Would like pointers to resources to automating Internet Explore with Excel VBA macros

[bobkuhn]

I'm tired of trying to go through brick walls. I'm willing to try going around.

I've been using Excel VBA to automate Internet explorer for several years now. All of my knowledge has come from online examples and the school of hard knocks. On top of that it's 3-6 months between coding sessions so some of the knowledge gets lost.

I see a lot of resources on VBA and HTML but nothing that marries the two. I'd appreciate pointers to resources (online, books, courses, …).

The best resource I ever found was 'Daily Dose of Excel » Blog Archive » Automating Internet Explorer' but it's no longer available.

Bob

PS – I've been into the Microsoft developer tools but the descriptions of the functions/methods are too terse for me to readily apply. I'd really like to see the top level description and then examples of what they're useful for

 

[hiker95]

bobkuhn,

See if something, in the below links, of my most up to date list will help you:

Training / Books / Sites as of 11/08/2014

What Is VBA?
VBA is an acronym for Visual Basic for Applications. VBA should not be confused with VB, which is standard Visual Basic. Visual Basic for Applications is a programming feature designed by Microsoft for use with their Microsoft Office

MrExcel's Products: Books, CDs, Podcasts Discuss topics related to Holy Macro! Products: Learn Excel from MrExcel, VBA and Macros for Microsoft Excel,Holy Macro! It's 2500 VBA Examples CD, Guerilla Data Analysis Using Microsoft Excel and Excel Knowledge Base CD and the MrExcel Podcasts.
MrExcel's Products: Books, CDs, Podcasts

There are over 1800 Excel videos/tutorials here:
ExcelIsFun - YouTube

Getting Started with VBA.
DataPig Technologies

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

Excel Tutorials and Tips - VBA - macros - training
MrExcel.com | Excel Resources | Excel Seminars | Excel Products

MrExcel's Excel Tutorial Listing
MrExcel.com | Excel Resources | Excel Seminars | Excel Products

Free VBA Course
Free VBA Course

Excel 2007 VBA materials to learn here:
VBA for Excel 2007 tutorial-VBA programming?

The macro recorder actually is your friend but look here:
Beyond Excel's recorder

Introduction to Variables, Constants and Data Types
Introduction to Variables, Constants and Data Types

Here's a good primer on the scope of variables.
Understanding Scope

Using Variables in Excel VBA Macro Code
Excel VBA Variables. Using Variables in Excel VBA Macro Code

See David McRitchie's site if you just started with VBA
Getting Started with Macros and User Defined Functions

What is a VBA Module and How is a VBA Module Used?
What Is A VBA Module and how is a VBA Module Used?

Events And Event Procedures In VBA
Events In Excel VBA

Here is a good introductory tutorial using a VBA Class:
Classes In VBA

There's a chapter on classes in VBA Developer's Handbook which is also good.
VBA Developer's Handbook, 2nd Edition: Ken Getz, Mike Gilbert: 0025211229781: Amazon.com: Books

Ron's Excel Tips
Excel for Windows Tips

Ron de Bruin's Mail from Excel and make/mail PDF files (Windows)
Mail from Excel and make/mail PDF files (Windows)

How do I create and use a PERSONAL file for my VBA code
How do I create and use a PERSONAL file for my VBA code

Anthony's Excel VBA Page - Excel Application - Excel Consultant - Excel Consulting (see 3 tutorials in Excel VBA Basic Tutorial Series)

BET: Microsoft Excel Visual Basic

Debugging VBA
Debug Excel VBA Macro Code
TechBookReport - Debugging Excel VBA Code

Start at the beginning...

