VBA & Excel.

ppt 1
Primer on VBA & Excel for
Discrete-Event Simulation
See also IOE574-startup.xls
VBA & Excel.ppt 2
Visual Basic for Applications
VBA a significant subset of the stand-
alone Visual Basic programming language
It is integrated into Microsoft Office
applications (and others, like Arena)
It is the macro language of Excel
You can add
Forms for dialog boxes with user input
Classes for object definitions
Modules containing procedures

VBA & Excel.ppt 3
VBA & Excel for Discrete-Event
Simulation
Advantages
VBA is a full-featured programming language
You have access to Excel functions for
computation and Excel for storing and
analyzing outputs including USER
INTERACTION!
Disadvantages
VBA is interpreted, not compiled, so execution
is slow (can be overcome by compiling VB)
Excel functions can be buggy
VBA & Excel.ppt 4
Accessing VBA in Excel
Tools Macros Visual Basic Editor
Enter VBA through the navigation buttons
in the top toolbars
VBA Design
Mode
Visual Basic
Editor
Design mode is the time
during which no code from
the project is running and
events from Excel or your
project will not execute.
VBA & Excel.ppt 5
VB Edit Window
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Code Window
VBA & Excel.ppt 6
Structure of VBA Project
Modules are collections of VBA code
Procedures (Subroutines - Subs) and
Functions
Declarations come before any Subs or
Functions that are global to the Module
UserForms are graphic objects for user
input and output; we will not have to work
with UserForms
VBA & Excel.ppt 7
Variables
Declare by Dim varname As Type
Better to use Data Types:
Dim amount As Double note double precision is useful for us!
Dim year As Integer
Dim name As String
Other data types: Boolean, Byte, Currency,
Date
Default (no type) is Variant
Option Explicit forces all variables to be
declared
VBA & Excel.ppt 8
Variables(contd.)
Can declare type by appending a symbol:
% - integer & - long integer
! - single # - double
@ currency $ - string

Can modify scope (outside Subs & Fcns)
Private L As Integer
(only current module)
Public billsPaid As Currency
(available to any module)
VBA & Excel.ppt 9
Constants & Statics
[Public|Private] Const constantName [As
type] = expression
Value cannot be changed
Public Const PI = 3.1, NumPLANETS = 9
Oops, make that 8 as of August 2006!
Static causes variables in Subs and
Functions to retain their values (normally
lost when you exit Sub or Function)
Static yourName As String
VBA & Excel.ppt 10
Arrays
Dim vect(1 to 100) as Integer
Dim Elf(0 to 5, 0 to 20) as String

You can also dynamically allocate and
reallocate an array

Dim Calendar() as Integer

ReDim Calendar (1 to 31) as Integer
VBA & Excel.ppt 11
Control Structures
Decisions

If anyDate < Now Then
anyDate = Now
End If

Next, consider If Then Else
VBA & Excel.ppt 12
Decisions(contd.)
If Index = 0 Then
X = X + 1
Y = VBA.Sqr(X)
Else If Index = 1 Then
Y = VBA.Sqr(X)
Else If Index = 2 Then
Y = X
Else
X = 0
End If
VBA & Excel.ppt 13
Decisions(contd.)
Select Case IndexVariable
Case 0
statements
Case 1 to 10
statements
Case Is < 0
statements
Case NumSteps
statements
Case Else
statements
End Select
Notice that the cases
can be constants, ranges,
conditions and variables;
this is a powerful control
structure that we will use
to select events to execute
VBA & Excel.ppt 14
Loops/Iterations
Do {While|Until} condition
statements
Loop

-------------------------------------------

Do
statements
Loop {While|Until} condition
VBA & Excel.ppt 15
Loops(contd.)
For counter = start To end [Step increment]
statements
Next counter

