Mastering Excel 2003 Programming with VBA [Paperback]

Steven M. Hansen (Author), Sybex (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0782142818 | ISBN-13: 978-0782142815 | Publication Date: March 19, 2004 | Edition: 1

Create Powerful Business Applications with Excel 2003

Excel 2003 is an ideal application development platform for all levels of business needs. If you're an advanced Excel user looking to gain programming experience, or a skilled developer new to Excel or the Excel Object Model, this no-nonsense book teaches you how to build custom applications that can generate substantial time and cost savings for you, your employer, and your customers.

Written by a professional with nearly a decade of experience producing Excel/VBA solutions, Mastering Excel 2003 Programming with VBA conveys the precise knowledge and techniques you need to be highly productive. You'll master the most critical Excel objects and development practices necessary to create a complete solution, including working with XML data, Smart Document technology, and database integration with ADO. And you can readily apply the practical advice and reusable code examples to your own projects.

In his friendly style, author Steven Hansen makes the information easy to grasp and entertaining to read, and he does not shy away from challenging material.

You'll learn all about:

• Ramping up with VBA
• Debugging tools and tactics that work
• Mastering the Excel Object Model
• Developing class modules
• Customizing Excel UserForms
• Integrating Excel with other applications
• Incorporating text files in your solution
• Coding solutions that leverage a database
• Using XML in Excel
• Designing user-friendly toolbars and menus
• Building Excel 2003 Smart Documents
• Deploying your solution

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Create Powerful Business Applications with Excel 2003

Excel 2003 is an ideal application development platform for all levels of business needs. If you're an advanced Excel user looking to gain programming experience, or a skilled developer new to Excel or the Excel Object Model, this no-nonsense book teaches you how to build custom applications that can generate substantial time and cost savings for you, your employer, and your customers.

Written by a professional with nearly a decade of experience producing Excel/VBA solutions, Mastering Excel 2003 Programming with VBA conveys the precise knowledge and techniques you need to be highly productive. You’ll master the most critical Excel objects and development practices necessary to create a complete solution, including working with XML data, Smart Document technology, and database integration with ADO. And you can readily apply the practical advice and reusable code examples to your own projects.

In his friendly style, author Steven Hansen makes the information easy to grasp and entertaining to read, and he does not shy away from challenging material. You’ll learn all about:

• Ramping up with VBA
• Debugging tools and tactics that work
• Mastering the Excel Object Model
• Developing class modules
• Customizing Excel UserForms
• Integrating Excel with other applications
• Incorporating text files in your solution
• Coding solutions that leverage a database
• Using XML in Excel
• Designing user-friendly toolbars and menus
• Building Excel 2003 Smart Documents
• Deploying your solution

About the Author

Steven Hansen has been developing analytical software applications since 1997, and founded Dakota Technology Group, Inc., in 1998. Most of the software he develops uses Excel. He also offers training geared towards increasing the efficiency of analysts. Prior to 1997, Steve was a financial analyst using VBA with Excel to perform sophisticated analyses and to automate analytical processes. He has a BA degree in history from Rollins College and an MBA degree from the University of Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 1 edition (March 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782142818
• ISBN-13: 978-0782142815
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,595,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Excel VBA without macro recorder, March 18, 2005

By 

C. Torrico (Tillson, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mastering Excel 2003 Programming with VBA (Paperback)

This is the best book on Developing with Excel I've read (still reading). It is now known that Excel's macro recorder sometimes produces inefficient and un-maintainable code. So, the author doesn't waste time with the macro recorder, instead he goes directly into VBA. I particularly like his treatment of GetOpenFilename, GetSaveAsFilename, and "Breaking down into path and File name components". Chapter 11 on "Developing Class Modules" is also excellent in introducing this complicated subject gently. Besides, the concepts learned here can be applied to other Microsoft applications such as Access.
He has managed to present the material in just 585 pages in a logical manner. I always had the impression that programming books over 1000 pages are less approachable and therefore less useful than books under 1000 pages.
Congratulations and many thanks to the author Steven Hansen.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best for Business Application Developers, November 11, 2005

By 

Martin G. Ryerson "Excel guru in training" (West Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mastering Excel 2003 Programming with VBA (Paperback)

There are many books on VBA programming, and many of them specialize in Excel. If you are (or hope to be) a *serious* business application developer with Excel using VBA, then this is the best book you will find anywhere.

If you are a first-time beginner, you may want to check out "Excel 2002 Visual Basic for Applications Step by Step" by Reed Jacobson before going on to this book.

Mr. Hansen does review the basics, but the book is directed primarily to a reader who has had at least some exposure to Excel VBA, although you do not need to be a seasoned expert.

You often see the phrase "Real World Examples" associated with books of this type. I don't know what "Real World" most of those authors live in, but Mr. Hansen is the first I have discovered who appears to inhabit the same planet that I do. All of his examples are going into my permanent code library, where I know they will be used over and over.

The approach to teaching the subject is also excellent. After a review of the basics, each of the important objects of the Excel Object Model is covered. This book does not attempt to be exhaustive. It is focused on the practical. Once you have "Mastered" these fundamentals, you should be able to develop more advanced techniques on your own.

Best in Class, Best in Show. Buy it.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Believe the hype!, January 3, 2006

By 

Steven M. Hansen (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mastering Excel 2003 Programming with VBA (Paperback)

I'm the author of this book and encourage you to check this book out. I wrote this book with a smart, motivated, corporate audience in mind. This book is packed with content and techniques that have been validated by nearly a decade of "in-the-trenches" corporate development.

I stand behind all of the listings in this book. If they don't work - chances are you're not doing something right. As any "Excel/VBA expert" can tell you, parameterized procedures will not show up in the Macro dialog box. If you have any questions I encourage you to contact me. Thanks & Happy Reading!