Q: Macros vs. VBA?

[usr_X]

Is it worth learning Macros or better just to bypass that since, as one advances, your power and utility will come from VBA anyway? Thanks, Usr_X

 

[SOS]

I would say that it is beneficial to know as much as you can about all parts of Access as you never know when something will be useful. So, I count it good to know BOTH macros and VBA, although I use VBA almost exclusively (but sometimes you need an autoexec macro and so...).

 

[Simon_MT]

I can do without Macros. What I really like is the ability to search through all the functions and once you learn VBA you wonder why you bothered with Macros.

There are many other benefits of VBA as well as being more disciplined.

Simon

 

[SOS]

I can do without Macros.

Don't be so sure...

I heard rumblings that there are some things coming in the next version which will require the use of macros. I'm looking forward to finding out just what that means.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

i understood that at the moment the only things you have to use macros for (ie cannot be done in code) are

autoexec macros - although you can fudge this by code in a startupform

autokeys macros - ctrl+key shortcuts, which can be quite useful and look very slick!

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I consider a Macro to be one more tool in the arsenal and therefore worthy of knowing at least something about it.

Because of the command-line link with /X for access, there is a way for you to do a command-line (and therefore, Windows Task Scheduler-friendly) event that fires at a time when nobody should be on the database. You have to remember to do a QUIT in the Macro when you are done, but otherwise it is a neat way to run some code using the Macro RunCode action. Of course, from RunCode you are back into VBA context, so as long as you don't use the Me shortcut in the macro's entry point, you can run anything you need to run.

 

[Mike375]

I think I am about the only regular poster that uses macros and I use them a lot. With the exception of a DB being done as an MDE file I use macros in preference to VBA when the macro will do the job. I don't use them in an MDE file because you can get to macros in the MDE. Macros are also a problem if the DB will be runtime Access as there are no error handling abilities although that might be different in A2007.

Having said that I think if you are going to use forums such as this for help then you should learn VBA as in 99.9% of cases any answers you are given will be in VBA. The same situation will also general apply to solutions you get from a Google search.

Another good reason to learn VBA relates to Word and Excel. Macros in Word and Excel are not like Access macros, they are more like an Access module in that they are containers for VBA.