
Second: you can use VBA to write user-defined functions for use in worksheet formulas – much like the “=SUM()” function, for example. If you learn the commands (using the macro recorder or online resources), you can string together several actions together in a single macro.

What can VBA do?įirst of all: if there’s something you can do in Excel, you can write VBA code to do the same thing. Recorded macros will always appear in modules, which is where you’ll typically want to write your own macros too.įor more information about editing macros, see the article “ Editing Excel VBA Macros“. You can double-click any workbook, sheet, or module object in the Project window to show the VBA code contained in it.

From here, you can access the code for all open workbooks. The VBA editor can be opened at any time by pressing the ALT+F11 keyboard shortcut. The macro recorder generates VBA code which you can read and edit, giving you a stepping-stone to learn how to code your own macros from scratch.įor more information, see the article “ How to Record a Macro”. The easiest way to get started with macros is to record them using the Macro Recorder built into Excel. With VBA, macros can be programmed to automate tasks like these, turning a series of manual operations into a single button click. Sometimes these are minor tasks like copy-pasting subsets of data to different sheets, and sometimes the tasks are more complex like uploading data to a website. Users of Microsoft Excel will often find themselves repeating the same series of tasks over and over again. VBA is used to write macros, which automate simple and complex tasks in Excel. The following is a series of frequently asked questions about VBA, with answers for both newcomers to Excel macros and seasoned programmers.

When you run a macro it’s this code that Excel reads to replay your actions. VBA is human-readable (and editable) programming code that gets generated when you record a macro. If you’ve ever used macros in Excel, you’ve used Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Excel Macros Disabled? – How to Enable Macros.
