Viewing vba in excel

The first step to working with VBA in Excel is to get yourself familiarized with the Visual Basic Editor (also called the VBA Editor or VB Editor).

In this tutorial, I will cover all there is to know about the VBA Editor and some useful options that you should know when coding in Excel VBA.

What is Visual Basic Editor in Excel?

Visual Basic Editor is a separate application that is a part of Excel and opens whenever you open an Excel workbook. By default, it’s hidden and to access it, you need to activate it.

VB Editor is the place where you keep the VB code.

There are multiple ways you get the code in the VB Editor:

1. When you record a macro, it automatically creates a new module in the VB Editor and inserts the code in that module.
2. You can manually type VB code in the VB editor.
3. You can copy a code from some other workbook or from the internet and paste it in the VB Editor.

Opening the VB Editor

There are various ways to open the Visual Basic Editor in Excel:

1. Using a Keyboard Shortcut (easiest and fastest)
2. Using the Developer Tab.
3. Using the Worksheet Tabs.

Let’s go through each of these quickly.

Keyboard Shortcut to Open the Visual Basic Editor

The easiest way to open the Visual Basic editor is to use the keyboard shortcut – ALT + F11 (hold the ALT key and press the F11 key).

As soon as you do this, it will open a separate window for the Visual Basic editor.

This shortcut works as a toggle, so when you use it again, it will take you back to the Excel application (without closing the VB Editor).

The shortcut for the Mac version is Opt + F11 or Fn + Opt + F11

Using the Developer Tab

To open the Visual Basic Editor from the ribbon:

1. Click the Developer tab (if you don’t see a developer tab, read this on how to get it).
2. In the Code group, click on Visual Basic.

Using the Worksheet Tab

This is a less used method to open the Vb Editor.

Go to any of the worksheet tabs, right-click, and select ‘View Code’.

This method wouldn’t just open the VB Editor, it will also take you to the code window for that worksheet object.

This is useful when you want to write code that works only for a specific worksheet. This is usually the case with worksheet events.

Anatomy of the Visual Basic Editor in Excel

When you open the VB Editor for the first time, it may look a bit overwhelming.

There are different options and sections that may seem completely new at first.

Also, it still has an old Excel 97 days look. While Excel has improved tremendously in design and usability over the years, the VB Editor has not seen any change in the way it looks.

In this section, I will take you through the different parts of the Visual Basic Editor application.

Note: When I started using VBA years ago, I was quite overwhelmed with all these new options and windows. But as you get used to working with VBA, you would get comfortable with most of these. And most of the time, you’ll not be required to use all the options, only a hand full.

Below is an image of the different components of the VB Editor. These are then described in detail in the below sections of this tutorial.

Now let’s quickly go through each of these components and understand what it does:

Menu Bar

This is where you have all the options that you can use in the VB Editor. It is similar to the Excel ribbon where you have tabs and options with each tab.

You can explore the available options by clicking on each of the menu element.

You will notice that most of the options in VB Editor have keyboard shortcuts mentioned next to it. Once you get used to a few keyboard shortcuts, working with the VB Editor becomes really easy.

Tool Bar

By default, there is a toolbar in the VB Editor which has some useful options that you’re likely to need most often. This is just like the Quick Access Toolbar in Excel. It gives you quick access to some of the useful options.

You can customize it a little by removing or adding options to it (by clicking on the small downward pointing arrow at the end of the toolbar).

In most cases, the default toolbar is all you need when working with the VB Editor.

You can move the toolbar above the menu bar by clicking on the three gray dots (at the beginning of the toolbar) and dragging it above the menu bar.

Note: There are four toolbars in the VB Editor – Standard, Debug, Edit, and User form. What you see in the image above (which is also the default) is the standard toolbar. You can access other toolbars by going to the View option and hovering the cursor on the Toolbars option. You can add one or more toolbars to the VB Editor if you want.

Project Explorer

Project Explorer is a window on the left that shows all the objects currently open in Excel.

When you’re working with Excel, every workbook or add-in that is open is a project. And each of these projects can have a collection of objects in it.

For example, in the below image, the Project Explorer shows the two workbooks that are open (Book1 and Book2) and the objects in each workbook (worksheets, ThisWorkbook, and Module in Book1).

There is a plus icon to the left of objects that you can use to collapse the list of objects or expand and see the complete list of objects.

The following objects can be a part of the Project Explorer:

1. All open Workbooks – within each workbook (which is also called a project), you can have the following objects:
   • Worksheet object for each worksheet in the workbook
   • ThisWorkbook object which represents the workbook itself
   • Chartsheet object for each chart sheet (these are not as common as worksheets)
   • Modules – This is where the code that is generated with a macro recorder goes. You can also write or copy-paste VBA code here.
2. All open Add-ins

Consider the Project Explorer as a place that outlines all the objects open in Excel at the given time.

The keyboard shortcut to open the Project Explorer is Control + R (hold the control key and then press R). To close it, simply click the close icon at the top right of the Project Explorer window.

Note: For every object in Project Explorer, there is a code window in which you can write the code (or copy and paste it from somewhere). The code window appears when you double click on the object.

Properties Window

Properties window is where you get to see the properties of the select object. If you don’t have the Properties window already, you can get it by using the keyboard shortcut F4 (or go to the View tab and click Properties window).

Properties window is a floating window which you can dock in the VB Editor. In the below example, I have docked it just below the Project Explorer.

Properties window allows us to change the properties of a selected object. For example, if I want to make a worksheet hidden (or very hidden), I can do that by changing the Visible Property of the selected worksheet object.

Related: Hiding a Worksheet in Excel (that can not be un-hidden easily)

Code Window

There is a code window for each object that is listed in the Project Explorer. You can open the code window for an object by double-clicking on it in the Project Explorer area.

Code window is where you’ll write your code or copy paste a code from somewhere else.

When you record a macro, the code for it goes into the code window of a module. Excel automatically inserts a module to place the code in it when recording a macro.

Related: How to Run a Macro (VBA Code) in Excel.

Immediate Window

The Immediate window is mostly used when debugging code. One way I use the Immediate window is by using a Print.Debug statement within the code and then run the code.

