Excel® VBA: 24-Hour Trainer

Chapter 18. Creating UserForms

In previous lessons, you have seen examples of how your workbook can interact with its users to make decisions by employing such methods as InputBoxes and Message Boxes. Although these interactive tools are very useful for the situations they are meant to serve, they have limited usefulness in more complex applications.

Some of your projects will require a more versatile approach to asking for and gathering many kinds of information from the users, all within a dedicated interface that's convenient and easy to use. Perhaps you have seen attempts to accomplish this on a neatly arranged worksheet where certain cells are color-shaded or unprotected for data input, maybe with drop-down lists and embedded check boxes or option buttons. A UserForm in VBA is a more efficient method for collecting and recording such information.

WHAT IS A USERFORM?

A UserForm is essentially a custom-built dialog box, but that description does not do justice to the immense complexity and diversity with which UserForms can be built and be made to function. A UserForm is created in the Visual Basic Editor, with controls and associated VBA code, usually meant for the end user to be advised of some information or to enter data, generate reports, or perform some action.

Note

Think of UserForms as electronic versions of the different forms you fill out on your computer, such as when you make an online purchase, or with paper and pen in a business office. Some information on most forms ...