--------------------------------

For Each element In group
statements
Next element

VBA & Excel.ppt 16
Exiting Control Structures
For J = 1 To 10 Step 2
[statement block]
Exit For
[statement block]
Next J
-----------------------
Do
[statement block]
Exit Do
[statement block]
Loop Until Check = False
Optional statements to
allow early exit from the
loop before the
termination condition
VBA & Excel.ppt 17
Exit Command Details

Exit Do Provides a way to exit a Do...Loop statement. It can be used only
inside a Do...Loop statement. Exit Do transfers control to the statement
following the Loop statement. When used within nested Do...Loop
statements, Exit Do transfers control to the loop that is one nested level
above the loop where Exit Do occurs.
Exit For Provides a way to exit a For loop. It can be used only in a For...Next
or For Each...Next loop. Exit For transfers control to the statement
following the Next statement. When used within nested For loops, Exit For
transfers control to the loop that is one nested level above the loop where
Exit For occurs.
Exit Function Immediately exits the Function procedure in which it
appears. Execution continues with the statement following the statement
that called the Function.
Exit Sub Immediately exits the Sub procedure in which it appears.
Execution continues with the statement following the statement that called
the Sub procedure.


VBA & Excel.ppt 18
Code Modules
Excel Objects (ThisWorkbook, Sheet#)
Modules
Typically we put our code here
A Module is a collection of Subs and
Functions
Insert Module
More:
Class Modules (see master used for simlib)
User Forms
VBA & Excel.ppt 19
Procedures
Sub name(arguments) (i.e., subroutine)
no value returned in the sense of a function, but
variables are modified.
Called as needed via
Call mySub(param1, param2)

Function name(arguments) AS type (i.e., function)
value returned
assign return value to function name: e.g.,
X = myFunction(2, 7, Z)
VBA & Excel.ppt 20
Subs can also have Public or Private scope
(default is Public)
Public Sub MM1_main() this is a common way to begin
a sub that is public and all variables to be
communicated to the routine calling it are public.

Basic syntax
{Public|Private} Sub name(arguments)
[statements]
Exit Sub
[statements]
End Sub
Subs
Optional way to leave the Sub
before reaching the End statement
VBA & Excel.ppt 21
Functions
Functions can also have Public or Private
scope (default is Public)
Public Function Timer() As String e.g., Timer returned
as Failure
Basic syntax

{Public|Private} Function fname(arguments) AS type
[statements]
fname = valu
Exit Function
[statements]
End Function Optional way to leave the Function
before reaching the End statement
Fname returned to module
with value valu
VBA & Excel.ppt 22
Pass by Reference (default) means that
changes to the value of the variable will be
returned

Sub stuff(item As String, price as Integer)

Pass by Value means only the value is
passed so the original variable is unchanged

Sub stuff(ByVal item As String, ByVal price
as Integer)
Arguments for Procedures
VBA & Excel.ppt 23
Some Useful Code for Interacting
with Excel
The following are some pieces of code
that are useful for doing VBA with Excel.
See the code on the course web site for
other examples.
Basic_Simulation_Modeling.xls
IOE574-startup.xls

others yet to come.
VBA & Excel.ppt 24
This is how you address
VBA intrinsic functions
Writing to a Sheet
Put the absolute value of the variable
Fudge in row 2 (or I), column 20 (or J) of
the Worksheet named mySheet.
Worksheets(mySheet).Cells(2,20) = VBA.Abs(Fudge)

Worksheets(mySheet).Cells(I,J) = VBA.Abs(Fudge)

Worksheets(mySheet).Range(T2)=VBA.Abs(Fudge)
Range is general see next page
VBA & Excel.ppt 25
Ways to use .Range Method
Range("A1") Cell A1
Range("A1:B5") Cells A1 through B5
Range("C5:D9,G9:H16") A multiple-area selection
Range("A:A") Column A
Range("1:1") Row 1
Range("A:C") Columns A through C
Range("1:5") Rows 1 through 5
Range("1:1,3:3,8:8") Rows 1, 3, and 8
Range("A:A,C:C,F:F") Columns A, C, and F
VBA & Excel.ppt 26
Reading from a Worksheet
To read in a value, use the .Value method,
applying the same ideas used for writing:

