Lesson 2. Using the Macro Recorder

Transcription

1 Lesson 2. Using the Macro Recorder When the recorder is activated, everything that you do will be recorded as a Macro. When the Macro is run, everything that you recorded will be played back exactly as it was carried out the first time. How to Record a Macro 1. Plan the keystrokes and mouse movements you will make 2. Select the Developer tab Record Macro 3. At the Record Macro dialog box, type a name for the Macro (without any spaces) 4. Enter a user-friendly explanation in the description text box and click ok For Example, Create a Macro called SetRedBoldItalics The commands will be: 1. Click on home 2. Click on Bold 3. Click on italics 4. Select Red Colour 5. Carry out the commands that you want the macro to perform 6. When you are finished, stop recording by pressing Stop recording on the Developer tab. Now, whenever you want this formatting, you can run the SetRedBoldItalics Macro IT UpSkill Page: 1

2 How to run your Macro There are several different ways to run your Macro Run your Macro using the Menu 1. Select the Developer tab and A list of will appear 2. Select your Macro and click run Assign a shortcut key When you are recording a Macro, you can optionally provide a shortcut key in the create Macro dialog box. Assign a shortcut Key - then you can run your macro with a key stroke rather than using menus. Excel does not warn you if you overwrite key shortcuts such as [ctrl]+b (bold). It is a good idea to hold the shift key down so you end up with a less common combination, eg [ctrl], [shift] +b You can assign a shortcut key to an existing Macro by selecting from the Developer tab, highlight the Macro you want, and select options. IT UpSkill Page: 2

3 Assign your Macro to a quick access toolbar The Quick Access Toolbar is a customizable toolbar that contains a set of commands that are independent of the tab that is currently displayed. By default, it is located in the Upper left corner of the screen. 1. Click on the dropdown arrow at the end of the quick access toolbar 2. Click More Commands 3. Choose from the Drop down commands menu 4. Click on the name of the macro and Add. 5. Once you have added your Macro to the Quick Access Toolbar, you can change the icon by selecting Modify IT UpSkill Page: 3

4 Assign your Macro to a Button Control 1. On the developer tab, click the Insert button 2. Under Form Controls, click the button icon 3. The mouse pointer is replaced by a cross-hair 4. Move the cross-hair to where the corner of the button should be 5. Drag until the button is sized correctly 6. The assign macro dialogue box is displayed, Select the Macro and click ok 7. This Macro will now be run whenever the new button is clicked You can also add to other controls on your spreadsheet such as an Autoshape, clipart or picture. Just right-click on the control and Select Assign Macro IT UpSkill Page: 4

5 Where is your Macro Stored? Every time you record, or write a Macro, it is stored in a module, which is an object in the current excel file. This means that you only have access to that Macro when that particular workbook is open. There may be occasions when you want to create and store a Macro that can then be used in any workbook that you open. In this case, you should use the Personal Macro Workbook. Personal Macro Workbook The "Personal Macro Workbook" is a file called Personal.XLSB The Personal Macro Workbook is created by Excel the first time that you choose to save a Macro in it. It is a (normally) hidden workbook that is loaded automatically by Excel if it exists. The Personal.xlsb file is stored in the /XLSTART/ directory. The location of this folder depends on your operating system In Windows 7, using office 2010 C:\Users\<user name>\appdata\roaming\microsoft\excel\xlstart In Windows XP, using office 2010 C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART When you create your Macro, you can choose where to store it. The default is the current workbook. If you want your Macro to be accessible by other Workbooks then Store the macro in your Personal Macro Workbook IT UpSkill Page: 5

6 Making your personal macro workbook visible By default, the Personal Macro Workbook is hidden. To unhide it, select view unhide. Moving your If you want your macro to be available to all worksheets (in one location) then save it in your personal workbook. If you want your macro to be available on a different machine (for example, on your home pc) you could; Take a copy of the personal macro workbook and copy it to the correct location on the other machine (NOTE this would overwrite any existing file) OR Copy the macro code from the personal macro workbook into a standard workbook and bring that workbook home. Work in Personal Macro Workbook - Available to ALL Home Can be copied to a different location Book1 Book2 Book3 Home WorkBook Book1 Local Book2 Local Book3 Local Home Local IT UpSkill Page: 6