# Doesn't anyone record a macro to learn anymore?



## cjcobra (Mar 8, 2011)

I've read so many posts about people wanting to simply copy and paste something and wanting people to code it for them.  What happened to recording a macro, then figuring out the code and editting it to what you want?  Guess I learned the hard way, but it just seems people are getting lazy and don't want to even try to code before asking questions?  I just saw someone wanted code to print out a couple sheets and that's it.  OK, so record it and be done!


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## mas550 (Mar 8, 2011)

i know the feeling. i had to figure out to code at work... just to remedy the "there has got to be an easier way" feeling... i have pages and pages of recorded macros that i learned from. everything from creating new speets nameing the tabs and saving to if(vlookup) and copy paste. i usually spend hours trying before i ask the question, even then i generally figure it out before i get an answer. its nice to know im not the only one that records macros.


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## mas550 (Mar 8, 2011)

but obviously I haven’t learned to type or spell check... lol ... end of the day and my brain is fried


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## Michael M (Mar 8, 2011)

Ah yes, but why learn, if you have soemone to do it for you.
Have you also noticed that a simple Google search will answer most of the recording questions ?
Just think though, now that you have gained more knowledge, you can decide which posts to look at or not.

Unfortunately, some people lack both the logic skills to code even the simplest VBA , or the mathematical skills to work out which formulae to use, from first principles.

Further, the poster just might be an old bugger like me, that simply can't get their head around stuff like this.......I'm one of the lucky ones......I have some understanding of what I actually need, and am capable of. So, I share what limited knowledge I have, in order that others may learn....I know it's frustrating sometimes.....but we can always log out !!


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## Gerald Higgins (Mar 9, 2011)

I guess alot of people don't know that it's even possible to record a macro.

A number of times I've seen posts asking for macro help, and I haven't known exactly what code would work, so I've recorded it myself, and posted back saying something like
"I tried recording a macro, got this, and it seems to work OK...."
which hopefully makes them aware of the possibility of recording.


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## Jon von der Heyden (Mar 9, 2011)

Gerald Higgins said:


> I guess alot of people don't know that it's even possible to record a macro.



Point well made Gerald!  I did a small course in VB3 before I even touched Excel.  I discovered the VBE before I discovered that recording was possible.

Another point is that sometimes the recorder doesn't cut it.

No doubt there are some people that come here that are just looking for the solution.  If you take offense to that, and believe (s)he is just being lazy, then of course you are free to just skip past that post.  Different people use this forum for different purposes.  Some people come here for answers, some people come here to learn.  This forum is open for both groups.

*Note to anybody that wants to contribute to this thread*:  This thread can easily go down the route of similar recent threads in the Lounge.  By these I refer to the threads that some members posted to referring to specific posts and specific members.  Please avoid doing the same here because it is very much against the rules and this thread will quickly be removed and moderators will come down hard on you.  What with recent occurrences I thought it would be best to appeal here now.  Thanks.


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## SuperFerret (Mar 9, 2011)

I do think some people are just being plain lazy, and if I can find the answer using the macro recorder or just by searching this site (I normally do a quick search myself to see if there is definitely an answer) I have advised them. Some listen, some don't.

You gotta take the good with the bad I guess.

The one thing that still gets my goat is people wanting their homework done for them and I have _politely_ made that point to the culprits as well. I'll offer advice, but I ain't doing it for them


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## TinaP (Mar 9, 2011)

When writing new code, my first step is to try the macro recorder.  If that isn't satisfactory, then search for the answer.  However, many times I've tried the macro recorder and found either no code was recorded or the recorded code would be incompatible with earlier versions of Excel (sort, anyone).  

Rather than condemn the poster, I think we should try to educate them not only in Excel/VBA, but in how to record macros and searching using appropriate keywords.  I've had many people on this board politely suggest keyword searches which have lead me to great sites that I wouldn't know about without their suggestions.


