Mastering IDEAScript: The Definitive Guide, with Website

Mastering IDEAScript: The Definitive Guide, with Website

by John Paul Mueller
Released April 2011
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781118004487

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Book description

Improve your audit results and extend your capabilities with Mastering IDEAScript: The Definitive Guide

Run audit programs and data analysis projects with ease. Create a local automated audit system. Meet current audit standards. Do it all with Mastering IDEAScript, the official guide from CaseWare IDEA®.

Designed to help the complete novice develop the skills required to write applications using IDEAScript, this resource starts with simple topics, progressively working up to more complex areas. It helps you understand what automation can help you do and set reasonable goals for working with IDEAScript.

Although basic familiarity with the IDEA® program is helpful in the use of this book's concepts, neither programming skills nor special equipment is required. Here, you'll find plain-English, easy-to-follow explanations for:

  • Creating your first IDEAScript application

  • Using the IDEAScript Editor

  • Writing code quickly and efficiently

  • Building complete applications without any code at all, using the Macro Recorder

  • Troubleshooting errors that occur in your application

  • Performing basic tasks, such as indexing, sorting, and closing your database

  • Finding information easily within databases

  • And much more!

Along with a companion website containing all of the scripts found in this book, Mastering IDEAScript: The Definitive Guide is packed with practical techniques and rules of thumb to help you understand the workings of IDEAScript. The days of filling in forms and answering countless questions when running audit programs are over. From now on, let IDEAScript do the work!

IDEA® is a leading provider of data analysis software targeted to auditors to use as a tool for fraud detection and internal control assessment. IDEA® software is used in sixteen languages in more than ninety countries, by major accounting firms, governments, and corporations in all industry sectors, as well as by universities as a teaching tool.

IDEA® is a registered trademark of CaseWare International Inc.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Preface
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Chapter 1: Introducing IDEAScript
    1. Understanding Automation
    2. Understanding How You Use Macros
    3. Having Things Your Way
    4. Considering Your Skills
    5. Summary
  7. Chapter 2: Creating Your First IDEAScript Application
    1. Understanding the Macro Types
    2. Opening the Visual Script Editor
    3. Writing a Hello World Application
    4. Building Your Application
    5. Summary
  8. Chapter 3: Understanding the Basics of the IDEAScript Editor
    1. Working with Windows
    2. Hiding and Viewing Windows
    3. Working with Menus and Toolbars
    4. Summary
  9. Chapter 4: Designing Structured Applications
    1. Understanding the Parts of an Application
    2. Methods You Use to Create an Application
    3. Using the Macro Recorder
    4. Working with Subroutines and Functions
    5. Making Your Code Easy to Read
    6. Adding Your Application to a Toolbar or Menu
    7. Summary
  10. Chapter 5: Working with Data
    1. Understanding Variables and Constants
    2. Choosing a Data Type
    3. Employing Operators
    4. Formatting Data
    5. Creating Custom Data Types
    6. Summary
  11. Chapter 6: Using Conditional Statements and Loops
    1. Making Decisions Using the If . . . Then . . . Else Statement
    2. Choosing between Options Using Select Case
    3. Performing Tasks a Specific Number of Times with For . . . Next
    4. Performing Tasks Using Conditions with Do Loop
    5. Adding Error Trapping to Your Application
    6. Redirecting Macro Flow Using GoTo
    7. Summary
  12. Chapter 7: Understanding IDEA Databases
    1. Considering the Parts of a Database
    2. Introducing the IDEA Database System
    3. Opening a Database for Use
    4. Checking the Database History
    5. Obtaining Field Statistics
    6. Setting Database Criteria
    7. Indexing a Database
    8. Sorting a Database
    9. Modifying Database Comments
    10. Committing the Database
    11. Closing a Database
    12. Summary
  13. Chapter 8: Working with Databases
    1. Adding One Database to Another Using AppendDatabase
    2. Comparing Two Databases Using CompareDB
    3. Working with Keys
    4. Exporting a Database Using ExportDatabase
    5. Working with Fields Using Field
    6. Working with Records
    7. Working with Tables
    8. Summary
  14. Chapter 9: Considering the CaseWare IDEA Object Model
    1. Considering the IDEA Object Model
    2. Working with the Task Object Model
    3. Summary
  15. Chapter 10: Performing Mathematical Tasks
    1. Performing Basic Math
    2. Using Advanced Math
    3. Employing Analysis
    4. Summary
  16. Chapter 11: Interacting with Arrays
    1. Understanding How Arrays Work
    2. Creating and Using Arrays
    3. Copying Data between Arrays
    4. Summary
  17. Chapter 12: Creating Interactive Dialog Boxes
    1. Creating Great Dialog Boxes
    2. Using the Basic Controls
    3. Obtaining the Visual Appearance You Want
    4. Interacting with Dialog Boxes Using Code
    5. Adding Pictures to Your Dialog Boxes
    6. Summary
  18. Chapter 13: Locating Information in Databases
    1. Performing Searches Efficiently
    2. Using the Built-in Search Features
    3. Creating a Custom Search
    4. Summary
  19. Chapter 14: Importing and Exporting Data
    1. Considering the Import and Export Features
    2. Performing Data Extractions
    3. Managing PDF Data
    4. Managing Text Data
    5. Managing Excel Data
    6. Managing Access Data
    7. Summary
  20. Chapter 15: Working with Files
    1. Considering the File Format
    2. Using the File IO Features
    3. Using External Variables
    4. Summary
  21. Chapter 16: Working with Other Applications
    1. Considering IDEAScript and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Differences
    2. Understanding the Word and Excel Object Models
    3. Running Word from IDEA
    4. Running IDEA from Excel
    5. Summary
  22. Chapter 17: Performing Data Analysis Tasks
    1. Performing Stratification
    2. Performing Summarization
    3. Creating a Pivot Table
    4. Employing Random Record Sampling Using RandomSample
    5. Performing Gap Detection
    6. Checking Distribution Using SystematicSample
    7. Merging Databases
    8. Summary
  23. Chapter 18: Working with Charts and Graphs
    1. Choosing the Correct Chart or Graph
    2. Creating a Basic Graph
    3. Defining Analytical Charts
    4. Summary
  24. Chapter 19: Defining Reports
    1. Defining a Report
    2. Outputting Data in PDF Format
    3. Outputting Data in Word Format
    4. Summary
  25. Chapter 20: Considering Database Security
    1. Considering Programmatic Data Security
    2. Choosing the Correct Data Type
    3. Validating Data
    4. Protecting Dialog Boxes
    5. Summary
  26. Chapter 21: Debugging Your Application
    1. Understanding the Kinds of Application Errors
    2. Running and Stopping the Application
    3. Using Breakpoints
    4. Stepping through the Application
    5. Using the Watch Window
    6. Relying on Message Boxes
    7. Summary
  27. Chapter 22: Performing Project Management Tasks
    1. Creating a Plan for Your Application
    2. Keeping Track of Application Files
    3. Working within a Group
    4. Documenting Your Application
    5. Summary
  28. Chapter 23: Converting Visual Script to IDEAScript
    1. Considering the Benefits of Using IDEAScript
    2. Performing the Conversion
    3. Making Changes and Saving the Result
    4. Summary
  29. About the Author
  30. About the Website
  31. Index

Product information

  • Title: Mastering IDEAScript: The Definitive Guide, with Website
  • Author(s): John Paul Mueller
  • Release date: April 2011
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781118004487