X = Worksheets(mySheet).Range(T2).Value

note: T = column 20, so T2 is col. 20, row2
Excel likes the (column, row) order rather
than (row, column) when using Range
VBA & Excel.ppt 27
Use an Excel Function
VBA has a limited number of built-in
functions, but you can access the plethora
of Excel worksheet functions.
This example uses the Excel Max function
W = WorksheetFunction.Max(0, W + S - a)
VBA & Excel.ppt 28
Running the Code
Your modules will as appear as Macros
that can be run from Excel under

Tools Macro Macros dialogue-box
Perhaps the easiest way to run the code is
to place your cursor in the module you
want to run and press the
Run Sub/UserForm button. (there is a
green play button on the toolbar, too)
VBA & Excel.ppt 29
Debugging
Useful tools in the
Debug menu
Setting break points
causes code to stop
when the point is reached
(F5 to continue)
Passing the cursor
over variables
shows their current
value
VBA & Excel.ppt 30
Dim Clock As Double ' simulation clock
Dim NextFailure As Double ' time of next failure event
Dim NextRepair As Double ' time of next repair event
Dim S As Double ' system state
Dim Tlast As Double ' time of previous event
Dim Area As Double ' area under S curve

Public Function Timer() As String
' Determine the next event and advance time
If NextFailure < NextRepair Then
Timer = "Failure"
Clock = NextFailure
NextFailure = 1000000
Else
Timer = "Repair"
Clock = NextRepair
NextRepair = 1000000
End If
End Function

These variables
are global since
they are declared
before any Sub
or Function
Notice that Function must
be typed
Value "Failure" is returned
as Timer, the name of the
function.
An apostrophe indicates a comment
Discrete TTF EXAMPLE
VBA & Excel.ppt 31
Public Sub MainProgram()
' Program to generate a sample path for the reliability example
Dim NextEvent As String

S = 2
Clock = 0
Tlast = 0
Area = 0
NextFailure = WorksheetFunction.Floor(6 * Rnd(), 1) + 1
NextRepair = 1000000

Do Until S = 0
NextEvent = Timer
Select Case NextEvent
Case "Failure"
Call Failure
Case "Repair"
Call Repair
End Select
Loop
MsgBox ("System failure at time " _
& Clock & " with average # components " & Area / Clock)
End Sub

NextEvent is local to this Sub since it
is declared within the Sub
Note use of an Excel function
A Do Until loop and a Select Case
statement
VBA & Excel.ppt 32
Public Sub Failure()
'Failure event
Area = Area + (Clock - Tlast) * S
Tlast = Clock

S = S - 1
If S = 1 Then
NextFailure = Clock +
WorksheetFunction.Floor(6 * Rnd(), 1) + 1
NextRepair = Clock + 2.5
End If
End Sub





VBA & Excel.ppt 33
Public Sub Repair()
'Repair event
Area = Area + (Clock - Tlast) * S
Tlast = Clock

S = S + 1
If S = 1 Then
NextRepair = Clock + 2.5
NextFailure = Clock +
WorksheetFunction.Floor(6 * Rnd(), 1) + 1
End If
End Sub
VBA & Excel.ppt 34
Finishing Up
Exercise: Write a Sub that inserts a
worksheet named Count into the
Workbook, then writes the numbers
1,2,,10 in the first row, the first ten
columns. Use a loop to do this.
VBA & Excel.ppt 35
Finding/Creating a Sheet
Dim found As Boolean
Dim sheetNext As Worksheet
' Set up mySheet sheet for output

found = False
For Each sheetNext In Worksheets
If sheetNext.Name = mySheet" Then
found = True
Exit For
End If
Next sheetNext

If found = True Then
Worksheets(mySheet").Select
ActiveSheet.UsedRange.Clear
Else
Worksheets.Add
ActiveSheet.Name = mySheet"
End If

FYI useful sol. To exercise