It helps me to debug the code and determine where my code gets stuck. If I get the result of Print.Debug in the immediate window, I know the code worked at least till that line.

If you’re new to VBA coding, it may take you some time to be able to use the immediate window for debugging.

By default, the immediate window is not visible in the VB Editor. You can get it by using the keyboard shortcut Control + G (or can go to the View tab and click on ‘Immediate Window’).

Where to Add Code in the VB Editor

I hope you now have a basic understanding of what VB Editor is and what all parts it has.

In this section of this tutorial, I will show you where to add a VBA code in the Visual Basic Editor.

There are two places where you can add the VBA code in Excel:

1. The code window for an object. These objects can be a workbook, worksheet, User Form, etc.
2. The code window of a module.

Module Code Window Vs Object Code Window

Let me first quickly clear the difference between adding a code in a module vs adding a code in an object code window.

When you add a code to any of the objects, it’s dependent on some action of that object that will trigger that code. For example, if you want to unhide all the worksheets in a workbook as soon as you open that workbook, then the code would go in the ThisWorkbook object (which represents the workbook).

The trigger, in this case, is opening the workbook.

Similarly, if you want to protect a worksheet as soon as some other worksheet is activated, the code for that would go in the worksheet code window.

These triggers are called events and you can associate a code to be executed when an event occurs.

Related: Learn more about Events in VBA.

On the contrary, the code in the module needs to be executed either manually (or it can be called from other subroutines as well).

When you record a macro, Excel automatically creates a module and inserts the recorded macro code in it. Now if you have to run this code, you need to manually execute the macro.

Adding VBA Code in Module

While recording a macro automatically creates a module and inserts the code in it, there are some limitations when using a macro recorder. For example, it can not use loops or If Then Else conditions.

In such cases, it’s better to either copy and paste the code manually or write the code yourself.

A module can be used to hold the following types of VBA codes:

1. Declarations: You can declare variables in a module. Declaring variables allows you to specify what type of data a variable can hold. You can declare a variable for a sub-routine only or for all sub-routines in the module (or all modules)
2. Subroutines (Procedures): This is the code that has the steps you want VBA to perform.
3. Function Procedures: This is a code that returns a single value and you can use it to create custom functions (also called User Defined Functions or UDFs in VBA)

By default, a module is not a part of the workbook. You need to insert it first before using it.

Adding a Module in the VB Editor

Below are the steps to add a module:

1. Right-click on any object of the workbook (in which you want the module).
2. Hover the cursor on the Insert option.
3. Click on Module.

This would instantly create a folder called Module and insert an object called Module 1. If you already have a module inserted, the above steps would insert another module.

Once the module is inserted, you can double click on the module object in the Project Explorer and it will open the code window for it.

Now you can copy-paste the code or write it yourself.

Removing the Module

Below are the steps to remove a module in Excel VBA:

1. Right-click on the module that you want to remove.
2. Click on Remove Module option.
3. In the dialog box that opens, click on No.

Note: You can export a module before removing it. It gets saved as a .bas file and you can import it in some other project. To export a module, right-click on the module and click on ‘Export file’.

Adding Code to the Object Code Window

To open the code window for an object, simply double-click on it.

When it opens, you can enter the code manually or copy-paste the code from other modules or from the internet.

Note that some of the objects allow you to choose the event for which you want to write the code.

For example, if you want to write a code for something to happen when selection is changed in the worksheet, you need to first select worksheets from the drop-down at the top left of the code window and then select the change event from the drop-down on the right.

Note: These events are specific to the object. When you open the code window for a workbook, you will see the events related to the workbook object. When you open the code window for a worksheet, you will see the events related to the worksheet object.

Customizing the VB Editor

While the default settings of the Visual Basic Editor are good enough for most users, it does allow you to further customize the interface and a few functionalities.

In this section of the tutorial, I will show you all the options you have when customizing the VB Editor.

To customize the VB Editor environment, click Tools in the menu bar and then click on Options.

This would open the Options dialog box which will give you all the customization options in the VB Editor. The ‘Options’ dialog box has four tabs (as shown below) that have various customizations options for the Visual Basic Editor.

Let’s quickly go through each of these tabs and the important options in each.

Editor Tab

While the inbuilt settings work fine in most cases, let me still go through the options in this tab.

As you get more proficient working with VBA in Excel, you may want to customize the VB Editor using some of these options.

Auto Syntax Check

When working with VBA in Excel, as soon as you make a syntax error, you will be greeted by a pop-up dialog box (with some description about the error). Something as shown below:

If you disable this option, this pop-up box will not appear even when you make a syntax error. However, there would be a change in color in the code text to indicate that there is an error.

If you’re a beginner, I recommend you keep this option enabled. As you get more experienced with coding, you may start finding these pop-up boxes irritating, and then you can disable this option.

Require Variable Declaration

This is one option I recommend enabling.

When you’re working with VBA, you would be using variables to hold different data types and objects.

When you enable this option, it automatically inserts the ‘Option Explicit’ statement at the top of the code window. This forces you to declare all the variables that you’re using in your code. If you don’t declare a variable and try to execute the code, it will show an error (as shown below).

In the above case, I used the variable Var, but I didn’t declare it. So when I try to run the code, it shows an error.

This option is quite useful when you have a lot of variables. It often helps me find misspelled variables names as they are considered as undeclared and an error is shown.

Note: When you enable this option, it does not impact the existing modules.

Auto List Member

This option is quite useful as it helps you get a list of properties of methods for an object.

For example, if I want to delete a worksheet (Sheet1), I need to use the line Sheet1.Delete.

While I am typing the code, as soon as I type the dot, it will show me all the methods and properties associated with the Worksheet object (as shown below).

Auto list feature is great as it allows you to:

• Quickly select the property and method from the list and saves time
• Shows you all the properties and methods which you may not be aware of
• Avoid making spelling errors

This option is enabled by default and I recommend keeping it that way.

Auto Quick Info Options

When you type a function in Excel worksheet, it shows you some information about the function – such as the arguments it takes.

Similarly, when you type a function in VBA, it shows you some information (as shown below). But for that to happen, you need to make sure the Auto Quick Info option is enabled (which it is by default).

