Customer Reviews

VBA Developer's Handbook, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have had this book for a long time and thought I should put in my .02 cents worth.

Please do not let some of the earlier reviews fool or confuse you. This is a VBA based book. What does that mean? First off it means that it covers the common programming language 'Visual Basic for Applications' (VBA) that is used by Microsoft Office as well as third party products like Visio, AutoCAD, etc. Second, 'the language' VBA is the same 'programming language' which is used by 'the product' Visual Basic 5.0/6.0 from Microsoft. Think of it this way: Microsoft Visual C++ is a Windows development tool that uses the language C++. Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet tool that happens to contain a full blown programming language, VBA. In addition, Microsoft happens to sell a 'Windows development tool', called Visual Basic which in turn contains a full blow programming language, VBA. Except for some minor differences, the VBA in Office 97 is the 'same' as the version in the product Visual Basic 5.0.

This book does not pretend to be about 'the Visual Basic product' or any of the Microsoft Office products. It is about the 'common' programming language, VBA, which they (Visual Basic, Office, Visio, etc.) share! Some of the previous reviewers seem to be confused to these facts.

While the current edition of this book covers the version of VBA released with Office 97, all of the code would work in Visual Basic 5.0 or 6.0, Visio, AutoCAD, etc. In fact, with the release of VBA 6.0, the 'common programming language' will be the same in Visual Basic 6.0 and Office 2000 and soon to be released versions of Visio, etc.

This excellent book will NOT show you how to do database programming in Access, spreadsheet programming in Excel, or document programming in Word. It will NOT show you how to write ActiveX DLL's using the Visual Basic PRODUCT or do DCOM programming.

This book WILL however show you how to write great VBA code (remember, the language) you can use in any of the previously mentioned products. In addition, you will obtain code that will help you get system information, perform 'correct' date calculations, access the system registry, use multimedia features and more! Remember, if I'm wrong, you can send the book back. Nevertheless, if you want to get some understanding about the VBA 'language', get this book.

Finally there is a book that addresses advanced/state-of-the-art topics and program functionality in VBA. Most other VBA books end their discussion of object-oriented constructs and custom classes with a weak example of a collection class. This book goes way beyond into custom events, interface and implementation classes, and error handling. You're left with the feeling that you have access to all the armament VBA has to offer. Plus, there are lot's of tips & tricks for everything else, and lot's of code you need but haven't had the time to write yourself.

I've been programming part-time for work and school over the last 3 years. At my new full-time job I'm doing enough programming to warrant upgrading my skills. After reading many reviews I thought this book would be the perfect combination of real-world usability/practicality and some of the more theoretical stuff (like class modules) which I have never been able to pick up on my own.
So far it has lived up to my expectations perfectly. I highly recommend this book.
Brad

Readers who want a manual about programming Office, Access, and Word are probably going to want to look elsewhere. There's nothing in here about recordsets, pivot tables, or queries. What is in this book is invaluable info about manipulating strings, working with numbers (and VBA/VB math quirks) and advanced VBA programming techniques.

Page xxi has "As a developer, I don't want to have to write a charting application from the ground up. And with Microsoft Excel, I don't have to. Need a corporate calendar or contact management system? You can customize Microsoft Outlook..." This foreword from a Microsoft Product Manager should not belong in this book. This book's chapter on automation describes customizing the toolbar. It doesn't guide you through the above. It does not include info on using VBA with DNA to accomplish client/server programming. The title of the book is misleading. The book is more about code. On the positive note, this book accomplishes its objective. It provides ready-to-run code on a number of topics. It provides the information you need to view or add information to the registry or some other intermediate or advanced topic without explaining the details of why serious developers are interested in those topics. The book requires VBA 5.0. Microsoft has released a newer version.

As a more traditional Java/C++ developer I always scoffed at VBA and VB. When I began to develop using VB and VBA I was surprised to see how quickly and easily I could get things done and how well they worked. Now that I'm doing a number of more advanced things with multiple VBA enabled applications. This book has been a must have! Great examples, gets right to the good stuff, and skips the novice crap. If your looking to maximize your use of VBA this is a must have!

Having been dropped in the at the deep end at work, Having to re-create many Excel spreadsheets, in a very short time frame I found this book easy to understand and having the ready made code available helped make the work load a little lighter,As a previous review said " it's a VBA Cookbook" thanks.The way the information is grouped together with the little comments helped a great deal. In all this book answers a lot of every day problems with either the code for a quick fix or the information to help you in the right direction with a good grounding. Thanks again.

I couldn't believe how much useful, reusable code I found in this book. I also don't understand the complaints people have about this book not being about VBA. I just don't get it -- it's ALL about VBA, the language. And I haven't found any book that covers the language better. It's useful for me, as a mostly Excel developer, as well as anyone using any flavor of VBA, including VB5 or VB6. So don't believe these folks that seem to think VBA is a macro thing for Office, and a VBA book should be about programming Office -- it's not, it's a language, and I'm really happy with the tools I've gotten from reading this book. Just the classes showing how to read and write from the registry alone were worth the price of the book.

After perusing this text in the bookstore, I knew that I had to have it. Great text! It is exactly what it says...VBA Developer's Handbook. It deals with pure VBA, and is not specific to any application that might license VBA. Perfect ! A plethora of useful functions is waiting for you. I added exceptional classes to my repository of code the same day. Not for the faint-of-heart beginner though. I would suggest this for intermediate to hardcore VB programmers. This reference fills a niche and doesn't ramble on about a lot of apps and their implementation of VBA. Very Excel and Access-oriented however in discussing techniques and logically so. If you're looking for app-specific texts on VBA or database access, then go with a detailed reference that states its purpose as such. Also very heavy on string manipulation with excellent examples if your code requires it. Thankfully, it is written with a "use me when you need me" approach as acknowledged by the author. No fluff and very modular. VBA Developer's Handbook is perfect for solving specific problems for VB or VBA in general. This is the venerable type of text that stands the test of time. Intermediate programmers should jump on this !

This book has gotten me out of many scrapes. It is a rare book that can be read from the beginning, while trying out the sample code, as a way to learn the language, or as a reference book, to look up how to use a certain function effectively while writing code. Don't let the title fool you, this book is for those coding in VB just as much as it is for those using VBA. If you are going to buy one book on Visual Basic, let this be the one. If you are going to buy one book on Visual Basic, and see one movie this year, then buy this book and see Amelie. ;)