VBA training 2

[dolodolo]

Hi,

I'm looking to formalize my Visual Basic script writing skills. I'm self-taught thus far and would like to start from the beginning and learn all of the short-cuts I've been long-cutting. Can anyone recommend the perfect book (self-paced) or online course?

Thanks,
Dolores

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

Everyone learns differently, so MY perfect book may not be someone else's perfect book.

I like John Walkenbach's style, so many of his books work for me.

Use the macro recorder and observe the results.

Try different stuff. Experiment.

Study the posts in this forum.

Try different stuff. Play around.

Check out other Excel sites like

http://www.j-walk.com,

http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html,

http://www.mrexcel.com/,

http://www.microsoft.com

Try different stuff. Be daring.

Use the Excel & VB Help menu.

Try different stuff. Be creative.

And, naturally, post your questions in Forum707.


Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[dolodolo]

Thanks Skip

 

[fumei]

We are all basically self-taught.

The MVPS site has many samples and links.

VBA Developer's Handbook is an excellent source book.


faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[TonyJollans]

As Gerry says, we are all (or certainly most) of us here self-taught. Truth is there is very little 'formal' VBA training out there. As good as anywhere to start is Bill Coan's VBA in 15 minutes, then as others have said, experiment - and do experiment because, although there are some very good websites, those of many MVPs among them, (you don't say which application you are primarily interested in) there is also a lot of rubbish on the net.

Enjoy,
Tony

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[dolodolo]

Thanks for the help - I bought a book "Visual Basic 2008 in 24 hours" by James Foxall. I think that will work perfectly. I need some formal programming framework. I feel like my VB programming is comparable to speaking a foreign language with a dictionary.

 

[dolodolo]

Oh - I'm working with Excel and Access. But also need to be able to write bridges between SQL databases.

 

[SkipVought]

That is not the same as VBA. You're talkin' VB, for which you must have a separate VB compiler.

VBA comes bundles with various MS applications like Excel, Word, Access, Outlook -- each with it's own set of application objects.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[dolodolo]

Thanks Skip - but won't becoming proficient in VB give me the big picture for VBA? I've been able to modify loop scripts in VBA, set variables, etc. but am not sure what the big picture is.

 

[TonyJollans]

Be aware that Visual Basic (VB) is not the same as Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

A book on VB will have lots of detail about VB itself (and it is just another application that uses VBA) which will not be particularly relevant. The actual language is the same but there is relatively little of that; much of what you do is in functions of the parent application.

Visual Basic 2008 will be a new book tied to the new version of Visual Studio (2008) - not that VB itself is particularly different from 2005 - and will have (presumably) details of the latest version of VSTO - but I guess that's irrelevant unless you're using both that and Office 2007.



Enjoy,
Tony

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[SkipVought]

Not necessarily. There is a whole lot more in VB than is in any particular VBA, that you can never use in VBA.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[MajP]

If you are working with Access the bible is the Desktop Developers Handbooks by Litwin and Getz. This is not your introductory book, but the best book out there for builing Access applications:

http://www.amazon.com/Access-2002-Desktop-Developers-Handbook/dp/0782140092

Buy an older edition and save a lot of money, like this 2002 edition. Access 2007 has some new features, but vba has stayed basically the same. You can pick the new stuff up by reading on line.

 

[dolodolo]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond. I guess my question is - I want to gain confidence as a start to finish programmer; is it a waste of time to learn VB as a progamming language and then augment that skill with VBA?

 

[SkipVought]

Depends on what you are regularly going to be using. If yu plan on designing and deploying executables, go with VB.

If you plan on using an MS application with VB automation, then go with VBA.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[TonyJollans]

is it a waste of time to learn VB as a progamming language and then augment that skill with VBA?

Absolutely not! It just isn't the quickest way to learning VBA.

Do you have Visual Studio? If not, you'll struggle to learn VB from a book.

Enjoy,
Tony

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[fumei]

Do you have Visual Studio? If not, you'll struggle to learn VB from a book. "

Does that mean if one has Visual Studio you will never struggle to learn from a book?


Hmmmmm....really?

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[TonyJollans]

Visual Studio would be worth it just for that

Enjoy,
Tony

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