Auto Data Tips Options

When you’re going through your code line by line and place your cursor above a variable name, it will show you the value of the variable.

I find it quite useful when debugging the code or going through the code line by line which has loops in it.

In the above example, as soon as I put the cursor over the variable (var), it shows the value it holds.

This option is enabled by default and I recommend you keep it that way.

Auto Indent

Since VBA codes can get long and messy, using indentation increases the readability of the code.

When writing code, you can indent using the tab key.

This option ensures that when you are done with the indented line and hit enter, the next line doesn’t start from the very beginning, but has the same indentation as the previous line.

In the above example, after I write the Debug.Print line and hit enter, it will start right below it (with the same indentation level).

I find this option useful and turning this off would mean manually indenting each line in a block of code that I want indented.

You can change the indentation value if you want. I keep it at the default value.

Drag and Drop Text Editing

When this option is enabled, it allows you to select a block of code and drag and drop it.

It saves time as you don’t have to first cut and then paste it. You can simply select and drag it.

This option is enabled by default and I recommend you keep it that way.

Default to Full Module View

When this option is enabled, you will be able to see all the procedures in a module in one single scrollable list.

If you disable this option, you will only be able to see one module at a time. You will have to make a selection of the module you want to see from the drop-down at the top right of the code window.

This option is enabled by default and I recommend keeping it that way.

One reason you may want to disable it when you have multiple procedures that are huge and scrolling across these is taking time, or when you have a lot of procedures and you want to quickly find it instead of wasting time in scrolling.

Procedure Separator

When this option is enabled, you will see a line (a kind of divider) between two procedures.

I find this useful as it visually shows when one procedure ends and the other one starts.

It’s enabled by default and I recommend keeping it that way.

Editor Format Tab

With the options in the Editor Format tab, you can customize the way your code looks in the code window.

Personally, I keep all the default options as I am fine with it. If you want, you can tweak this based on your preference.

To make a change, you need to first select an option in the Code Colors box. Once an option is selected, you can modify the foreground, background, and indicator color for it.

The font type and font size can also be set in this tab. It’s recommended to use a fixed-width font such as Courier New, as it makes the code more readable.

Note that the font type and size setting will remain the same for all code types (i.e., all the code types shown in the code color box).

Below is an image where I have selected Breakpoint, and I can change the formatting of it.

Note: The Margin Indicator Bar option when enabled shows a little margin bar to the left of the code. It’s helpful as it shows useful indicators when executing the code. In the above example, when you set a breakpoint, it will automatically show a red dot to the left of the line in the margin bar. Alternatively, to set a breakpoint, you can simply click on the margin bar on the left of the code line that you want as the breakpoint.

By default, Margin Indicator Bar is enabled and I recommend keeping it that way.

One of my VBA course students found this customization options useful and she was color blind. Using the options here, she was able to set the color and formats that made it easy for her to work with VBA.

General Tab

The General tab has many options but you don’t need to change any of it.

I recommend you keep all the options as is.

One important option to know about in this tab is Error Handling.

By default, ‘Break on Unhandled Errors’ is selected and I recommend keeping it that way.

This option means that if your code encounters an error, and you have not handled that error in your code already, then it will break and stop. But if you have addressed the error (such as by using On Error Resume Next or On Error Goto options), then it will not break (as the errors are not unhandled).

Docking Tab

In this tab, you can specify which windows you want to get docked.

Docking means that you can fix the position of a window (such as project explorer or the Properties window) so that it doesn’t float around and you can view all the different windows at the same time.

If you don’t dock, you will be able to view one window at a time in full-screen mode and will have to switch to the other one.

I recommend keeping the default settings.

Other Excel tutorials you may like:

• How to Remove Macros From an Excel Workbook
• Comments in Excel VBA (Add, Remove, Block Commenting)
• Using Active Cell in VBA in Excel (Examples)

This tutorial will show you how to open and program in the Visual Basic Editor in VBA.

Opening the Visual Basic Editor

There are a few ways to access the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) in Excel.

Press Alt + F11 on your keyboard.

OR

Click View > Macros > View Macros. From here you can Edit an existing macro or Create a new one. Either option opens up the VB Editor.

OR

Developer > Visual Basic

Note: If you don’t see the Developer Ribbon, you’ll need to enable it.

To enable the Developer Ribbon

Click on the File tab in the Ribbon, and go down to Options. In the Customize Ribbon options, tick the Developer check box. This is switched off by default so you will need to switch it on to see the tab on the ribbon.

Click OK.

The Developer tab will appear on the main ribbon. Click on Visual Basic at the start of the ribbon to access the Visual Basic Editor.

Understanding the VBE Screen

The VBE Screen is shown in the graphic below.

The Project Explorer

The Project Explorer enables you to see how the Project in which you are working is organized.  You can see how many modules and forms are stored in the project, and can navigate between these modules and forms. A module is where the code in your workbook is stored, when you record a macro, it will be stored in a standard module – which will by default be named ‘Module1’.

Each of the worksheets in your Excel file also has module behind it, as does the workbook itself.  When you insert a new sheet into the workbook via the main Excel screen, you will see an additional sheet module appear in the Project Explorer.

Double-click on a module to move to the code for that module.

You can also click on the Window menu on the toolbar and select the module there to move to the code for that module.

Type of Modules

The modules are organized into 5 different types.

1. Standard modules – most of your code will go into this type of module. When you record a macro, it gets put into a standard module.    When you write a general procedure to be used throughout your workbook, it also normally goes into a standard module.
2. Workbook modules – this module holds the code the is unique to that individual workbook. Most of the code in these type of modules are known as EVENTS.   An event can occur when a workbook is opened or closed for example. The module can also contain code that is written by yourself and used by the events.
3. Sheet modules – this module holds the code that is unique to that individual sheet.  They can occur when a sheet is clicked on for example (the Click Event), or when you change data in a cell.  This module can also hold code that is written by yourself and called by the Events.
4. Form modules – this is the module behind a custom form that you may create. For example you may create a form to hold details for an invoice, with an OK button, the code behind the button (the Click Event) contains the code that will run  when the button is clicked.
5. Class modules – this module is used to create objects at run time. Class module are used by Advanced VBA programmers and will be covered at a later stage.

