VBA – Why/Why Not?

For those special individuals with proper skills, there is a massive amount of Hidden Power lurking in the depths of Excel. VBA – Visual Basic for Applications is the programming language of Excel with which you can create the sometimes famous, sometimes infamous Macros. There are, after all, good reasons to use VBA, and some good reasons not to use it.

Why to Use VBA

·       By implementing User Forms, you can make your Excel worksheets very easy to manipulate for nearly any user.

·       It allows you to conduct more sophisticated tasks and permanently automate them, potentially saving a ton of your valuable time.

·       With good coding, you can produce creations that can solve business conundrums that are difficult to approach with built-in Excel tools.

·       VBA is truly amazing, and once you build your skills, it will transform you to unquestioned Guru status!

Why to Not Use VBA

·       First, a scary one: There is No Undo button (yes, I thought that might get your interest…).

·       Testing and the inevitability of debugging your code can take a lot of time.

·       If you find it difficult to maintain clear notes in your code, it may cause dreadful problems in the future (rebuilding your work is not cool…).

·       Most importantly, most users do not have VBA skills, and probably do not know anyone who does. If at some point they do not have you for a reference, your beautiful creation may turn out to be useless.

VBA. A fabulous tool or a disaster waiting to happen. You will need to make your own decision…