I have wanted to learn VB and VBA for a long time. My school offers a coarse, but it doesn't fit with the rest of my schedule. It will be my first programing language. I was considering using the textbook my school uses (An introduction to programing using visual basic 2008, but I wold get the 2010 version), but I was wondering if there were better resources I could use. I mainly want to lean to learn VBA so I cam create macros and other tools for MS Word. Please understand that this is the fist time I will be programming and I am teaching myself (with the books/online resources).
A:
Getting Started with Visual Basic
Learning Visual Basic from the Ground Up
New Learning Resources on the Visual Basic Developer Center
[But you might be better off learning VB.NET rather than VB/VBA]
Mitch Wheat
2010-05-25 02:57:35
A:
Based on personal experience, books and websites help the most.
Try to write a simple program yourself in VB. When you find something that you do not understand, Google it. Look forna video on YouTube which explains it. Post on SO.
Many programming language. Share concepts, so once you know one, you have a better shot at others.
Good luck.
Moshe
2010-05-25 03:01:01
+2
A:
Like most programs, it's best if you learn to write code from comments. That is, write the intent of the code as a paragraph describing business rules and intent. From there make accurate action sentences. Then convert those action statements to pseudocode. Then convert that to actual code. If you do this it will be easier to troubleshoot later.
I'm saying all that because it sounds like you're not familiar with programming. If you are, overlook it, mkay?
As for learning VBA, the best advice I can give is how I learnt it back in 1995 or 1998 or so. Open the app you want to work in, open the macro recorder, record some specific, simple task (again, having that pseudocode or business logic from the first paragraph helps! you can compare intent versus produced code) and after stopping, examine the recorded macro. It will usually be in VBA, so you'll be able to determine how the intent translates to code.
drachenstern
2010-05-25 03:23:30
A:
My favorite, most helpful book on VBA was: Writing Word Macros, By Steve Roman
Best beginners book on programming in general. If you have Microsoft Office, you have a tool to work with.
Chris
2010-05-29 05:33:25
Will It still be accurate with word 2010 (it was published in 1999)?
Noah
2010-05-29 22:25:07
@Noah: I can't tell you everything in that book will work and it's probably a good reason not to get it. The library (Word VBA) has changed over the years but I would assume that most of it is the same. Buy the book used for $15 and what's the loss? It helped me understand basic concepts such as types, variables, objects etc.
Chris
2010-05-31 23:23:38