Inserting a module or form into your code

To insert a new module into your code, click on the Insert option on the menu bar, and click Module.

Or, click on the Insert Module button which you will find on the standard ribbon.

To insert a new user form into your code, select the UserForm option.

A new user form will appear in the Project Explorer and will be shown in the Code Window on the right.

You can also insert a Class Module

A class module is used to insert objects into your VBA project.

Removing a Module or Form from the Project Explorer

Right-click on the module or form you wish to remove to show the right click short cut menu.

Click Remove (in this case UserForm1…)

OR

Click on the File menu, and then click on Remove (UserForm1).

A warning box will appear asking if you want to Export the form or module before you remove it.  Exporting the form or module enables you to save it as an individual file for use in a different Excel project at some other time.

More often than not when you remove a module or form it is because you do not need it, so click No.

The Properties Window

You will see the properties window below the Project Explorer.  You may need to switch this on.

Press F4 or click View, Properties Window.

The properties window enables you to see the properties for the particular module or form that is selected in the Project Explorer.  When you are working in modules, you can use the properties window to change the name of the module.  This is the only property available to a module. However, when you are working with forms, there will be far more properties available and the Properties window is then used extensively to control the behavior of forms and the controls contained in the form.

When you record a macro, it is automatically put into a standard module.  The module will named ‘Module1’ and any code that is contained in that module is available to be used throughout your project.  You should rename your module to something that is significant, that would make your code easy to find if you were to add multiple modules to the project.

You can also rename your forms.

If you have renamed your sheet in Excel, the name of the sheet will show up as the name of the sheet in brackets after Sheet1.

If you want to change the name of the module behind the sheet, you can change it in the same way you change the module and user form name – by changing the Name property in the Properties Window.

The Code Window

The code window shows you the sub procedures and functions that are contained in your modules – it shows you the actual code.  When you record a macro, a sub procedure will be created for you.  If you add a short cut key to the macro, it will show up as a comment in the macro to let you know what the short cut key is that you assigned to the macro.

At the top of the code window are two combo boxes.  These allow you to see which object (if any) within the Module that you might be working on, and which Procedure you might be working on.

In the example above, we are not working on any object – thus this is set to general, but we are working within the Gridlines procedure.

If we had more than one procedure in this module, we could use the combo box above to navigate to the other procedures.

Understanding the Code

There are 2 types of procedures – Sub procedures and Function procedures.

Sub Procedures

The macro recorder can only record Sub procedures.  A Sub procedure does things.  They perform actions such as formatting a table or creating a pivot table, or in the gridline example, changing the view settings of your active window.  The majority of procedures written are Sub procedures.  All macros are Sub procedures.

A sub procedure begins with a Sub statement and ends with an End Sub statement.  The procedure name is always followed by parentheses.

Sub HideGridLines()
   ActiveWindow.DisplayGridlines  = False
End Sub

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Function Procedures

A Function procedure returns a value.  This value may be a single value, an array, a range of cells or an object.  Functions usually perform some type of calculation.   Functions in Excel can be used with the Function Wizard or they can be called from Sub Procedures.

Function Kilos(pounds as Double)
  Kilos = (pounds/2.2)
End Function

 This function could be used within the Insert Function dialog box in Excel to convert Pounds to Kilograms.

Creating a new Procedure

Before you create your new procedure, make sure you are in the module in which you wish to store the procedure.  You can create a new procedure by clicking on the Insert menu, Procedure;

or you can click on the icon on the toolbar

The following dialog box will appear

1. Type the name of your new procedure in the name box – this must start with a letter of the alphabet and can contain letters and number and be a maximum of 64 characters.
2. You can have a Sub procedure, a Function procedure or a Property procedure. (Properties are used in Class modules and set properties for ActiveX controls that you may have created).
3. You can make the scope of the procedure either Public or Private. If the procedure is public (default), then it can be used by all the modules in the project while if the procedure is private, it will only be able to be used by this module.
4. You can declare local variables in this procedure as Statics (this is to do with the Scope of the variable and makes a local procedure level variable public to the entire module). We will not use this option.

When you have filled in all the relevant details, click on OK.

You then type your code between the Sub and End Sub statements.

ALTERNATIVELY – you can type the Sub and End Sub statements in your module exactly as it appears above.  You do not need to put the word Public in front of the word sub – if this word is omitted, all procedures in the module are automatically assumed to be Public.

Then you type Sub and then the name of your procedure followed by parenthesis.

ie:

Sub test()

The End Sub statement will appear automatically.

Writing Code that is easy to understand and navigate

Get into the habit of putting in comments in your code in order to remind yourself at a later stage of the functionality of the code.

You can insert a comment in your code but typing an apostrophe on the keyboard or you can switch on the Edit toolbar, and use the comment button which appears on that toolbar.

Right-click on the toolbars.

Select Edit.

Click on the comment button to insert a comment into your code.

NOTE: You usually only use the comment block button when you have a few lines of code you wish to comment out (and not delete).  It is easier for a single comment to use an apostrophe.

Indenting

A good habit to get into is to indent your code making it easy to read through the code and see the different parts of the code.

There can be many levels of indenting, depending on the logic of your code.

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UpperCase vs LowerCase

VBA adjusts all code to Proper Case so if you type ALL IN UPPERCASE or all in lowercase it will Readjust Your Code To Be In Proper Case!

AutoComplete

When you adjust your code, you will notice that VBA tries to help you by suggesting the code that you can type.  This is known as AutoComplete.

Error trapping and Debugging

There are 4 types of errors that can occur when you write VBA code – Syntax errors, Compilation errors, Runtime errors and Logical Errors.

Syntax errors

These occur when you write the code incorrectly.   This is largely prevented by VBA by having the Syntax check option switch on.  This is normally on by default but if your is switch off, then switch it on by going to Tools, Options and click Auto Syntax Check.

If you type the code incorrectly (for example excluding something that should be in the code), a message box will pop up while you are writing the code giving you the opportunity to amend the code.

