Chapter 1
Macro Fundamentals
In This Chapter
Understanding why you should use macros
Recording macros
Understanding macro security
Seeing macros in action
A macro is essentially a set of instructions or code that you create to tell Excel to execute any number of actions. In Excel, macros can be written or recorded. The key word here is recorded.
Recording a macro is like programming a phone number into your cell phone. On your phone, you first manually dial and save the number. Later, you can redial those numbers with the touch of a button. In Excel, you start recording a macro, and then you perform your intended actions. While you record, Excel gets busy in the background, translating your keystrokes and mouse clicks to a macro. This written code is known as Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). After the macro is recorded, you can play back those actions anytime you want.
In this chapter, you explore macros and learn how you can use them to automate recurring processes to simplify your life.
Why Use a Macro?
The first step in using macros is admitting you have a problem. Actually, ...