Introduction to Excel Macros Part 1

Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, takes you step-by-step through the process of creating and using macros—one of Excel’s most powerful features. In this comprehensive presentation, he introduces the concept of Excel macros as well as the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro. David also explains step-by-step how to use the Record Macro feature and Excel’s Personal Macro Workbook. After completing this course, you’ll be equipped to use macros immediately. 

David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in the subscription-based Office 365 version of Excel. David draws your attention to any differences in the older versions of Excel (2019, 2016, 2013, and earlier) during the presentation as well as in his detailed handouts. David also provides an Excel workbook that includes most of the examples he uses during the webcast.

Office 365 is a subscription-based product that provides new-feature updates as often as monthly. Conversely, the perpetual licensed versions of Excel have feature sets that don’t change. Perpetual licensed versions have year numbers, such as Excel 2019, Excel 2016, and so on.

Who Would Be Interested in This Course: Practitioners who wish to learn how to create and use macros, which will enable them to become more efficient in Excel. 

Topics Covered:

• Making sense of the Enable Content prompt related to macros in Excel.
• Uncovering macro-related commands within Excel’s user interface.
• Automating a repetitive task, such as formatting a set of phone numbers consistently.
• Utilizing the Relative References setting for creating Excel macros to be played back on any cell versus specific cells.
• Understanding the purpose and nuances of Excel’s Personal Macro Workbook.
• Recording a contact info macro.
• Deciphering and managing Excel’s macro security prompts.
• Converting .XLS workbooks to the up-to-date .XLSX format with just two keystrokes.
• Understanding how macros are used in Excel, along with the risks and benefits associated with them.
• Learning the risks and frustrations of using merged cells in Excel worksheets.
• Learning how to use Excel’s Record Macro feature to create simple macros, without having any knowledge of programming.