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Compilation Errors

These occur when something is missing from the code that prevents the code from running.  The error does not come up when you write the code, but it occurs when you try and run the code.

Runtime Errors

These occur when you run the code, and the syntax and compilation is correct, but something else occurs to prevent the code from running correctly.

In this case, Sheet4 does not exist.  This error message is more useful than the compile error messages as it gives you the opportunity to Debug the code and see why it is not working.

Click Debug. The code will stop at the error and highlight the error in yellow enabling you to correct your error.

Amend Sheet4 to Sheet2 (as Sheet 2 exists and Sheet 4 does not exist).

Press F5 or click on the Continue button on the toolbar.

Logical Errors

These are the most difficult to find.  In their case, the code is written correctly but the actual logic of the code is flawed, so you may not get the result that you want from the code.  For logical errors, error trapping is essential.

There are 2 types of error traps

On Error Go To

The following code is to open the File Open Dialog box – it will give us an error if the user clicks Cancel.

When you run the code the File Open dialog box appears.

When you then click cancel, the error will occur.

The following Error trap will continue the code to the Exit Function of the code, and return message.

This makes use of On Error GoTo to exit the function.

When you run the code and click cancel, the message box will appear.

On Error Resume Next

If you put the On Error Resume Next Statement into your code, the line that contains the error will be ignored and the code will continue.

For example, if the user clicks Cancel in the code below, the code will not give you a run-time error, it will just end without the code doing anything further.

There are times when this is very useful but it can also be very dangerous in some circumstances as it does not return a message as to why you obtained an error.

Written by Puneet for Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel for Mac

KEY POINTS

• Visual Basic Editor is a code editor for VBA.
• It’s a separate application but you can only use it with Excel.
• You need to have the developer tab on the ribbon to access it.
• You can also use the keyboard shortcut (Alt + F11).
• It also stores the macros that you recode with the macro recorder.
• It has multiple tools to help you to write and manage all the codes.

The world of VBA starts with the Visual Basic Editor (VBE).

It’s the place where you write and manage all the macro codes and if you ask me about VBE, I’d say if you are serious about learning VBA you need to understand all the components of VBE.

That’s why it’s part of our VBA tutorial and in this guide, we have covered every single aspect of Visual Basic Editor to make you understand its functionality.

So, let’s get started.

I will be using different words (VBA editor, VB editor, or VBE) in this guide for referring to the Visual Basic Editor, so don’t be confused with it.

What is the Visual Basic Editor?

Visual Basic Editor is an application (a separate one) in which you can write and save all the VBA codes. In simple words, it’s a code editor for Excel in which you can write all the macros and store them. Even though it is a separate application (VB Editor) you can only use it with Excel.

Yes, that’s right. You can’t run VBE separately; there must be an Excel workbook open for using VBE.

Visual Basic Editor is the only way to write a VBA code in Excel. In fact, all Microsoft applications that host VBA use the Visual Basic Editor for script writing (writing code).

Below is the VBE:

Microsoft Windows

Mac

VBA is one of the ADVANCED EXCEL SKILLS and to master the VBA; you need to learn all the aspects of Visual Basic Editor.

Open the Visual Basic Editor

From the developer tab

To open the visual basic editor, you need to have the developer tab on the ribbon and to activate the developer tab (steps to add).

Now on the developer tab, in the code group, there is a button called “Visual Basic” and when you click on this button it opens the VB editor.

Shortcut Key (Window)

You can also use the keyboard shortcut key Alt + F11 to open the VBE in windows and Opt + F11 or Fn + Opt + F11 for MAC.

Even if you don’t have the developer tab on the ribbon, this shortcut key will still work and open the editor.

Edit a Macro from the List

If you want to open the VBA editor to edit a specific macro, then you can open the macros list from the developer tab.

And click on the edit button to open the VB editor to edit that specific macro.

On Quick Access Toolbar

You can also add a button on the quick access toolbar to open the VBA editor. For this, you need to click on the drop-down on the quick access toolbar and open more commands.

And then select the developer tab from “Choose Commands From” and then add the visual basic editor to the quick access toolbar by clicking on the add button.

Now you can open the visual basic editor from the button that you have on the QAT.

From the Worksheet Tab

You can also open the VBA editor by right-clicking on the worksheet tab and clicking on the view code. It will instantly take you to the code window of that worksheet.

Components of Visual Basic Editor

When you open the VBA editor first time it looks like an old application and to understand how it works you need to go component by component.

The user interface is the same (almost) for all the Excel versions in the last more than 15 years, so no matter which Excel version you are using, you can learn about Visual Basic Editor from this guide. Yes, VBE has different components which can help you in different ways, so let’s explore them one by one.

1. Menu Bar
2. Tool Bar
3. Project Window
4. Properties Window
5. Code Window
6. Immediate Window
7. Watch Window
8. Object Browser
9. Find and Replace
10. Locals Window

Just like any other application VBA editor has a menu bar where you can find all the options that are available to the user.

Now in the menu bar, each tab is a category of options that are available to use. Let’s suppose, in the edit menu, you can see all the options from cut-copy-paste, find and replace, and adding indent and outdent. 

Along with all the options (most of them), you can find the shortcut keys to use those options.

2. Tool Bar

Just below the menu bar, you have the toolbar which is a collection of some of the options that a normal user needs to use more frequently. When you open the visual basic editor first time you will only have the standard toolbar, just like the image below.

But there are total four toolbars that you can add and use.

1. Debug
2. Edit
3. Standard
4. User Form

If you go to the view tab in the menu bar you have the option to add or remove these toolbars.

And you can also add or remove buttons from the toolbar if you want.

You can also move a toolbar just by dragging and dropping from the small dots on the right side.

3. Project Window/ Project Explorer

The project window is the place where you can see all the ongoing projects. Whenever you open a file and then open the visual basic editor you can see the hierarchy of that file in the project window.

Every project further has a collection of objects:

• Worksheet: Each worksheet in a workbook lists as an object.
• The Workbook: It represents the workbook itself as an object.
• Module: It’s the place where you write code or recorded macros stores.
• Chart Sheet: Chart sheet in the workbook will also be listed there.

