This document provides a quick reference guide for Excel VBA macros, covering topics such as the coding window, running and debugging code, operators, procedures and functions, data types, range and cell properties/methods, conditional statements, loops, arrays, worksheets, and more. It explains the syntax and use of many common VBA commands in just a few lines of concise text.

1. Excel Macro VBA Quick Reference
Guide
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Color Coding in the Coding Window
Black=Regular Code Blue=Keywords Green=Comments Red=Errors
‘ (single quote) to leave a comment in the code
Quick Keys
Alt + F11 Open Visual Basic Editor F5 Run Code
F8 Step into (one line at a time) F9 Add a Break point
F2 Object browser F4 Properties Window
Shift + F8 Step Over Ctrl + Break Break Loop
Ctrl + J List Property Methods Alt + G Immediate Window
Operators – Mathematical and Logical
Numbers: + (plus) – (minus) * (times) / (divide) ^ (exponent)
Strings: & (string concatenate)
Comparisons: = (equals) < (less than) <= (less than or equal) > (greater
than) >= (greater than or equal)
Conditional Statement: Something that is True or False
Boolean (for conditional statements): AND, OR, NOT
Procedure and Functions (the Start and end of a Macro Procedure)
Procedure Types: Public: Visible to ALL modules (this is the default
procedure type), Private: Visible to this Module Only
Syntax [procedure type]
Sub [Procedure Name] ([Optional])
[Code or statements]
End Sub
Function [Function Name]([variable1],[variable2])
[Code or statements]
End Function
Data Types/Declaring Variables
Declaring Variable Syntax: Dim [variable name] As [variable type]
Declaration Types: Dim = Procedural variable, Static = Procedure variable
that retains value, and Public = Globally used variable
Variable Types: Integer (whole numbers), Long (Larger Whole Numbers),
Double (numbers with decimals), Boolean (True or False), String (Text),
Variant (Default Variable Excel chooses the data Type), Date (Date)
Object Types: Workbook, Worksheet, Range
Math/Financial/Formatting Functions
Math - Abs(num), Exp(num), Int(num), Rnd(num), Randomize,
Round(num,digits), Sqr(num)
Financial - FV(rate, nper, pmt[, pv[, type]]), NPV(rate, values()), PV(rate,
nper, pmt[, fv[, type]]), Pmt(rate, nper, pv[, fv[, type]]), PPmt(rate, per,
nper, pv[, fv[, type]])
Format - Format(“number, string, or date”, “format” )
Number Format Format(“num”, “Pos Num”:”Neg Num”:”Zero”)
0 – Leading Digit # – No Leading or Trailing Zero
e+ or e- – Exponential % – Percentages
Numbers have three formatting Options Positive, Negative, and Zero
String Format
@ – Character or Space & – Character or Nothing
! – Cut from the left
Date Format
d, m, y, h, n, s – Day Month, Year, Hours, Min, Sec w/o leading 0 “5”
dd, mm, yy, hh, nn, ss – – Day Month, Year, Hours, Min, Sec “05”
ddd, mmm – Day “Sun”, Month “Jun”
dddd , mmmm– Day “Sunday”, Month “June”
ww – Week Number
y – Day of Year yy – 2 Digit Year “16” yyyy – 4 digit Year “2016”
AM/PM or am/pm – Show AM/am PM/pm 12 hour clock
Date Time Functions – (Class = Date Time)
In Excel and Most Programing Languages one date is equal to 1 and today
is the number of days since 1/1/1900. Where fractions of 1 represent
minutes and seconds.
Now() - Current date and time Date() - Current date
Time() - Current time Timer() - Sec since midnight
Date = Var - Sets current date Time = Var - Sets current time
Day(#11/05/2016#) = 5 Month(#11/05/2016#) = 11
Year(#11/05/2016#) = 2016 Weekday(#11/05/2016#) = 7
Hour(.5) = 12 Minute(.501) = 1
Second(.501) = 26
DateSerial(2020, 11, 05) = #11/05/2020#
TimeSerial(8, 0, 0) = 0.25 or 8:00:00
String Functions
Syntax: [variable] = Left(“This is a string”,4) | [variable] = “This”
Strip characters from a string: Left(string, length), Right(string, length),
Mid(start, string, [length]) – used for the finding the middle of a string
Change String Case: Ucase(string) – Makes string uppercase.
