IE 212: Computational Methods for

Industrial Engineering

Lecture Notes #2:

The Visual Basic Editor
The Visual Basic for Applications Programming Language

Saeed Ghanbartehrani
Summer 2015
 Outline
In this module, the following topics will be covered:
The basics of the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) environment
Project Explorer Window
Properties Window
Code Window
Introduction to the Excel Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
programming language
The Excel object model
The difference between a property, a method, and an event
Fundamental skills for reading, understanding, and writing basic Excel
VBA code
Basic user interface development
Assigning sub procedures to shapes (i.e., buttons)

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The Visual Basic Editor (VBE)

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 The Visual Basic Editor
The Visual Basic Editor (VBE) is the environment in which
you work with Excel VBA code
Excel and the VBE have separate windows
You can toggle between as needed by pressing Alt+F11

Excel VBE

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 The Visual Basic Editor (cont.)
Access the VBE through the Developer Ribbon (Excel 2013)
1) Open Excel 2010 and click on the green tab labeled File
2) Click on Options (the window Excel Options will appear)
3) Click on Customize Ribbon
4) Make sure the entry in the combo box labeled Customize the Ribbon
reads Main Tabs
5) Select the option Developer
6) Click OK

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 The Visual Basic Editor (cont.)
There are three main windows in the VBE
Project Explorer Window
Properties Window
Code Window

Two additional windows in the VBE are mainly used for

debugging
Immediate Window
Watch Window

VBE Toolbars
Standard toolbar

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 The Visual Basic Editor (cont.)
The VBEs windows

Project
Explorer Code
Window

Properties
Window
Watch
Window

Immediate
Window

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 Project Explorer
Lists all projects in any open workbook

Each workbook has a project, and each

project can have several parts
Objects (e.g., workbook and worksheets)
Modules
Forms

In the VBE, you can use Insert >

Module to add a new module to the
current project
Can also use icon from standard toolbar

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 Properties Window
Contains detailed information about any
selected part of a project in the Project
Explorer

Some basic naming and formatting

properties can be modified for
worksheets and workbooks

Properties are very important for user

forms
Formatting
Position
Picture
Scrolling
Behavior

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 Code Window
Displays the VBA code for the highlighted part of a project in
the Project Explorer

When macros are recorded, VBA code is simultaneously

created and can be edited in the VBE

You will write your own code in this window, once you are
more familiar with Excel VBA

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 Immediate and Watch Windows
Both of these windows are used for debugging
The Immediate Window allows you to enter code that is executed
immediately
As long as the syntax is correct
The Watch Window displays values of inserted variables

Use the View menu option to view or hide any window

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 The Excel VBA
Programming Language

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 Visual Basic for Applications
Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) brings a dynamic
element to spreadsheet-based decision support systems
(DSS) applications

VBA can be used to perform the same spreadsheet functions

that are done in Excel along with some other advanced
Excel object manipulation

For example, VBA can be used to:

Modify a spreadsheet
Create a user interface
Perform simulation models
Solve optimization problems

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 Visual Basic for Applications (cont.)
The VBA programming language is common across all
Microsoft (MS) Office applications
In addition to Excel, you can use VBA in Word, PowerPoint, Access
and Outlook

When you work with a particular application, you need to

learn about the objects it contains
E.g., Word Documents, paragraphs, words, etc.

Each MS Office application has a clearly defined set of

objects according to the relationships among them
This structure is referred to as the applications object model

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 The Excel Object Model
Objects in Excel include (but are not limited to)
Workbooks and worksheets
Cells and ranges of cells
Charts and shapes

There is an object hierarchy which orders these objects

Workbooks contain worksheets
Worksheets contain ranges
Ranges contain cells

Objects in Excel are manipulated in VBA via

Properties
Physical characteristics of objects that can be measured or quantified
Methods
Actions that can be performed by objects or on objects

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 The Excel Object Model (cont.)
Objects in Excel also respond to events
Double-click on a cell
Opening or closing a workbook
A recalculation of a worksheet

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The Excel Object Model (cont.)

