Peter Bradley - Excel VBA : A Step-by-Step Simplified Guide to Excel VBA Programming Techniques, Data Reporting, Business Analysis and Tips and Tricks for Effective Strategies

People use Excel and VBA for a variety of reasons. Some examples are:

Analyzing data

Creating lists

Developing diagrams and charts using data

Forecasting and Budgeting

Creating forms and invoices

The list is endless since you can use Excel for many reasons, but I am sure you get the idea. In simple words, you can use Excel to perform different tasks, and I am sure you read the first book in the series and have picked up this book with a set of expectations. If there is any function in Excel that you want to automate, you can use VBA.

For instance, you may want to create or develop a program that will help you import some data or numbers and then format that data to print a report. Once you develop the code, you can execute the macro using a command or a button. This will ensure that Excel performs the task in a few seconds or minutes.

Common Uses of VBA

In the first book, you gathered information on the different functions in VBA. Before you apply those functions, you should understand why you want to use VBA. You have to take some time out of your day and write the code to automate processes. You must also look for different ways to use VBA. This section covers some processes that you can automate using VBA.

People hate having to prepare documents, and if the documents they prepare always contain the same information, they will certainly not want to put more work into that document. In this instance, you can use the Excel Ad-in called Mail Merge, which is used to automate letters and documents, but this is not an option you can use when you need to write individual documents or letters. At such times, you should write a VBA code that will help you create a form, which will include common information. You can then include check boxes in your code to help you write the documents.

Word processing is not the only task you can automate using VBA. You can also automate the spreadsheet and there are numerous programs you can create for the same. For example, you can extract information or data from the internet into a spreadsheet by clicking a button. Therefore, you can limit the time you spend on simply copying the data from the web and pasting it according to the required format in your Excel worksheet.

There are some features in an application that will not help your cause, and you can learn to turn those features off. You cannot turn off these features if you need to use them for your other you work. Instead of disabling that feature, you can use VBA to create a new feature, which has all the functions that you need. For example, you can write a VBA code to help you if you want to use conditional formatting when you make some changes in your worksheet.

It is easy to change the interface of an application, so it works better for you. You can customize toolbars or menu systems, and can also move some elements around in the interface to make it look presentable. Additionally, you can use multiple interfaces and use a VBA code to shift between those interfaces.