Top Free VBA Courses

VBA programming, also known as Visual Basic for Application programming, is Microsoft's event-driven programming for Visual Basic 6, which is an associated integrated development environment. Microsoft does not support or update pre .Net Visual Basic applications. Microsoft Office applications introduced Visual Basic, which has been the most dreaded language for two long years from 2020. 

VBA programming helps in building user-defined functions (UDFs), automating processes, and accessing Windows API and other minor functionalities through dynamic link libraries (DLLs). It extends the capabilities of previous application-specific macro programming languages like Word’s WordBASIC. It controls aspects like host application, which includes manipulating user interface characteristics like menus and toolbars and working with custom user forms and dialog boxes. 

VBA programming is closely associated with Visual Basic and uses Visual Basic Runtime Library. VBA programs only execute within the host application instead of standalone programs. It can control an application from another using OLE Automation. It creates a word report automatically from Excel data that is collected from polled sensors automatically. It cannot create but can use ActiveX/COM DLs. The later versions add support to the class modules. 

Microsoft Office applications mostly have VBA built into it. This includes Office for Mac OS X, except for version 2008, and other applications that comprise ArcGIS, AutoCAD, CorelDRAW, LibreOffice, Reflection, SolidWorks and UNICOM System Architect that supports VBA 7.1.

VBA programming, like all other programming languages, can be designed with malicious intent. Many security features depend on the users and not on the author. The host application choices are accessible to the user. Users can run any document that has VBA macros installed with user preferences. End-users protect themselves from any malicious attack. This can be achieved by disabling macros from executing an application or even granting permission for the document to execute a program only if they are confident of the document's source. 

Host applications use OLE Automation for interaction. The host application gives access to a type library and application programming interface (API) documentation. This document provides guidelines for how VBA programs interact with the applications. This can be tested from the VBA development environment by using Object Browser. 

Visual Basics for Applications programs are written using the OLE Automation interface of an application that cannot be used to automate another application. This still holds good even if the application hosts the Visual Basic runtime since the OLE Automation interfaces are different. VBA code programmed to automate Microsoft Word is not good to use with another word processor even if the processor hosts VBA.

Many applications are automated from a single host by developing an application object in the VBA program. VBA clients contain the references to various libraries previous to any other methods, and objects will then be available to use in the application. This is accomplished by early or late binding. The application objects build the OLE link to the apps when the applications are first created, andvery application is developed with explicit codes or commands through these applications objects to work efficiently. 

The VBA program built-in Microsoft Access establishes reference Excel, Word, and Outlook libraries. This will help users create an application, run a query in Access, export the results to Excel and analyze them, and also format the result in a tabular form in a Word document or send them through an Outlook email. 

VBA codes can be integrated into a menu button, a macro, a keyboard shortcut, and/or an OLE/COM event like opening the document in an application. This programming language gives a user interface in the form of user forms. This can host ActiveX controls for added functionality. 

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) and RealTimeData (RTD) are included under inter-process communication. This helps in calling a Component Object Model (COM) automation server for dynamic and real-time financial or scientific data. 

The free VBA certificate course offered by Great Learning helps you understand the concept of the programming language. It talks about the features, characteristics, and the working of the language. The users will get a good hold of the subject domain to both students and the working professionals. You will come to an understanding of one of the flexible programming languages. You can also learn a VBA programming course in your free time. You will gain a certificate after the successful completion of the tutorial. Happy Learning!