Workbook

Cell Range

Cell

Worksheets

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 Macros
Macros will be used to illustrate basic Excel VBA coding
Recording macros creates VBA code automatically
This code can be studied
Macros are useful in developing the fundamental skills for reading,
understanding, and writing VBA code
Main topics will include
Recording a macro
Writing simple VBA procedures
Creating event procedures
Assigning macros to drawing objects in Excel

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 Macros (cont.)
Macros are technically defined as units of VBA code
A macro automates a repetitive series of actions in an Excel
spreadsheet application
Macros can be recorded in Excel or created directly by writing VBA
code in the Visual Basic Editor (VBE)

In VBA, macros are referred to as procedures

There are two types of procedures
Sub procedures
Function procedures
The macro recorder can only produce sub procedures

To record a macro, we must know exactly the actions we

wish to perform and then use the Macro Recorder
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 Macro Example
Let us record a macro to copy and then paste data
Open the Excel file CarDealer_Example.xls
A dealer wants to send the information from the first three
columns and last column of the data table (highlighted in
yellow) to a newspaper

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 Macro Example (cont.)
We should first review/practice the steps we will take when
recording the macro
Highlight (i.e., select) the first three columns of data with the cursor
(C5:E14)
Copy the selection using CTL+C
You can also right-click the selection and click on Copy
Highlight (i.e., select) cell C18
Paste the data using CTL+P
You can also right-click the selection and click on Paste
Highlight (i.e., select) the last column (K5:K14)
Copy the selection using CTL+C
Highlight (i.e., select) cell F18
Paste using CTL+P
Select cell A1 and then press Esc

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 Macro Example (cont.)
Now we are ready to record the macro

You can do this in several different ways

Select View > Macros > Record Macro
Record Macro button from the Developer Toolbar

Click on the Record Macro icon located next to the legend Ready
on the lower left corner of the workbook

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 Macro Example (cont.)
When the Record Macro dialog box appears, we enter a
name for the macro
The macro name should begin with a letter and may contain only
letters, numbers and the underscore (i.e., _) character
Maximum length is 255 characters
Do not use special characters (e.g., !, ?, &) or blank spaces

Use a short and descriptive name

Use _ to separate words
First_Macro
Capitalization works well too
FirstMacro

Enter CarCopyPaste as the macro name for this example

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 Macro Example (cont.)
Once you begin recording, notice that the Record Macro
button is now the Stop Recording button

After finishing the steps needed to copy and paste the

information, you can stop recording
Select View > Macros > Stop Recording
Click on the Stop Recording button from the Developer Toolbar
There is also a Stop button on the lower left corner of the workbook
Click on the square button next to the legend Ready

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 Saving Excel Files Containing Macros
When a normal workbook (i.e., one without macros) is
saved, MS Excel appends the standard .xlsx extension
For workbooks containing macros, the file must be saved
as a Macro-Enabled file
In this case, Excel appends the special extension .xlsm to these
files
If you fail to save a file containing macros with the .xlsm
extension, ALL YOUR WORK WILL BE LOST!

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 Macro Security
Macro security is an important feature since MS Excel 2007
Because macros may be used to harm your computer
The level of protection can be set directly from the
Developer ribbon by selecting Macro Security

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 Macro Security (cont.)
When you open a spreadsheet that contains macros, Excel
displays a warning on the ribbon alerting you that macros
have been disabled

Select Enable Content only if you are sure the file is safe

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 Macro Security (cont.)
To avoid having to authorize every spreadsheet with
macros that is opened, define your working directory as a
trusted location

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 Macro Security (cont.)
Save your file in the trusted location that you just defined
Make sure to save it as fileName.xlsm

Remember
If you save your file with the extension .xlsx, all you macros
will be lost!