When you open the VB editor, you’ll find the project window there by default. But if it’s not there somehow you can add it from the View (Menu Bar) or you can use the shortcut key Control + R.

Each object that is listed on the project window has its own code window which you can open by double click on it or you can right-click and select the view code option.

The project window is the best way to navigate through all the ongoing projects and when you start working with the editor you will get to know more about it.

4. Properties Window

As the name suggests the properties window gives you access to the properties of the selected object. Each object, for example, a worksheet has its own properties that you can see and make changes in it.

For each property, there is a drop-down on the right side from where you can change or edit that property.

Quick Tip: You can change the name of a project from the properties window.

And, if the properties window is not there by default you can activate it from the view (menu bar), or you can also use the shortcut key F4.

5. Code Window

The code window is the place where you write codes and do most of your work (editing, writing, and testing). In simple words, the code window is the place where you do all the programming.

When you first see it, it looks like a simple text editor, but it has Intellisense that can help you while programming.

There is no way I have found to add line number in the code window as other code editors have but still, VB editor indicates you the line number of the code.

6. Immediate Window

Immediate Window is the place where you can debug your code. You can type a line of code and test how it works. Let’s say if you want to test the following code:

Range("A1").Value = 9999

All you need to do is enter type a question mark and then paste the code there and HIT enter. It will immediately show the result of the code.

The other way is to add Debug.Print before the code and get its result value in the immediate window.

Sub Macro1()
Debug.Print Range("A1").Value = "Yes"
End Sub

By default, the immediate window won’t be there when you open the visual basic editor, so you need to activate it from the view tab in the menu bar. You can also use the shortcut key Control + G.

7. Watch Window

Just like Excel Watch Window, the visual basic editor also has a watch window where you can add expressions to track them. You simply need to select the expression and then right-click and go to add a watch.

In the below example, I have added the Selection.Value to the add watch.

Now, to activate the watch window, go to the view menu and click on the watch window option.

And here you have the watch window tracking the added expression.

8. Object Browser

VBA has its own object browser which can help you to work with all the objects by finding all the properties and which you can use.

Imagine if you want to use the range object, the object browser will tell you about all the properties and method that comes with it. Look at the below example.

To open the object browser, use the shortcut key F2 or you can also go to the view tab and click on the object browser to open it.

9. Find and Replace

Just like the find and replace in Excel, the VBA editor has its own find and replace option that you can use to find and replace values from procedures. To open the FIND option, you can use the shortcut key Control + F, and to open the replace you can use the shortcut key Control + H.

Otherwise, you can open both options from the edit menu.

The find and replace option in VBE gives you different search patterns, like, if you want to find and replace something from the current procedure, from the current module, or from the current project.

You can also use the CASE SENSITIVE search and decide the direction of the search as well.

10. Locals Window

You can use the Locals window in VBE to displays all declared variables in the current procedure and their present values.

Using VB Editor to Write a Code

At this point, you know all the major components of the VBA editor, so now let’s learn how to add code in it.

Module Code Window Vs Object Code Window

There are two different types of code windows and both look just the same but there is a difference that you need to know.

1. Module Code Window: Code in the normal module can be executed manually or you can also call it from a separate procedure.
2. Object Code Window: Code in the object code window can be executed by using an event. Let’s suppose you want to run code when you double click on a cell, in that case, you need to use the double click event and you need to add code to that worksheet.

2. Module Code Window

You will be writing most of the VBA code in a module. To add code in a module you need to use the SUB procedure or the FUNCTION procedure.

• Sub procedure
• Function procedure

The difference between a sub and a function procedure is sub procedure can’t return a value, on the other hand, a function procedure can return a value.

When you record a macro that code goes straight into a module that VBA inserts automatically when you use the macro recorder.

Insert a Module

When you need to write code, you have to insert a module and for this, you simply need to go to the project window and right-click on the project name, and from that menu go to insert and select module.

Remove a Module

You can also remove a module if it doesn’t require anymore so you just simply need to right-click on the module and select remove.

And when you click on remove, it asks you if you want to back up that module before removing it. There is also an option where you can export a module to save it as a file in your system.

3. Object Code Window

Open the code window for the object you simply need to double click on it and in its the code window, there is a dropdown from where you can select the event that you want to use to execute the code.

Imagine if you want to write the code and want to execute on the double click then you need to select “BeforeDoubleClick” from the dropdown.

Understanding Design Mode, Run Mode, and Debug Mode

You can use the visual basic editor in three different modes depending on the face of programming, writing the code, locating an error, and fixing an error.

• Design Mode: Normally, when you are working in VB editor on a code you are in the design mode. Even then you just writing the code instead of designing a user form or a form you are in the design mode, like typing a code. This is also called design time.
• Run Mode: When you run a code to test a code that is how it works you are in the run mode. The best example to define this mode is when you execute a code using the Run button from the toolbar. This is also called runtime.
• Break Mode: When a code is running and in between the execution is suspended, at that time you are in break mode. In this mode, you can run a code step by step. This is also called debugging.

Tips to work with VB editor like a PRO

Just like any other programming language in VBA you can also use comments to define how that code works. Using comments is a good habit and it can help you in so many ways.

• Track Changes
• Contact Details of the Programmer
• How to Troubleshoot the Code
• And much more

To add a comment, you need to type an apostrophe and then the line of code.

Related Tip: VBA Comment Block

Quick Info

Now, look at the below example where I am adding add a VBA function (VBA LEFT Function), and the moment I type the name of the function, it shows me a tooltip for all the arguments which I need to define.

You can also use the shortcut key Control + I or use the quick info option from the EDIT menu.

Auto List Members

Each object in VBA comes with some properties and methods and when you insert an object or a command in the code window and then you enter (.) it shows you the complete list of properties and methods which come with that object.

In the above example, when I added a (.) after the borders property of the range, it showed me all the available properties that are available to access.

List Constants

While defining expressions for a property or a method you can use the list of constants available. In the below example, while using the Border Around method it showed me all the constants which are available for the weight argument.

You can use the shortcut key Control + Shift + J to get the list of constants or you can also go to the edit menu and use the option from there.

Activate Option Explicit

While writing VBA codes you will need to use variables and one of the most important things while using variables is to declare their data type. And there’s a chance that you could forget to declare it.

