Hungry for knowledge!

[ItIsHardToProgram]

Hey, I am currently working as a bug fixer, and the lack of questions sometimes bore me out. So I figured I would try to add to my VBA knowledge.

The only place that I know off to learn about programming, and learn it well I might add, is to read on these forums. Could any one suggest some good articles to learn about programming VBA in office environment, since I'm already doing alot of that!

Maybe methods to program in order to not make as many mistakes, or at least to always start a good core for a program!

Thanks a bunch!

"Knowing that you know is the greatest sign of stupidity, knowing that you are ignorant is the best proof of intelligence.

 

[HughLerwill]

'I've been a member since Mar 28, 2006, and have logged in 377 times.'

That is only about once week on average! Not often enough for a bug fixer.

 

[mcchung52]

Bug fixing in what environment? I'm assuming not VBA. Then, what's your current knowledge base and background?
I started VBA pretty recently and it was out of a need to do something more with Office. I learned C/C++ in school 10 years ago but didn't go into an IT field. Recently at my work, I started using VBA to automate some tedious task and I'm improving as I want to do more and more.
I recommend that you acutally start with a real project that you can get your hands on. Make user forms and listboxes and play with them to get started. Also try search engine to look up "Excel macro". I vaguely remember a site called Pearson Consulting or something like that that was pretty good.

 

[SkipVought]

I recommend that you acutally start with a real project that you can get your hands on.

Hear! Hear!

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[ItIsHardToProgram]

! ? !

So any way, bug fixing is a mearly part time job I was doing to help my dad, since I programmed his database.

Im an accountant full time mind you!

Either way, The real project I did was a whole environment using excel / access with VBA in order to accumulate hours per project and evaluate expenses for billing.

I was thinking more or less about literature, since I don't really have time for a project.

"Knowing that you know is the greatest sign of stupidity, knowing that you are ignorant is the best proof of intelligence.

 

[mcchung52]

LOL.
You don't have time for a project but have time to read?
I guess you're a learn-by-book type, of which I keep trying but fail miserably so I go with hands-on.
From your user name, I take it you want to learn programming in general but also in VBA. That's gonna be a huge time consuming hobby.
Solid foundation in programming, though, makes much difference even when you code in VBA because VBA is also a language and understanding "that general structure and principles" in a language which is pretty common in all languages is gonna be a big step up in really "knowing" vs think-you-know. I like your quote.
BTW, It took 2 years of university education for me, to justify myself, because they went all books on me and examples they gave were not out of my own need but out of their goal to teach.

 

[SkipVought]

Unless you use it, you loose it!

That is unless you can read a book and retain without applying to a real example and on a regular basis.

That is why a project, even a small one, is a great way to learn, IMHO. And when you have a problem you cannot solve, you post on Tek-Tips and learn some more! I am still learning, mostly in the areas that I use often.

Sure, I learned, assembler, PL1, FORTRAN, Dartmouth BASIC, ISPF, RAMIS, 370 JCL, etc. but I have not used these for 10 years or more. Don't ask me to write any serious code.

I know what I use and I use what I know.

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[xlbo]

Tend to agree with the above - best way to learn is to set yourself a task and then try to complete it - use the forums to help....

Chip Pearson;s site is very good but as with all the others, will give you bits and bobs as and when you need them - more like a help reference than a book.

For basic programming (in VBA) guidance, I can recommend any of the John Wlakenbach books on VBA (depending on which version of Excel you are using)

another way to learn is to pick up questions in forums like these which you don't know the answer to, do some research and figure out the answer (the macro recorder is very powerful in these situations as it will give you some base code that you can then play about with) - that's pretty much how I really started learning VBA - a caveat to all of this is however that VBA is MUCH easier when you know what the application can do!! A good knowledge of excel makes programming it far far easier!

Rgds, Geoff

We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours but they all live in the same box.

Please read FAQ222-2244 before you ask a question

 

[ItIsHardToProgram]

Thanks for all your hints, Ill keep that in mind and try to get a project started. You might hear from me

Julien ~

"Knowing that you know is the greatest sign of stupidity, knowing that you are ignorant is the best proof of intelligence.