LCase(string) – Makes string lowercase
Find the length of the sting or number of characters: Len(String)
Get rid of spaces: LTrim(String) – Remove spaces on the Left,
Rtrim(String) – Remove spaces on Right
Trim(String) – Remove spaces on left and right of string
Turn a String into a Value: Value(string)
Single Characters: Char(65) = “A” – Uses the Ascii characters
Find a string within another string: Instr([start],[string
searching],[searching for], [Optional Compare Method])
Split a string based on a delimiter (returns data in array): Split([string],
[delimiter], [Optional Limit],[Optional Compare])
Conditional Statements
Conditionally executes a statements, depending on the value of the
condition. If it is true the group of statements will be processed
If [condition 1] Then Select Case [Variable]
[statements] Case [condition]
ElseIf [condition 2] Then [statements]
[statements] Case [condition 2]
Else [statements]
[statements] Case Else
End If [statements]
End Select
Message Box Input Box
MsgBox(“Prompt”, [button types]+[icons (optional)], “Title”, [helpfile],
[context])
Button Types (Constant Integer)
vbOKOnly(0) vbOKCancel (1) vbAbortRetryIgnore(2)
vbYesNoCancel (3) vbYesNo (4) vbRetryCancel (5)
Icons
vbCritical (16) vbQuestion (32) vbExclamation (48)
vbInformation (64)
Button Constants (Constant Integer)
vbOK (1) vbCancel (2) vbAbort(3)
vbRetry (4) vbIgnore (5) vbYes (6)
vbNo (7)
InputBox(prompt[, title] [, default] [, xpos] [, ypos] [, helpfile, context])
Ibox = InputBox(“Message”,” Title”)
Ibox = User response from the Input box as a String Variable
NOTE: if “Cancel” is clicked ibox will be “” or [blank]
Appplication Inputbox has some advantages specifically allows the user
to select the preferred data type
Ibox = Application.InputBox(Prompt, Title, Default, Left, Top, HelpFile,
HelpContextID, Type)
Input Types
0 - A formula 1 - A number
2 - Text (a string) 4 - A logical value (True or False)
8 - A cell reference, as a Range object
16 - An error value, such as #N/A
64 - An array of values
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order
that I may learn how to do it.”
― Pablo Picasso

2. Iterations or Loops
Loops repeat a block of statements while its conditions are true, a
specified number of times is completed, or through each element of a
collection (like each sheet in all the sheets in a workbook)
Do While will repeat until the condition is False
Do Until will repeat until the condition is True
Do While [Condition is True] Do Until [Condition is False]
[statements] [statements]
Exit Do [optional] Exit Do [optional]
[statements] [statements]
Loop Loop
For x = 100 to 1 Step -1 x is reduced by one until it reaches 1
For Each ws in Worksheets will go through all the sheets every loop ws
will be assigned a new sheet
For [counter] = [start] to [end] For Each [element] in [group]
[statements] [statements]
Exit For [optional] Exit For [optional]
[statements] [statements]
Next Next
Range and Cell - Properties
AddIndent Height Rows
Address Hidden Text
AllowEdit Hyperlinks Validation
Borders IndentLevel Value
Cells Interior VerticalAlignment
Characters Item Width
Column Locked Worksheet
Columns MergeArea WrapText
ColumnWidth MergeCells Resize
Comment Name Row
Count NumberFormat RowHeight
CurrentRegion Offset Rows
End Orientation Text
EntireColumn OutlineLevel UseStandardHeight
EntireRow PageBreak UseStandardWidth
Font Parent Validation
Formula Resize Value
FormulaR1C1 Row VerticalAlignment
HasFormula RowHeight Width
Range and Cell - Methods
Activate ClearHyperlinks Justify
AdvancedFilter Copy Merge
AddComment Cut PasteSpecial
ApplyNames Delete PrintOut
AutoFill FillDown PrintPreview
AutoFilter FillLeft RemoveDuplicates
AutoFit FillRight RemoveSubtotal
