imparting invaluable knowledge and advice to others.