Creating An XLA Add-In For Excel, Writing User Defined Functions In VBA
Creating An XLA Add In

Build an Excel Add-In
VBA Tips: Build an Excel Add-In

Creating custom functions
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA011117011033.aspx

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

VBA for Excel (Macros)
Excel Macros (VBA) Tutorial

Excel Macros Tutorial
Excel Macros (VBA) Tutorial

Excel Macros & Programming
EXCEL Macros Tutorial

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

Beyond Excel's recorder

Helpful as a simple concise reference for the basics, and, using the macro recorder is endlessly powerful.
MS Excel: Cells

Learn to debug:
Debugging VBA

How To: Assign a Macro to a Button or Shape
How To: Assign a Macro to a Button or Shape - Peltier Tech Blog

User Form Creation
http://www.contextures.com/xlUserForm01.html

Build a UserForm for Excel
http://www.fontstuff.com/ebooks/free/fsuserforms.pdf

When To Use a UserForm & What to Use a UserForm For
When to use Userform & What To Use Them For. Excel Training VBA 2 lesson 2

Excel Tutorials / Video Tutorials - Functions
http://www.contextures.com/xlFunctions02.html

How to insert Buttons, radio buttons and check boxes in Excel
How to insert Buttons, radio buttons and check boxes in Excel - Bing Videos

INDEX MATCH - Excel Index Function and Excel Match Function
http://www.contextures.com/xlFunctions03.html

Multi or two way vlook up and index match tutorial
Get Digital Help - Excel formulas, array formulas, vba, charts, pivot tables, templates and much more.

Excel Data Validation
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal08.html#Larger
http://www.contextures.com/excel-data-validation-add.html

Excel -- Data Validation -- Create Dependent Lists
http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal02.html

Create dependent drop down lists containing unique distinct values in excel

Your Quick Reference to Microsoft Excel Solutions
XL-CENTRAL.COM : For your Microsoft Excel Solutions

New! Excel Recorded Webinars
DataPig Technologies

Fuzzy Matching - new version plus explanation

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.
Programming In The VBA Editor

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

John Walkenbach's power programming with Excel books.

Excel 2010 Power Programming with VBA, Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf

by Stephen/ Bovey, Rob/ Green, John Bullen (Paperback - Feb 11, 2005)
Professional Excel Development

by Rob Bovey, Stephen Bullen, John Green, and Robert Rosenberg (Paperback - Sep 26, 2001)
Excel 2002 VBA: Programmers Reference

Professional Excel Development by Rob Bovey, Dennis Wallentin, Stephen Bullen, & John Green

DonkeyOte: My Recommended Reading, Volatility
Volatile Excel Functions -Decision Models

A list of Reference Books
AJP Excel Information

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

Arrays
VBA Array Basics
VBA Arrays
Excel: Introduction to Array Formulas - Xtreme Visual Basic Talk
Excel VBA Chpter 21: Array in Excel VBA

Array Dimensions in Visual Basic - Working with Dimensions (code and graphics)
Array Dimensions in Visual Basic

Visual Basic Array Tutorial written by Adam Wehmann
Visual Basic Arrays Tutorial

Shortcut Keys in Excel 2000 through 2007

Pivot Intro
Using Pivot Tables in Microsoft Excel - Peltier Tech Blog
Office 2010 Class #36: Excel PivotTables Pivot Tables 15 examples (Data Analysis) - YouTube
Office 2010 Class #36: Excel PivotTables Pivot Tables 15 examples (Data Analysis) - YouTube
Getting Started with Pivot Tables
http://www.contextures.com/xlPivot01.html#Start
Overview of PivotTable and PivotChart reports
Overview of PivotTable and PivotChart reports - Excel
Build a Pivot Table in Excel VBA
Excel VBA - Build A Pivot Table In Excel VBA Tutorials

Excel 2013 PowerPivot Basics #01: Introduction To PowerPivot for Excel 2013 - YouTube

Conditional Formatting
Use a formula to apply conditional formatting - Excel

Email from XL - VBA
Mail from Excel example pages

Outlook VBA
Writing VBA code for Microsoft Outlook

Excel Function Dictionary by Peter Noneley
http://www.xlfdic.com/
www.xlfdic.com Excel Function Dictionary 150 example functions and formula.

