Customer Reviews

Microsoft® Excel 2000 Power Programming with VBA

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I spend a lot of time writing Excel macros for my current employer and I can tell you that Excel 2000 Power Programming with VBA has been an invaluable tool. I was familiar with VBA (novice level) before purchasing the book and I feel I've been learning new code at an exponential rate thanks to John Walkenbach's exceptionally clear examples. You really can do some powerful stuff with VBA and Walkenbach is a gifted (and entertaining) teacher. If you have no previous experience, you will be amazed at how easy it is to create professional looking message boxes, input boxes, and even custom multi-page dialog boxes. Walkenbach demonstrates how to add and remove buttons from toolbars and menus, work with cell and range data, use "ActiveX" controls (such as option buttons, check boxes, and combo boxes), run procedures when certain events occur (such as opening a workbook or clicking on the right mouse button), and even how to use API calls to perform functions that are normally outside the scope of VBA (such as identifying the path to the Windows folder or identifying the printer port). All of the code examples (and there are plenty of them) are clearly explained. Walkenbach doesn't just list page after page of code an expect you to figure out what each line accomplishes. Instead, he defines all of the objects and properties he uses and explains the methods he uses to manipulate them. You won't be overwhelmed by the complexity of the code but you will be thrilled about how powerful your macros are.

I'll give you an example from my own experience to demonstrate the usefulness of Excel 2000 Power Programming with VBA. I had created several worksheets templates at my job to be used by other employees. I locked several cells that contained formulas because I didn't want the employees to be able to change them. It quickly came to my attention, though, that people could inadvertently destroy the formulas by using Excel's "cut" function on unlocked cells that the formulas referenced. I needed to disable Excel's "cut" function whenever the workbook in question was active. Using the book I found out how to remove the "cut" button from both the "Edit" menu and the standard toolbar, disable the shortcut menu that pops up whenever you right click on a worksheet object (which also contains the "cut" button), and disable Excel's cell drag and drop feature since it produces the same results as the "cut" function. I just inserted the relevant code in the "ThisWorkbook" module as Walkenbach explains, and now nobody can accidentally screw up the protected formulas.

I think it's important to note, though, that while this book is OK for novice programmers, it assumes the reader is already very familiar with Excel's tools and functions. Don't buy it if you aren't already an advanced Excel end-user. Some previous experience with VBA would also help, but since Walkenbach spends a good portion of text discussing foundational concepts and providing entry-level code snippets, this book can be just as useful to neophytes as it is to intermediate and advanced developers.

I have written some Excel macros that work with CSV files. After buying this book I have been able to reduce my code to a great extent. It has added to my knowledge of built in Excel-VBA functions and I am very happy with the purchase. This book can be very well considered an Excel VBA bible.

Here are some of the good points about this book:
1. Code snippets for most frequent tasks. The author uses Excel's built in definitions and makes it look very easy.
2. The examples at the end of each chapter(and on the CD rom). This library is HUGE!. I love it. It includes more than 100 macros. Some macros include batch processing of files, undoing a macro, putting a progress indicator for a macro... and lot others. :)
3. The author, John W provides great support. He replied to me within 24 hours when I emailed a problem with a macro. That was very cool.

All in all, good worth for the money. Good luck

This is a wonderful book which can be used to learn VBA, as well as a reference for later use. This book distinguishes itself from others in these respects: (1) As a C and Fortran programmer, I like a bottom-up, structured programming approach; rules about the language, semantics, and other useful issues. This book layes it out in 4 solid chapters. Then, it goes on to describe Userforms and Controls, more advanced VB concepts. This is great for somebody with a Science/Engineering/Finance bent.

(2) All other VB books I have read take a muddled approach wherby they depict fragmented examples, usually about how to record a macro and see the ensuing code (as opposed to writing code from scratch) and after a few pages you realize the utter INCOHERENCE. This book highlights the structured programming approach: few basic rules and principles, build on from there.

A solid book, along with a useful CD. Additionally, a clear and conversational style of writing makes this a really goob book.

You have to wonder when the author states in the preface ..."I spent more time developing the examples on the CD_ROM than I did writing chapters" ... and it shows. Information seems to be somewhat scattered. In an 850 page book on "power programming with VBA", it takes more than 100 pages before the author really gets into VBA.
The author recommends using comments in code, but many examples lack sufficient comments which would greatly aid the reader. The author also recommends using OPTION EXPLICIT (which requires the user to declare variable types), but variables are undefined in many examples which makes the examples more difficult to understand. The author does not recommend (and does not use) prefixes on variable names to identify types. This variable naming convention, which is widely used, would also make his examples more understandable.
In my opinion, several chapters appear out of place. The chapter on reading/writing text files, which appears at the end of the book, should be covered much earlier. The chapter on class modules is the second last chapter even though the author uses class modules in the examples in at least 4 previous chapters. The author states that "complete coverage" of class modules is beyond the scope of the book, but fails to explain some concepts used in the class modules in the prior chapters.
The Power Utility Pak included on the CD-ROM is a demo version for Excel 97 with many features non-operational. The book does includes a coupon for a FREE copy of Power Pak 2000 ... but it will cost you S&H.
Although the book has relatively few errors, the errors I have detected and submitted to the author have apparently "fallen on deaf ears" and have not been published on the author's website for the benefit of other readers.
I think the author should have spent more time making the content of the book match the title of the book. The majority of the book deals with Excel 97 material. Very little information in this book is specific to Excel 2000. In my opinion the book should be rated for a reader level of "Beginner to Intermediate" rather than "Intermediate to Advanced". At least 100 pages of "boiler plate stuff" should be eliminated and replaced with "advanced stuff".
NEVERTHELESS, despite all my criticisms ... Good Excel books at the intermediate/advanced level are hard to find. Readers can obtain valuable information by reading the text and carefully following the author's examples in both the book and on the CD-ROM.