But when you use the option explicit statement, then you have to declare the data type for every single variable which you are using, and if you fail to do so VBA will show an error message. It’s like forcing yourself to declare every single variable with its data type. For this, you can go to the tools menu and open the options.

And from the options, tick mark “Require Variable Declaration” and click OK.

Now every module will have an Option Explicit statement at the beginning, and you have to declare every single variable.

Change the Code Window View

When you can write multiple codes in a single code window and VBA separate them with a divider, but if you want to have a more focused view, you can change the view of the code window. Below I have the codes in a single module.

But I can change this view from the view buttons from the bottom left of the window.

Now I have only active code visible.

Run a Code Step by Step

When you write a VBA code there could be a chance that that code has a bug or an error that can come while executing it. In that case, the best way is to execute that code step by step and validate each line of code.

For this, you can use shortcut key F8 to execute a code line by line or use step into option from the debug menu.

And there is also a button on the debug toolbar that you can use.

Code Indenting

When you write lengthy and complex codes then it’s important to structure them in the right way so that you can understand them later. For this, there’s one thing which comes handy, INDENTING. Indenting is basically structuring the code using tabs, below is an example.

To add indenting in a line you can use the TAB key from the keyboard, or you can also use the indent/outdent buttons from the toolbar.

Get Code from a Text File

The visual basic editor allows you to import VBA codes from a text file without copy-pasting. Once you insert a module you can go to the insert menu and select the file option from there.

It opens the dialog box where you can locate the text file and import all the codes from it to the current module.

R1C1 Reference Style

If you ever worked with the R1C1 reference style, then I’m sure you can agree on this point that way easier to write codes with it.

R1C1 Reference Style

Line Break

Even though you can adjust the width of the code window and make it wide but there could be a situation when you will be dealing with long lines of code that makes it hard to read.

The best way to deal with this problem is to add a line break. Basically, a line break is something when you break a line into two lines using the line break character.

Use a SPACE & UNDERSCORE and hit enter to add a line break.

Formatting

When it comes to user interface visual basic editor is not that good looking. But there are few formatting options that you can use to customize it or change its look the way you want.

From the Tools Menu Options Editor Format, you can access the formatting option where you can change the font style size or background color as well

Check out this video on customizing the VBA editor for a dark theme.

Personal Macro Workbook

There could be some macros that you need to access within all the workbooks that you use.

In that case, you can use the Personal Macro Workbook that can help you to store all the important codes in one place and you can access them from all the workbooks.

Using Bookmarks

The visual basic editor allows you to add bookmarks to a line from Right Click ➤ Toggle ➤ Bookmark.

And then you can also navigate between bookmarks from the option from the edit menu.

Syntax Checking

When you write codes in the code window VBA check for the syntax error and notify you when you make a syntax error. This option is activated by default, but you can also turn it off if you don’t want VBA to notify you every time you make an error.

Tools Menu ➤ Options ➤ Editor Tab ➤ Auto Syntax Check.

But I would recommend you not to deactivate it because it can help you to identify all the syntax errors that you make while writing codes.

List of Macros

If you have a lot of macros in a module, there is an option that you can use to see all the macros (Tools ➤ Macro).

There’s one big benefit of using this list option is that you can run a macro, delete it, and edit it without navigating to that procedure.

Locking a Project with a Password

Visual Basic Editor also gives you an option to lock a module with a password. So, if you don’t want the users to know the code and don’t want them to make a change in the code, you can use this option.

Tools Menu ➤ VBAProject Properties ➤ Protection Tab

Important Shortcut Keys

• Shift + F7: Object browser.
• F5: Run macro.
• Tab: Add an indent.
• Alt + Q: Close.
• F8: Step into.
• Control + H: Find and replace.
• Control + G: Immediate Window.
• Control + R: Project Explorer.
• F4: Properties window.

Learn some AMAZING Keyboard Shortcuts: Excel Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Alternative to Visual Basic Editor

Well, I have tried quite a few other editors to write a macro but the problem which I have found is that without the Intellisense it’s really hard to use anything other than the visual basic editor itself.

VBA editor works along with Excel, you can test your codes instantly and you can save them into the workbook. But are a few names to try.

Visual Studio Code | Ultra Edit

Points to Remember

• You can maximize or minimize the code window.
• You can change a project’s name anytime.
• The project window is the best way to navigate through the editor.
• It will make a line red if there’s an error in it while writing the code.
• You can also add a bookmark to a line of code from the Right-Click Menu Toggle Bookmark.
• You cannot use the visual basic editor without opening an Excel workbook.

More on VBA

• VBA Functions
• VBA to Add a New Sheet
• VBA Code to Activate a Worksheet
• VBA IF Then Statement
• VBA User Defined Function
• VBA Message Box
• VBA to Extract Hyperlink
• Macro to Highlight Duplicate Values
• VBA to Create a Pivot Table

[icon name=”bell” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] VBA is one of the Advanced Excel Skills

The VBA Immediate Window is an awesome tool that allows you to get immediate answers about your Excel files, and quickly execute code.  It is built into the Visual Basic Editor, and has many different uses that can be very helpful when writing macros, debugging code, and displaying the results of your code.

Every Excel user can benefit from the Immediate Window, even if you’re not writing macros.  This post will explain 5 different uses for the Immediate Window.  Once you understand the capabilities of this tool, you will find yourself using it all the time.

Where is the Immediate Window?

The Immediate window is located in the Visual Basic Editor window.

The fastest way to get to the Immediate Window is to:

1. Press Alt+F11 (hold Alt key, then press F11 key) from anywhere in Excel.  The Visual Basic Editor window will open.  (Mac version is Fn+Alt+F11)
2. Pressing Ctrl+G opens the Immediate Window and places the text cursor in it.  Begin typing your code.  (Mac version is Ctrl+Cmd+G)

When you open the VB Editor (Alt+F11) you might see the Immediate Window automatically appear in the bottom right corner.  This is its default location.  If it’s not there you can press Ctrl+G or View menu > Immediate Window.

This Blank Box is Magical!

