Learning Advance Excel & VBA

[vvraj]

Dear All,

I am average user of Excel. I intend now to learn the more advance features of Excel features and VBA in order to develop/customize Excel applications. However there are a lots of stuff to learn and I am in a fix where to start !

Any suggestion on sequence of topics or area to cover? Should I work on a model application first and using this start learning the advance features and VBA?

Thanks in advance
vvraj

 

[AgentSmith]

IMO there are 2 approaches:
1) learn on the fly (as I did, also called "the hard way")
2) get a good book.

Personally, I recommend approach 2. Check out Amazon and go from there. Mr Excel himself has published a book, but I'm not sure it serves as a tutorial. It seems to be a collection of business studies, which may or may not be useful to you.

 

[Jon von der Heyden]

I think using both approaches in parallel is a good means. I gained much learning from Mr Excel on Excel. I used to keep the book on my office desk and frequently reference it whilst building models.

This forum is also a fantastic learning channel. I recently browsed through my earlier posts and it's encouraging finding that my questions have become increasingly more complex throughout the use of this forum! And I even find I can occassionally help others with their questions too.

 

[AgentSmith]

Yeah this site is pretty handy!

It just depends on how you want to learn, I guess. If you have definite projects in mind that you need to start ASAP then learning on the fly will just happen. However, if you don't have any particular tasks to do then a book will offer you a structured learning program and a good breadth of content. Personally, I find it difficult to sit down and program something just for the sake of it - having a book to work through seems to help me.

 

[doco]

Probably the best way to learn is by finding and developing real projects. You will probably not retain much just by reading books or online sources. And be prepared to be frustrated endlessly (seemingly)