Microsoft Office

Part VI
Programming Excel with VBA
More about recording VBA macros
If you followed along with the preceding examples, you should have a better feel for how to record macros.
If you find the VBA code confusing, don’t worry. You don’t really have to be concerned with it as long as the
macro that you record works correctly. If the macro doesn’t work, rerecording the macro rather than editing
the code often is easier.
A good way to learn about what gets recorded is to set up your screen so that you can see the code that is
being generated in the Visual Basic Editor windows. To do so, make sure that Excel’s Window isn’t maximized;
then arrange the Excel window and the VB Editor window so both are visible. While you’re recording
your actions, make sure that the VB Editor window is displaying the module in which the code is being
recorded. (You may have to double-click the module name in the Project window.)
TIP
If you do a lot of work with VBA, consider adding a second monitor to your system. Then you
can display Excel on one monitor and the VB Editor on the other.
Absolute versus relative recording
If you’re going to work with recorded macros, you need to understand the concept of relative versus
absolute recording. Normally, when you record a macro, Excel stores exact references to the cells that you
select. (That is, it performs absolute recording.) If you select the range B1:B10 while you’re recording a
macro, for example, Excel records this selection as
Range(“B1:B10”).Select
This statement means exactly what it says: “Select the cells in the range B1:B10.” When you invoke the macro
that contains this statement, the same cells are always selected, regardless of where the active cell is located.
You may have noticed that the Developer ➪ Code section of the Ribbon has a control named Use Relative
References. When you click this control, Excel changes its recording mode from absolute (the default) to
relative. When recording in relative mode, selecting a range of cells is translated differently, depending on
where the active cell is located. For example, if you’re recording in relative mode and cell A1 is active,
selecting the range B1:B10 generates the following statement:
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Range(“A1:A10”).Select
This statement can be translated as “From the active cell, move 0 rows down and 1 column right, and then
treat this new cell as if it were cell A1. Now select what would be A1:A10.” In other words, a macro that is
recorded in relative mode starts out by using the active cell as its base and then stores relative references to
this cell. As a result, you get different results, depending on the location of the active cell. When you replay
this macro, the cells that are selected depend on the active cell. This macro selects a range that is 10 rows by
1 column, offset from the active cell by 0 rows and 1 column.
When Excel is recording in relative mode, the Use Relative Reference control appears depressed. To return
to absolute recording, click the Use Relative Reference control again (and it displays its normal, undepressed
state).
NOTE
The recording mode (either absolute or relative) can make a major difference in how your
macro performs. Therefore, understanding the distinction is important.
Storing macros in your Personal Macro Workbook
Most user-created macros are designed for use in a specific workbook, but you may want to use some
macros in all your work. You can store these general-purpose macros in the Personal Macro Workbook so
that they’re always available to you. The Personal Macro Workbook is loaded whenever you start Excel. This
file, named personal.xlsb, doesn’t exist until you record a macro, using Personal Macro Workbook as the
destination.
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