As an Excel '97 user, my interest is engineering applications, and using VBA to supplement spreadsheet computations.

Although it's out of date, and often at a much more introductory level, Elizabeth Boonin's "Using Excel Visual Basic" shows a much clearer understanding of the learner's questions. For example, she has Chapter 12 "How do you get all that stuff from Excel into VBA and back?" You'll be able to figure this out from Walkenbach, but you will have to develop your own "search and find" method to locate what you need: it's not organized that way.

Likewise, Walkenbach talks about debugging in snipits scattered throughout the book, while Boonin collects this topic in one chapter: "Fixing your code", where you can find a clear discussion of the whole subject. Getz and Gilbert "VBA Developer's Handbook" also have a more coherent discussion of debugging.

Another gripe: combining different morsels to actually do something requires trial and error splicing.

Bottom line: I recommend this book, but wish it were less a scattergun approach.

I bought this book after looking at several others. I read 150 pages in the first day alone. Excellent resource! I've been using excel for three years now and finally decided to take my knowledge regarding excel to the next level. I chose the correct book to help me do so. Walkenbach is called "Mr. Spreadsheet" for a reason. He knows what he is talking about. There is no fluff or filler in this book. Every page is packed with valuable information. I recomend this book over other Excel VBA books I have looked at. Very well done. The CD is also a great resource.

I previously rated this book at four stars, but the more I use it the less I like it.

The main problems are organization and insight. Information is scattered throughout the book, and its utility is not apparent. The reader must invent just what might work, and guess just where in the book the igredients of solution are stashed. If you can't visualize an approach (and guess when Walkenbach thought about it while writing the book) you will not find what you need.

An example is the Input Box. First, it is placed in the chapter "Introducing UserForms", but it is not a UserForm, and we're never told. In time one comes to see that a VBA subroutine has to be used to get an Input Box. By using the online help, one can find a code example to produce an Input Box. Then Walkenbach distinguishes between Excel's and VBA's Input Box method. But the code example on p. 357 is a snipit: you have to figure out how to incorporate it into a functioning subroutine.

Unfortunately this pattern is repeated: debugging is scattered about, error handling is an afterthought, exchanging data between VBA and the spreadsheet is buried under "The Range Property" on p. 155 (for writing), buried (without discussion) as a line in a code example on p. 166 (for reading), and used (without comment) in an array example much later on p. 287.

This book is a series of examples and many useful informational items, but it's just not tutorial for most subjects. Wells and Harshbarger, "Microsoft Excel 97 Developer's Handbook" does much more for imagining how the various elements can be combined in useful applications.

I am always a bit skeptical when another computer book that is several inches thick is released. Surprisingly there is useful material throughout this volume. Walkenbach covers Excel programming from start to finish in a way that programmers of all levels will understand. He begins with a bit of Excel history and moves into simple VBA development and eventually covers various "advanced" topics such as pivot tables, charts and user forms. His writing is clear and there are plenty of examples throughout the book. He is even careful to point out version compatibility issues.

Experienced programmers will find most of the book skimmable. In about an hour you can pick up most of the VBA syntax and be on your way to developing simple applications. Some space is devoted to software development methodology, but not too much. Walkenback strikes a nice balance between giving new users the information they need to know and not straying off topic.

I am a software developer, and I've never liked the computer "big books" published for lay people.

Until this one.

This book is well-written, well-organized, well-thought-out, and well worth every penny. Instead of complex examples (and I've seen plenty of them), John presents simple, brilliantly clear examples that are distilled down to show the exact point he is trying to make, which makes the book very easy to follow.

As a high-end user for Excel I recently took a VB 6 programming class at my local Jr. Collge, hoping to get some good VBA education. While the class was invaluable, this book is a MUST for anyone who creates complex Excel spreadsheets and wants to incorporate powerful macro's and VBA code. A solid knowledge of Visual Basic 6 is helpful, but not required, if you want to get the most from this book. I've looked for a great VBA book for several months and this one is the best I've found.

If you're already a professional developer, then I seriously doubt you'll like the book because it devotes a lot of space to the fundamentals of VBA and programming.