1. ISOM3230 Business Applications Programming
VBA Basic

2. Learning Outcomes
apply programming concepts to solve business problems
describe the logic and flows of given programs
predict the output of a program
write programs with common programming practices
identify and fix logical and run-time errors in programs

3. Outline 1. Developer Tab 16. Operator 2. Enable Macro 17.
Operator Precedence 3.
Trust Center
18.
Sub and Function 4.
VBA Editor + Module
19.
Passing Value 5.
Immediate Window
20.
If… End If 6.
Comment
21.
Select Case 7.
Debug.Print
22.
For… Next Loop 8.
MsgBox
23.
Do While/Until… Loop 9.
InputBox
24.
Do … Loop While/ Until
10.
Data Type
25.
For Each… Next
11.
Constant
26.
Exit Do/ Exit For
12.
Declaring Variable
27.
Array
13.
Converting Data Type
28.
Object Statement
14.
Option Explicit
29.
Excel Environment
15.
Scope of Variable
Reference

4. Environment + Basic Developer Tab Object Variable If … End If
6-14
Environment + Basic
Developer Tab 33
Obj
Object Variable
Enable Macro
Condi. Stat.
If … End If
34-37
Trust Center
Select Case
Iteration
For … Next Loop
VBA Editor + Module
38-43
Do While/Until … Loop
Immediate Window
Do … Loop While/ Until
Comment, _, and Main
For Each … Next
In/output
Debug.Print
15-17
Exit Do/ Exit For
MsgBox
Array
Array
InputBox
44-49
Option Base
Variable
Data Type
18-23
Array Initialization
Constant
Redim + Preserve
Declare & Assign
Lbound + Ubound
Converting Data Type
Dynamic Array
Option Explicit
Scope of Variable
50-56
Object Statement
Operator
Operator 57
Excel Environment
24-28
Operator Precedence
Ref.
Color Constant
58-64
Application.InputBox
Method
Sub and Function
29-32
Passing Value
Monitor a Variable

5. End

6. Developer Tab

7. Enable Macro

8. Trust Center (1)
046 8

9. Trust Center (2)
046

10. VBA Editor + Module
Alt+F11
003

11. Immediate Window
Press Ctrl+G to open the Immediate Window
044

12. Use of Immediate Window (1)
Tips 1
You may use Immediate Window to execute statements. For example, after typing "Worksheets.Add" and then press Enter, a new worksheet will be created.
044

13. Use of Immediate Window (2)
Tips 2
You may use Immediate Window to show the result value of a variable or expression.
Type "? Expression" and press Enter, then the window will show the result of the expression
044

14. Comment, _, and Main Subroutine
- A new VBA program MUST BE stored in a NEW subroutine (or known as Main Subroutine) which is created by programmers
- The Name of the subroutine MUST BE a unique and valid name
008
Remarks:
’ and Rem are used to insert comments into a program
_ is used to indicate that the current statement is not yet ended and the next line is part of the current statement
The Naming Rules in VBA are the same as VB

15. Debug.Print
044

16. MsgBox
022
Remark:
Messagebox.Show() is not available in VBA

17. InputBox InputBox(Prompt, Title, Default ) Remark: OK returns a String
023
Remark:
OK returns a String
Cancel returns Nothing

18. Data Type DataType Default Value Boolean False Integer Double Date
Double
Date
12:00:00 AM December 30, 1899
String “”
Variant
Empty
Remark:
Variant is similar to the Object data type in VB

19. Constant
Declaring a constant
_ is used here
008

20. Declaring Variable and Assigning Value
Must be separated
004

21. Converting Data Type Remarks:
Build-in Constant
Remarks:
All of the following are available in VBA
CBool()
CDbl()
CStr()
CInt()
CDate()
010

22. Option Explicit
005

23. Scope of Variable Public Level (Public) Module Level Global Variable
(Dim, Private)
006
Global Variable
Local Variable

24. Operator (1) Arithmetic Operator Operator Example Result Exponential ^
6 ^ 4
1296
Multiplication *
6 * 4 24
Division /
6 / 4
1.5
Integral Division \
6 \ 4 1
Remainder
Mod
6 Mod 4 2
Addition +
6 + 4 10
Subtraction -
6 - 4
011

25. Operator (2) Comparison Operator Operator Example Result Smaller than
<
6 < 4
False
Smaller or Equal to
<=
6 <= 4
Greater than
>
6 > 4
True
Greater or Equal to
>=
6 >= 4
Equal to =
6 = 4
Not equal to
<>
6 <> 4
Object comparison Is
objA Is objB
True/False
String pattern comparison
Like
“UST“ Like "*me*"
011
When comparing objects, Is must be used. So objA = objB  Runtime Error

26. Operator (3) String Operator Logic (or Boolean) Operator Operator
Example
Result
String Connection
&
"ISOM" & "3230"
"ISOM3230" +
"ISOM" + "3230"
"ISOM"
(Error)
Operator
Example
Result
Logical conjunction
And
6 > 4 And 8 = 9
False
Logical disjunction Or
6 > 4 Or 8 = 9
True
Logical negation
Not
Not 6 > 4
011

27. Operator Precedence (1)
Precedence Rules
Operators are evaluated by following the precedence order table (next slide)
Parentheses can override the order of precedence and the left associativity
Operators with equal precedence are evaluated left to right in the order in which they appear in the expression