Function Translations
Excel 2007 function name translations - Dictionary Chart Front Page

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

How to create Excel Dashboards
http://www.contextures.com/excel-dashboards.html
Excel Dashboards - Templates, Tutorials, Downloads and Examples | Chandoo.org - Learn Microsoft Excel Online
Excel Dashboards - Templates, Tutorials, Downloads and Examples | Chandoo.org - Learn Microsoft Excel Online
Free Microsoft Excel Dashboard Widgets to Download
Gauge

Excel Dashboard / Scorecard Ebook
Excel Dashboards and Scorecards Ebook | How to Create Dashboards in Excel

Mike Alexander from Data Pig Technologies
http://www.amazon.com/Excel-2007-Da...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305564958&sr=1-1

Templates
CPearson.com Topic Index
http://www.contextures.com/excel-template-golf-scores.html
Free Microsoft Excel Template Links & Search Engine

Microsoft Excel Cascading Listboxes Tutorial
Microsoft Excel Cascading Listboxes Tutorial - YouTube

Date & Time stamping:
McGimpsey & Associates : Excel : Time and date stamps

Get Formula / Formats thru custom functions:
Show FORMULA or FORMAT of another cell

A nice informative MS article "Improving Performance in Excel 2007"
Improving Performance in Excel 2007

Progress Meters
Progress meters
xcelfiles.com

How to convert text to numbers in Excel
How to convert text to numbers in Excel

How to parse data from the web - Brett Fret has a video in YouTube
Excel VBA - Easily parse XML data from a file or website using XML Maps - YouTube

Excel VBA MAC shortcuts
http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-questions/465614-mac-shortcuts-excel.html

Macintosh Keyboard Shortcuts to use in Microsoft Excel
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/mac-excel-help/excel-keyboard-shortcuts-HA102927337.aspx

Excel shortcut and function keys - Excel

Excel VLOOKUP Multiple Sheets • My Online Training Hub

Merging Data from Multiple Workbooks into a Summary Workbook in Excel
Merging Data from Multiple Workbooks into a Summary Workbook in Excel
Merge data from all workbooks in a folder
Merging a Range from Selected Workbooks
Merging a Range from Multiple Workbooks by Column
Merging a Range from Multiple Workbooks in a Folder with a Filter

And, as your skills increase, try answering threads on sites like:
MrExcel.com | Excel Resources | Excel Seminars | Excel Products
Excel Help Forum
Excel Templates | Excel Add-ins and Excel Help with formulas and VBA Macros
Expert Microsoft Help, with all of the Microsoft Applications from Excel programming, Access training to our free Microsoft VBA Forums
Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Word VBA Macro Automation Help

If you are willing to spend money for the training, then something here should work for you...
Amazon.com: excel tutorial dvd

Advanced Excel Training - Online Excel Course
Excel Training: The Top Advanced Excel Course Online - Udemy

Learn VBA Fast, Vol. I: Excel function design course, with practice exercises (The VBA Function Design Course Book 1)
Learn VBA Fast, Vol. I: Excel function design course, with practice exercises (The VBA Function Design Course Book 1) eBook: D Armstrong: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Excel VBA Programmer Interview - Excel Test for interview
Excel VBA Programmer Interview

 

[Kyle123]

Automating Internet explorer is slow and there is always a better way.

The only way you'll really learn more about this kind of thing is to learn how http requests and cookies work. The easiest way of doing this is to learn the basics of a server based language, something like php. You don't need to know it in detail, just enough to learn the request cycle and an idea of what's going on behind the scenes.

Once you have that, you'll never automate ie again

 

[bobkuhn]

I don't think I have a choice.<o></o>
<o> </o>
My company has recently switched to a "better"interface to the Oracle database. Theonly way I can get to the data I need is through that interface. <o></o>
<o> </o>
It's OK if you only want one or two material lists but mostof the time I have 10+ lists I need to maintain & evaluate. Having a macro that can get multiple lists inthe background makes my life much easier.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Bob