When you click inside the Immediate Window you will just see a blank box with the text cursor flashing.  At first glance this doesn’t look too exciting, but the Immediate window can be a very powerful and useful tool.

Think of it like a blank cell in a worksheet.  It’s pretty boring until you add a formula to it, right?  Well the Immediate Window is very similar, so let’s look at 5 examples that will help you get the most out of this magical box.

#1 – Get Info About The Active Workbook

The simplest use for the Immediate window is to quickly get information about the workbook that you currently have open and active in the background.  You can evaluate any line of VBA code in the Immediate Window, and it will immediately give you the result.

For example, to find out how many sheets are in the active workbook, type the following line of code in the Immediate window and then press the Enter key.

?Activeworkbook.Worksheets.Count

The answer will be displayed on the next line of the Immediate window, directly under the code.

Ask a question, any question…

Putting the question mark (?) at the beginning of the statement tells the Immediate window that we are asking it a question, and expecting a result.

The following screencast shows a few examples of how we can use the Immediate window to get the value, number format, and fill color of the active cell.

Notice that the Immediate Window displays the intellisense as I type.  Intellisense is the drop-down menu that displays the properties, methods, and members of the object I’m referencing.  This makes it very fast and easy to type code in the Immediate Window.

You can download the free sample workbook that contains a few more useful examples.

#2 – Execute a Line of VBA Code

You don’t have to write a whole macro if you just need to perform one line of code to your workbook.

Remove the question mark at the front of the statement and the Immediate Window will execute or perform that line of code.

Selection.HorizontalAlignment = xlCenterAcrossSelection
The image above shows how to format the selected cells with the Center Across Selection alignment.

You can also use the following line of code to make a worksheet “very hidden”.

Worksheets(“Sheet1”).Visible = xlVeryHidden

Another example is to hide the contents of a cell by making its font color the same as its fill (background) color.

Range(“A1”).Font.Color = Range(“A1”).Interior.Color

I use this line of code in Tab Hound’s Table of Contents tool to hide some settings stored in cell A1.  Even if the user changes the fill color of the sheet, the contents in cell A1 will still be hidden after the code is run.

#3 – Run a Macro

You can run a macro from the Immediate Window by typing the name of the macro (procedure), and pressing Enter.

Of course you can also do this by pressing the F5 key or the Run Macro button in the VB Editor, but what if your macro contains arguments?

A macro cannot be run from within the procedure if it contains arguments.  However, you can call the macro from the Immediate Window.

The example below is a simple macro that enters the current date (Now) in the cell , and changes the font color to blue (Color = vbBlue).  This macro requires two arguments to be passed to it to run, the worksheet name and cell address where the date stamp will be entered.

For a macro like this you will typically be calling it from another macro and specifying the arguments in the macro that is calling it.  But if you just want to test the macro that contains arguments, you can use the Immediate Window to call it.

This is great for writing and debugging code.  You might not want to run the entire stack of procedures (macros) in the code, but you can use the Immediate Window to only call that specific macro you’re working on.

The example above shows how you can specify the arguments after the macro name.  For arguments that are string variables (text), you will need to wrap the variable in quotation marks.

As you can see in the image, the intellisense is available in the Immediate Window, which makes it easy to specify the arguments for the macro.

The code in the image above is included in the free sample file you can download below.

#4 – View Debug.Print Info

Have you ever seen VBA code on the internet that contains a line similar to the following?

Debug.Print xxxxx

With that “xxxxx” being some variable that the code is calculating or producing.

Debug.Print is telling VBA to print that information in the Immediate Window.  This can be useful when you want to see the value of a variable in a certain line of your code, without having to store the variable somewhere in the workbook or show it in a message box.  It is especially useful when you are writing or debugging code.

The example below is a macro that loops through all the sheets in the workbook and checks to see if each sheet is empty (not used).  If the sheet is empty then it is listed in the Immediate Window using Debug.Print.

The ultimate goal of this macro may be to delete all empty (blank) sheets in the workbook, but we might want to test the code first before actually deleting any sheets.  The Debug.Print line creates a list of empty sheets in the Immediate Window, and we can then manually check each of those sheets to make sure they are really blank.

#5 – Get or Set a Variable’s Value

The Immediate Window can also be used to get answers about the procedure (macro) that is currently running.  If you are stepping through your code (F8) or add a break point (F9) or add a STOP line in your code, then the code will pause.  When the code is paused you can use the Immediate Window to get information about any variables or objects that are referenced in the code.

The following example is a macro that creates a list of all the sheets in the active workbook.  There are plenty of different ways to write this code, but in this example I use the “lSht” variable in a For Next loop to loop through the worksheets and then add the sheet name to the active sheet.

I added a break point (F9) in the code to pause the code when that line is executed.  With the code paused, the Immediate Window can be used to evaluate or change variables.  In the image above I used the question mark to check the value of the lSht variable.  Then I used the variable to get the sheet name of the sheet that is currently being processed in the loop.

Finally I changed the lSht variable to 5 by using the equals sign (lSht = 5).  This will effectively skip some of the sheets in the loop because I changed the variable from 2 to 5.

This is a simple example, but the Immediate Window can come in handy when stepping through code.

Pete asked a great question in the comments below.  He wanted to know how I made the Immediate Window float on top of the Excel application in some of the screenshots.

This screencast shows you how you can undock the Immediate Window.

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Left-click and hold on the top bar of the immediate window.
2. Drag it out of the VB Editor window. The immediate window becomes a free floating window that you can put on top of Excel.
3. To re-dock it, double-click on the top bar of the immediate window.

You can do this with any of the windows in the VB Editor including the Project, Properties, Locals, and Watch windows.  Many developers will setup their VB Editor differently than the default layout.  Some prefer to have the project and properties windows on the right side instead of the left.  The VB Editor window gives you a lot of flexibility to customize your view.

Download

You can download the workbook that contains the code for all these examples in the link below.

Conclusion

The Immediate Window is a very versatile tool that can really help when writing and debugging macros.  It’s a great way to get some quick answers about your file or application.  If you are new to VBA, the Immediate Window will be very useful as you start learning and writing code.

What do you use the Immediate Window for?  Please leave a comment below with your suggestions, or any questions.