Programming Excel with VBA and .NET: Solve Real-World Problems with Excel(OREILLY)

Why program Excel? For solving complex calculations and presenting results, Excel is amazingly complete with every imaginable feature already in place. But programming Excel isn't about adding new features as much as it's about combining existing features to solve particular problems. With a few modifications, you can transform Excel into a task-specific piece of software that will quickly and precisely serve your needs. In other words, Excel is an ideal platform for probably millions of small spreadsheet-based software solutions. The best part is, you can program Excel with no additional tools. A variant of the Visual Basic programming language, VB for Applications (VBA) is built into Excel to facilitate its use as a platform. With VBA, you can create macros and templates, manipulate user interface features such as menus and toolbars, and work with custom user forms or dialog boxes. VBA is relatively easy to use, but if you've never programmed before, Programming Excel with VBA and .NET is a great way to learn a lot very quickly. If you're an experienced Excel user or a Visual Basic programmer, you'll pick up a lot of valuable new tricks. Developers looking forward to .N ET development will also find discussion of how the Excel object model works with .NET tools, including Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO). This book teaches you how to use Excel VBA by explaining concepts clearly and concisely in plain English, and provides plenty of downloadable samples so you can learn by doing. You'll be exposed to a wide range of tasks most commonly performed with Excel, arranged into chapters according to subject, with those subjects corresponding to one or more Excel objects. With both the samples and important reference information for each object included right in the chapters, instead of tucked away in separate sections, Programming Excel with VBA and .NET covers the entire Excel object library. For those just starting out, it also lays down the basic rules common to all programming languages. With this single-source reference and how-to guide, you'll learn to use the complete range of Excel programming tasks to solve problems, no matter what you're experience level. "

