Why program Excel? For solving complex calculations and presenting
results, Excel is amazingly complete with every imaginable feature
already in place. But programming Excel isn't about adding new features
as much as it's about combining existing features to solve particular
problems. With a few modifications, you can transform Excel into a
task-specific piece of software that will quickly and precisely serve
your needs. In other words, Excel is an ideal platform for probably
millions of small spreadsheet-based software solutions.
The best part is, you can program Excel with no additional tools. A
variant of the Visual Basic programming language, VB for Applications
(VBA) is built into Excel to facilitate its use as a platform. With VBA,
you can create macros and templates, manipulate user interface features
such as menus and toolbars, and work with custom user forms or dialog
boxes. VBA is relatively easy to use, but if you've never programmed
before, Programming Excel with VBA and .NET is a great way to learn a
lot very quickly. If you're an experienced Excel user or a Visual Basic
programmer, you'll pick up a lot of valuable new tricks. Developers
looking forward to .NET development will also find discussion of how the
Excel object model works with .NET tools, including Visual Studio Tools
for Office (VSTO).
This book teaches you how to use Excel VBA by explaining concepts
clearly and concisely in plain English, and provides plenty of
downloadable samples so you can learn by doing. You'll be exposed to a
wide range of tasks most commonly performed with Excel, arranged into
chapters according to subject, with those subjects corresponding to one
or more Excel objects. With both the samples and important reference
information for each object included right in the chapters, instead of
tucked away in separate sections, Programming Excel with VBA and .NET
covers the entire Excel object library. For those just starting out, it
also lays down the basic rules common to all programming languages.
With this single-source reference and how-to guide, you'll learn to use
the complete range of Excel programming tasks to solve problems, no
matter what you're experience level.