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## T. Valko (Mar 9, 2011)

*



Doesn't anyone record a macro to learn anymore?

Click to expand...

*I do!


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## Rasm (Mar 9, 2011)

Is there a collection of cool code - somewhere - just to mess around and see how folks do stuff - I like learning. But been using VB in Visual studio 2005 - and this Excel stuff has a lot of Excel specific code.


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## MrKowz (Mar 9, 2011)

I think it has to do with some (or all) of:

People don't know how to use the recorder, or are intimidated by it
People are too lazy to figure it out themselves when they have their own army of code monkeys.
Since we live in a world where immediate results are becoming more commonplace (thus creating impatience), a person could code it themselves and get the desired result, or they could post and have an answer back within minutes. (These posters are commonly identified when they post a question, and within 10 minutes, ask if *anyone* knows the answer.  I tend to ignore these posters.)
Also, yes, we do see a vast recurring number of the *same* questions over and over (multiple-condition sum/count/lookup is probably the most asked), but people are either too lazy to search or they can't figure out/too lazy to figure out how to tailor the formulas to fit their needs.


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## alone (Mar 10, 2011)

#NAME? said:


> I do!



You didn't record any macros
just Formula Piff?
So what do you do when you have problem that doesn't solve with Formula?


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## Domski (Mar 10, 2011)

I opened the VBA editor once, got scared and closed it again thinking I accidentally opened the back end of Excel and could do some damage.

A while later and I saw a spreadsheet with a button on it that inserted a new column and added the date. I asked the guy how he did it and he told me about this magic macro recorder so I went ahead and recorded macros to do all sorts of things. To my distress I found it wasn't as clever as I thought and generally the macros only worked once for the particular sheet I was working on at the time. It took me a long time to get any further than that.

I don't think I'll ever be that great at VBA but I've got enough knowledge now to either write pretty much anything I want to do from scratch or adapt code that I find elsewhere. It's quite satisfying and pretty good for job security so am glad I spent the time that I did. If others don't want to it's up to them (other than people wanting their homework doing because they skip class )

Dom


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## xenou (Mar 10, 2011)

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by #NAME? View Post
> I do!
> You didn't record any macros
> ...





I guess Aladin's anther one of those formula Piffers who can't do anything.


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## T. Valko (Mar 10, 2011)

alone said:


> You didn't record any macros
> just Formula Piff?
> So what do you do when you have problem that doesn't solve with Formula?


I'll admit that I don't know EVERYTHING about everything. I just know what I know and it works for me! 

So, when I need help I know where to look to find the answer.


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## Peter_SSs (Mar 10, 2011)

SuperFerret said:


> The one thing that still gets my goat is people wanting their homework done for them and I have _politely_ made that point to the culprits as well. I'll offer advice, but I ain't doing it for them


I also sometimes feel that way, but then..

1. If you answer questions in the forum you probably *are *doing homework. I reckon most students will ensure their question does not look like homework.

2. The large proportion of the questions that are not homework are most likely work-related for the OP. Is doing work for somebody who is being paid to do it, and quite possibly claiming they did do it, while getting you to do it for nothing any better than doing somebody's homework?


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## Rasm (Mar 10, 2011)

It beats watchin TV - hehehe


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## SuperFerret (Mar 11, 2011)

Peter_SSs said:


> 1. If you answer questions in the forum you probably *are *doing homework. I reckon most students will ensure their question does not look like homework.
> 
> 2. The large proportion of the questions that are not homework are most likely work-related for the OP. Is doing work for somebody who is being paid to do it, and quite possibly claiming they did do it, while getting you to do it for nothing any better than doing somebody's homework?


 
Both good points Peter, I don't mind offering a helping hand to anyone... heck I've begged for assistance on work issues before (but always given credit to the people who have helped me). 

I just don't like people saying _do this for me_, because if it is part of their work and they don't _learn_ how from asking, then they may have  problems further down the line.


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