Excel VBA Programming For Dummies, 5th Edition

Chapter 13

Bug Extermination Techniques

IN THIS CHAPTER

Defining a bug and knowing why you should squash it

Recognizing types of program bugs you may encounter

Using techniques for debugging your code

Using the VBE’s built-in debugging tools

Presenting a handy list of bug reduction tips

If the word bugs conjures up an image of a cartoon rabbit, this chapter can set you straight. Simply put, a bug is an error in your programming. Here, you take a look at the topic of programming bugs — how to identify them and how to wipe them off the face of your module.

Species of Bugs

Welcome to Entomology 101. The term program bug, as you probably know, refers to a problem with software. In other words, if software doesn’t perform as expected, it has a bug. Fact is, all major software programs have bugs — lots of bugs. Excel itself has hundreds (if not thousands) of bugs. Fortunately, the vast majority of these bugs are relatively obscure and appear in only very specific circumstances.

When ...