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 Running the Macro
Once you have recorded a macro, you can run it to ensure it
works correctly
Select View > Macros > View Macros
Select macro CarCopyPaste from list and press Run
Press button Macros on the Developer Toolbar
Select macro CarCopyPaste from list and press Run

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 VBA Code
As we learned earlier, each time a macro is recorded in
Excel, VBA code is generated automatically
Let us review the code that was generated for this macro
Go the VBE window (Alt-F11)
A Modules folder has been added to the Project Explorer
Expand the folder and double-click on Module1 to see the code in
the Code Window

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 VBA Code (cont.)
Sub CarCopyPaste() This is the initial statement of every
sub procedure
Range("C5:E14").Select The Select method of the Range
Selection.Copy object selects the specified range
of cells
Range("C18").Select
The Copy method is used on the
ActiveSheet.Paste
Selection object
The Paste method is used on the
Range("K5:K14").Select ActiveSheet object
Application.CutCopyMode = False The CutCopyMode method
Selection.Copy removes the moving border
Range("F18").Select These steps are repeated to copy
ActiveSheet.Paste and paste the last column
This last cell selection can be
Range("A1").Select added to avoid leaving the cells
Application.CutCopyMode = False highlighted
This is the last statement of every sub
procedure
End Sub

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 Learning to Code in Excel VBA
The VBA code generated when we record a macro can be
studied
This way, we can easily learn how to create a similar macro directly
from VBA by copying the code generated

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 Creating New VBA Code (cont.)
Assume the dealer now wants to add vehicle mileage
information to the previously recorded macro
Mileage information is contained in range F4:F14

Write (do not record) code that accomplishes this

Name your macro AddMileage()

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 Event Procedures
Event Procedures connect events or actions of an Excel
object to a specific macro of VBA code
Click
Change
Activate

To find a list of available/applicable event procedures in VBE,

look at the top of the Code Window
Double click on the Sheet1 member of the Microsoft Excel Object
tree
Choose Worksheet from the object list combo box
The label(General) is displayed in the combo box
Choose the Change event from the event list combo box
The label (Declarations) is displayed in the combo box

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 Assigning Macros to Shapes
MS Excel shapes (e.g., a rectangle) can be employed to
simulate buttons
Recall that shapes are also objects in Excel

Macros can then be assigned to these buttons

Simplifies the process of running macros
This is part of creating graphical user interfaces for DSS

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 Assigning Macros to Shapes (cont.)
To create a simple button do the following
Select Insert > Shapes > (Select a Rectangular shape)
Then add text to it by right-clicking it and choosing Edit Text
Format the rectangle as desired

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 Assigning Macros to Shapes (cont.)
Once your button shape is ready, right-click on it and select
Assign Macro from the drop-down list
A list of all macros in the open workbooks will appear

Select a macro for your button to run

Your button has become activated

We can now create buttons for each of the macros we

previously wrote
Create as many buttons as needed for your macros
Assign a macro to each new button

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 Buttons Shifting on Worksheet
You may notice that buttons sometimes
shift inside the worksheet as macros are
executed
Fix for drawn controls
First, select a cell just outside the control and
click it
Right mouse-click on the button and select Size
and Properties
Select the Properties tab and select the option
Dont move or size with cells
Click Close

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 Limitations with Macros
Although keyboard macros are well worth learning, they are
limited
In particular, they cannot do the following:
Perform repetitive actions (i.e., loops)
Perform conditional actions
Take different actions depending on whether something is true or false
Assign values to variables
Specify data types
Variables can store integers, decimal numbers, strings, etc.
Display pop-up messages
Display custom dialog boxes
These limitations are overcome by writing your own macros
in VBA

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 Summary
The Visual Basic Editor (VBE) is the environment in which
you work with VBA programming code

There are three main windows in VBE

The Project Explorer Window
The Code Window
The Properties Window

The VBA programming language is common across all

Microsoft (MS) Office applications
Excel has a particular object model
Objects in Excel can be manipulated by changing their properties or
calling their methods

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 Summary (cont.)
Properties are the physical descriptions of all Excel objects
The description of the particular property is called the value of the
property

Methods are the actions that can be performed on the object

The elements of a method statement are called the arguments of the
method

Macros are technically defined as units of VBA code

VBA code that is recorded in Excel is referred to as a macro
VBA code that is written by a programmer is referred to as a
procedure
Sub procedure
Function procedure

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 Summary (cont.)
Events are actions that can take place in the Excel window
that cause an action to occur in the VBA code

An event procedure is just like a sub procedure, except that

it is associated with a particular action of an Excel object

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