BorderAround FillUp Replace
Calculate Find Select
Clear FindNext Sort
ClearComments FindPrevious Subtotal
ClearContents Insert TextToColumns
ClearFormats InsertIndent UnMerge
Worksheet - Properties
AutoFilter EnableAutoFilter Rows
Cells Hyperlinks Shapes
CircularReference Name Sort
Columns Names StandardHeight
Comments PageSetup StandardWidth
Count Parent Visible
DisplayPageBreaks Range
Worksheet – Methods (Class = Sheet1)
Activate Paste Protect
Add PasteSpecial ResetAllPageBreaks
Calculate PivotTableWizard SaveAs
Copy PrintOut Select
Delete PrintPreview Unprotect
Move
Worksheet - Events
Activate BeforeRightClick Change
BeforeDoubleClick Calculate
Workbooks – Properties (Class = ThisWorkbook)
ActiveChart HasPassword Sheets
ActiveSheet Name ThisWorkbook
Charts Names User
FileFormat Path Worksheets
FullName ReadOnly
Workbooks – Methods
Activate PrintPreview SaveAs
Close Protect Unprotect
PrintOut Save
Workbooks – Events
Activate NewChart SheetChange
AfterSave NewSheet WindowActivate
BeforeClose Open WindowDeactivate
BeforePrint SheetCalculate WindowResize
BeforeSave
Forms
Start or Initialize form: Load [form name]
Display a User Form or make is visible: [form name].Show
Hide the Form or make invisible: [form name].Hide
Close or quit form: Unload [form me]
Unload a Form from within the Userform Private Subs: Unload Me
Form Controls
Label Text Box Combo Box
List Box Check Box Radio Button
Toggle Button Frame Button
Multi Page Scroll Bar Spin Button
Image RefEdit
Form Events
Syntax Private Sub [object name]_[event]() End Sub
The First Code that runs when Load or .Show is executed
Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
[statements]
End Sub
Activate Change Click
DblClick Enter Exit
Key Down KeyPress KeyUp
MouseDown MouseMove MouseUp
Deactivate Initialize GotFocus
Load Scroll Terminate
Arrays
An array is a group of variables and you can refer to a specific variable
(element) of an array by using the array name and the index number
Declaring An Array: Dim ArrayName(Start to End) or Static Array
Dim ArrayName() Dynamic Array
Example: Dim Oarray(1 to 3)
Assigning Data to the Array using Index | Assigning Array(index) to
Variable (See Below)
Oarray(1) = “This” x = Oarray(1) x = “This”
Oarray(2) = “Is” x = Oarray(2) x = “Is”
Oarray(3) = “An Array” x = Oarray(3) x = “An Array”
Redim Oarray(1 to 10) If an array size is going to change Redim must be
used - This will delete all the data from the array
Redim Preserve Oarray(1 to 15) – Preserve will keep the data in the array
AND resize the array
Ubound and Lbound
Ubound(Oarray) = 15 Returns the highest available subscript for the
indicated dimension of an array
Lbound(Oarray) = 1 Returns the lowest available subscript for the
indicated dimension of an array
Multi-Dimensional Array
LBound(Oarray) first index
LBound(Oarray, 2 ) Lower bound for second index for a two dimensional
array
UBound(Oarray) Upper bound for first index
UBound(Oarray, 3) Upper bound for third index
Erase Oarray Empties the Array’s data
From Range to an Array (NOTE: It will be a two dimensional Array)
Dim Oarray as Variant
Oarray = Range(“A1:C10”) Creates and Array Oarray(1 to 10, 1 to 3)
Oarray = Range(“A1”).CurrentRegion This is a powerful
From an Array to a Range (This is like pasting the array to the range)
Range(“A1:C10”) = Oarray This is also powerful. Keep in mind the array
will need to be two dimensional Oarray(1 to 10, 1 to 3)
Split Function Break out a string into a an Array
Split(text_string, delimiter, [limit], [compare])
Oarray = Split(“This is Text”, “ “)
Creates Oarray(0 to 2) with the data below
Oarray(0) = “This” Oarray(1) = “is” Oarray(2) = “Text”
“First, solve the problem. Then, write the code.”
― John Johnson