A Visual Basic for Applications programmer, also known as a VBA programmer, works with the VBA edition of Microsoft Visual Basic. Visual Basic is an object-oriented programming language with a Windows-based user interface that is widely used to create Microsoft desktop applications. Visual Basic for Applications is designed specifically for creating specific applications, such as office tools, graphics programs, file sorting programs, and other Windows-based software.
VBA programmers are responsible for using VBA to develop existing applications or draft new projects on a broad level. They must be able to use every aspect of the complex Visual Basic interface, as well as how to reference code modules using dynamic link libraries (DLLs). They should also be familiar with object models, which are specific language constructs used Visual Basic to interact with applications.
Finding the specific object model for an existing application can be difficult for VBA programmers. The original creators of the software have coded this feature into it. A macro recorder is a tool that a VBA programmer can use to discover parts of the object model. This is where some debugging tools come in handy.
VBA programmers’ top-level cognitive tasks include evaluating an object model and analyzing existing code’s syntax and logic. These people may run Visual Basic or Windows-based applications several times to figure out how the code works in real time. To learn more about how a piece of software works, they may conduct extensive debugging or testing.
A VBA programmer might use tools like the OLE automation resource to manage a complex set of communications with applications. Users can use this type of tool to examine how applications share functions. The fact that Microsoft Visual Basic is an object-oriented language is important here as well. Some code functions are referred to as “automation objects,” and they are frequently shared multiple applications.
A VBA programmer is frequently tasked with investigating the inner workings of a software program and presenting findings as needed. This expert may be called upon to manipulate various parts of a software program or to change it in various ways. In most cases, VBA experts assist an IT team in managing necessary changes to a set of applications.