Table of Contents:
Preface Part I. Learning VBA 1. Becoming an Excel Programmer Why Program? Record and Read Code Change Recorded Code Fix Misteakes Start and Stop View Results Where's My Code? Macros and Security Write Bug-Free Code Navigate Samples and Help What You've Learned 2. Knowing the Basics Parts of a Program Classes and Modules Procedures Variables Conditional Statements Loops Expressions Exceptions What You've Learned 3. Tasks in Visual Basic Types of Tasks Interact with Users Do Math Work with Text Get Dates and Times Read and Write Files Check Results Find Truth Compare Bits Run Other Applications Control the Compiler Not Covered Here What You've Learned 4. Using Excel Objects Objects and Their Members Get Excel Objects Get Objects from Collections About Me and the Active Object Find the Right Object Common Members Respond to Events in Excel The Global Object The WorksheetFunction Object What You've Learned 5. Creating Your Own Objects Modules Versus Classes Add Methods Create Properties Define Enumerations Raise Events Collect Objects Expose Objects Destroy Objects Things You Can't Do What You've Learned 6. Writing Code for Use by Others Types of Applications The Development Process Determine Requirements Design Implement and Test Integrate Test Platforms Document Deploy What You've Learned Resources Part II. Excel Objects 7. Controlling Excel Perform Tasks Control Excel Options Get References Application Members AutoCorrect Members AutoRecover Members ErrorChecking Members SpellingOptions Members Window and Windows Members Pane and Panes Members 8. Opening, Saving, and Sharing Workbooks Add, Open, Save, and Close Share Workbooks Program with Shared Workbooks Program with Shared Workspaces Respond to Actions Workbook and Workbooks Members RecentFile and RecentFiles Members 9. Working with Worksheets and Ranges Work with Worksheet Objects Worksheets and Worksheet Members Sheets Members Work with Outlines Outline Members Work with Ranges Range Members Work with Scenario Objects Scenario and Scenarios Members Resources 10. Linking and Embedding Add Comments Use Hyperlinks Link and Embed Objects Speak Comment and Comments Members Hyperlink and Hyperlinks Members OleObject and OleObjects Members OLEFormat Members Speech Members UsedObjects Members 11. Printing and Publishing Print and Preview Control Paging Change Printer Settings Filter Ranges Save and Display Views Publish to the Web AutoFilter Members Filter and Filters Members CustomView and CustomViews Members HPageBreak, HPageBreaks, VPageBreak, VPageBreaks Members PageSetup Members Graphic Members PublishObject and PublishObjects Members WebOptions and DefaultWebOptions Members 12. Loading and Manipulating Data Working with QueryTable Objects QueryTable and QueryTables Members Working with Parameter Objects Parameter Members Working with ADO and DAO ADO Objects and Members DAO Objects and Members DAO.Database and DAO.Databases Members DAO.Document and DAO.Documents Members DAO.QueryDef and DAO.QueryDefs Members DAO.Recordset and DAO.Recordsets Members 13. Analyzing Data with Pivot Tables Quick Guide to Pivot Tables Program Pivot Tables PivotTable and PivotTables Members PivotCache and PivotCaches Members PivotField and PivotFields Members CalculatedFields Members CalculatedItems Members PivotCell Members PivotFormula and PivotFormulas Members PivotItem and PivotItems Members PivotItemList Members PivotLayout Members CubeField and CubeFields Members CalculatedMember and CalculatedMembers Members 14. Sharing Data Using Lists Use Lists ListObject and ListObjects Members ListRow and ListRows Members ListColumn and ListColumns Members ListDataFormat Members Use the Lists Web Service Lists Web Service Members Resources 15. Working with XML Understand XML Save Workbooks as XML Use XML Maps Program with XML Maps XmlMap and XmlMaps Members XmlDataBinding Members XmlNamespace and XmlNamespaces Members XmlSchema and XmlSchemas Members Get an XML Map from a List or Range XPath Members Resources 16. Charting Navigate Chart Objects Create Charts Quickly Embed Charts Create More Complex Charts Choose Chart Type Create Combo Charts Add Titles and Labels Plot a Series Respond to Chart Events Chart and Charts Members ChartObject and ChartObjects Members ChartGroup and ChartGroups Members SeriesLines Members Axes and Axis Members DataTable Members Series and SeriesCollection Members Point and Points Members 17. Formatting Charts Format Titles and Labels Change Backgrounds and Fonts Add Trendlines Add Series Lines and Bars ChartTitle, AxisTitle, and DisplayUnitLabel Members DataLabel and DataLabels Members LeaderLines Members ChartArea Members ChartFillFormat Members ChartColorFormat Members DropLines and HiLoLines Members DownBars and UpBars Members ErrorBars Members Legend Members LegendEntry and LegendEntries Members LegendKey Members Gridlines Members TickLabels Members Trendline and Trendlines Members PlotArea Members Floor Members Walls Members Corners Members 18. Drawing Graphics Draw in Excel Create Diagrams Program with Drawing Objects Program Diagrams Shape, ShapeRange, and Shapes Members Adjustments Members CalloutFormat Members ColorFormat Members ConnectorFormat Members ControlFormat Members FillFormat Members FreeFormBuilder GroupShapes Members LineFormat Members LinkFormat Members PictureFormat Members ShadowFormat ShapeNode and ShapeNodes Members TextFrame TextEffectFormat ThreeDFormat 19. Adding Menus and Toolbars About Excel Menus Build a Top-Level Menu Create a Menu in Code Build Context Menus Build a Toolbar Create Toolbars in Code CommandBar and CommandBars Members CommandBarControl and CommandBarControls Members CommandBarButton Members CommandBarComboBox Members CommandBarPopup Members 20. Building Dialog Boxes Types of Dialogs Create Data-Entry Forms Design Your Own Forms Use Controls on Worksheets UserForm and Frame Members Control and Controls Members Font Members CheckBox, OptionButton, ToggleButton Members ComboBox Members CommandButton Members Image Members Label Members ListBox Members MultiPage Members Page Members ScrollBar and SpinButton Members TabStrip Members TextBox and RefEdit Members 21. Sending and Receiving Workbooks Send Mail Work with Mail Items Collect Review Comments Route Workbooks Read Mail MsoEnvelope Members MailItem Members RoutingSlip Members Part III. Extending Excel 22. Building Add-ins Types of Add-ins Code-Only Add-ins Visual Add-ins Set Add-in Properties Sign the Add-in Distribute the Add-in Work with Add-ins in Code AddIn and AddIns Members 23. Integrating DLLs and COM Use DLLs Use COM Applications 24. Getting Data from the Web Perform Web Queries QueryTable and QueryTables Web Query Members Use Web Services Resources 25. Programming Excel with .NET Approaches to Working with .NET Create .NET Components for Excel Use .NET Components in Excel Use Excel as a Component in .NET Create Excel Applications in .NET Resources 26. Exploring Security in Depth Security Layers Understand Windows Security Password-Protect and Encrypt Workbooks Program with Passwords and Encryption Workbook Password and Encryption Members Excel Password Security Protect Items in a Workbook Program with Protection Workbook Protection Members Worksheet Protection Members Chart Protection Members Protection Members AllowEditRange and AllowEditRanges Members UserAccess and UserAccessList Members Set Workbook Permissions Program with Permissions Permission and UserPermission Members Add Digital Signatures Set Macro Security Set ActiveX Control Security Distribute Security Settings Using the Anti-Virus API Common Tasks Resources Part IV. Appendixes A. Reference Tables B. Version Compatibility Index

About the Author :
Jeff Webb is the author of Excel 2003 Programming: A Developer's Notebook. Jeff has written about computers and technology for 20 years. His books include Using Excel Visual Basic for Applications; Visual Basic Developer's Workshop; and Developing Web Applications with Visual Basic .NET. He has also written programming guides, articles, and sample applications for Microsoft and Digital Equipment Corporation.