28. Operator Precedence (2)
Type
from Highest to Lowest
Parentheses ()
Arithmetic and Concatenation ^
- (Negation)
* / \
Mod
+ - (Add and subtract)
&
Comparison
=, <>, <, <=,>,>=, Like, Is
Logical
Not
And Or
Xor
Eqv
Imp
a + = 1 ‘ Error in VBA

29. Sub and Function (1)
002

30. Sub and Function (2)
When the return value of a function will be used immediately, brackets MUST be used.
Sub test()
Dim msg As Integer
msg = MsgBox("Test 1", vbOKOnly) ' OK
msg = msgbox "Test 2", vbOkOnly ' Error
MsgBox "Test 3", vbOKOnly ' OK
MsgBox("Test 4", vbOKOnly) ' Error
End Sub
002

31. Passing Value to Method (1)
037
ArgumentName b
ArgumentName a
Remark
:= is to assign a value to a specific argument:
ArgumentName := Value

32. Passing Value to Method (2)
038

33. Object Variable Must use Set Object variable name Class name
Range object
Range object .Value property
Reset the object
007

34. If-Then
026

35. If-Then-Else
027

36. If-Then-Elseif
028

37. Select Case
029

38. For … Next Loop The counter value i must be declared outside For loop
030

39. Do While … Loop Cells() will return a Range Object Range Object
031
Color value
Background color
Remark:
Cells( y , x )
Where x, and y are coordinates of a worksheet

40. Do Until … Loop Month(Date)
A function returns an Integer specifying whole number between 1 and 12, inclusive, representing the month of the year.
032

41. Do … Loop While / Until Remark: Cells( y , x )
033
Remark:
Cells( y , x )
Where x can be a letter, instead of an integer

42. For Each … Next Update Remark:
034
Remark:
- The Range Object covers data cells from B2 to D7
- Range( ”B2” , ”D7” ) same as Range( ”B2:D7” )

43. Exit Do / Exit For
035

44. Array Index starts from 0 Remark:
012
Remark:
- Range( ”B2” ) same as Range( ”B2” ).Value

45. Option Base Option Base 1 / Option Base 0
The default array lower bound index will become 1
If you also specify the lower bound index during declaration:
Dim Arr(2 To 5) As String
Then Option Base will NOT change the lower bound index in this array
013

46. Array Initialization This also works Must use Variant
MUST use Array keyword
014

47. Redim + Preserve
017

48. LBound + UBound
018
Calculating the array size: UBound(ArrayName) - LBound(ArrayName) + 1

49. Dynamic Array Remark: Range( ”A1” ).End(xlDown).Row
016
Remark:
Range( ”A1” ).End(xlDown).Row
Count the total number of valid data starting from A1
An empty cell contains invalid data

50. Object and Dot (.) Operator
To access a property or method of an object, use the dot (.) operator between the object name (left operand) and the property / method name (right operand)
Object
Either
Property (≈Variable) or
Method
Sub()
Function()
Workbooks.Count
Dot Operator

51. Object and Dot (.) Operator
Object.Property
Object.Method
Object.Sub()
Object.Function()

52. A complicated example Range("B4").End(xlup).Select
Object Method
Object Select
Cannot be determined:
Maybe Sub() or Function()
This Object can be generated from either Property (Object Variable) or Function (Returning Object).
Function’s Returning Object:
Function TestFunc() as Human
Return New Human
End Function
Object variable: Objvar
Dim Objvar as New Human
(where Human is a class)

53. Model Answer: Range("B4").End(xlUp).Select

54. Range("B4").End(xlUp).Select1 2
XlDirection
Description
xlDown
Down
xlToLeft
To left
xlToRight
To right
xlUp Up 3 4
Returning Object
One parameter type is
XIDirection

55. What is the data type of Return Value?
Range.Select 1 2 3 4
What is the data type of Return Value?
Mistake!!!

56. Range.Select

57. Workbook, Worksheet, and Range Objects
Workbook Object
a range of one cell
Range Object
a range of 5 cells
Worksheet Object
current sheet tab

58. Reference

59. Color Constant For reference
Color constants: Miscellaneous Constants
Constant
Description
vbBlack
Black
vbBlue
Blue
vbGreen
Green
vbCyan
Cyan
vbRed
Red
vbMagenta
Magenta
vbYellow
Yellow
vbWhite
White
Constant
Description
vbCrLf
Carriage return–linefeed combination
vbNewLine
Platform-specific new line character; whichever is appropriate for current platform
vbTab
Tab character

60. Application.InputBox with specific parameters
For reference
Application.InputBox with specific parameters
Application.InputBox(Prompt := Message, _ Title := Caption, _ Type := DataType)
024

61. Monitor a variable (1) For reference Step 1
Highlight the variable you want to monitor, right click and then select “Add Watch”
043

62. Monitor a variable (2) For reference Step 2
Select the Watch Type, and then press OK
043

63. Monitor a variable (3) For reference Step 3
The Watch Window will be shown. Click on the grey bar near your code to set a breakpoint. The program will pause once it reaches the breakpoint.
043

64. Monitor a variable (4) For reference Step 4
Press F5 to run the Sub. The program will pause at the breakpoint. The current value of the variable you watched will be shown on the Watch Window. You may also expand the content of the variable.
043