Learning VBA for work

[LiLRiceBoi]

I'm looking to learn VBA to improve my resume and appear as a better job candidate (actuarial work). What are some books you recommend? I have some programming background, i've worked with C/C++ and python.

I'm also a linux user, so if I can learn/work from linux rather than windows, that would be a plus. Recommend whatever you see fit.

Thanks

 

[Markbnj]

I'm sure you'll get some ideas from the others, but I don't personally recommend programming books anymore. I've bought a few thousand bucks worth in my time, and most of them are still sitting on the shelf next to my desk, but they are gathering dust (a few, like my three-volume Knuth, I treasure). The web is superior in every way. You can find tutorials, free programming tools, examples, specific responses to specific questions. So my recommendation is just start programming.

 

[presidentender]

I have programming books. I do not read programming books. I buy them compulsively. Then I use the internet.

 

[LiLRiceBoi]

Ok, what are some good websites to learn from then?

 

[polarbear6]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
I'm sure you'll get some ideas from the others, but I don't personally recommend programming books anymore. I've bought a few thousand bucks worth in my time, and most of them are still sitting on the shelf next to my desk, but they are gathering dust (a few, like my three-volume Knuth, I treasure). The web is superior in every way. You can find tutorials, free programming tools, examples, specific responses to specific questions. So my recommendation is just start programming.

+1 :thumbsup:

i learnt php, javascript, css, html from the net
try w3school

 

[ItsPat]

I liked Excel 2003 Power Programming with VBA. They have a 2007 version out now too. By the time I got to the 11th Chapter (out of around 30 chapters), I was able to do pretty much everything I wanted to be able to do.

 

[BoberFett]

I still use books, I find the hard copy works better for me than reading on screen. Yep, I'm a luddite.

The Wrox books are generally pretty good, and you can't really go wrong with Microsoft Press.

 

[LiLRiceBoi]

i'll check some of these out when i get the time.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: LiLRiceBoi
I'm looking to learn VBA to improve my resume and appear as a better job candidate (actuarial work). What are some books you recommend? I have some programming background, i've worked with C/C++ and python.

I'm also a linux user, so if I can learn/work from linux rather than windows, that would be a plus. Recommend whatever you see fit.

Thanks

As far as VBA goes, if you google a particular problem you're trying to solve + VBA Excel, you'll usually get something. I don't have any specifics since I learned it entirely that way. My only other advice is to document your code! Debugging VBA is horrid because the error messages tell you nothing.

Also, if you're an actuary, build some SAS skills if you don't have them already. It's used a lot in the insurance industry (my past), and always valuable to know. If you're interested in that, I CAN point you in the right direction.

 

[Bulldog13]

Anything by O'Reilly

 

[LiLRiceBoi]

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: LiLRiceBoi

Also, if you're an actuary, build some SAS skills if you don't have them already. It's used a lot in the insurance industry (my past), and always valuable to know. If you're interested in that, I CAN point you in the right direction.

Where should I go to learn SAS? I used it probably once in school, other than that I dont have any experience with it.

 

[blahblah99]

Originally posted by: LiLRiceBoi
I'm looking to learn VBA to improve my resume and appear as a better job candidate (actuarial work). What are some books you recommend? I have some programming background, i've worked with C/C++ and python.

I'm also a linux user, so if I can learn/work from linux rather than windows, that would be a plus. Recommend whatever you see fit.

Thanks

VBA is so stupidly easy that most of the time you'll spend learning VBA will be on learning why the fvck Microsoft did things the way they did.

 

[JACKDRUID]

VBA for dummy...

seriously, its actually a pretty good read...

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: LiLRiceBoi

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: LiLRiceBoi

Also, if you're an actuary, build some SAS skills if you don't have them already. It's used a lot in the insurance industry (my past), and always valuable to know. If you're interested in that, I CAN point you in the right direction.

Where should I go to learn SAS? I used it probably once in school, other than that I dont have any experience with it.

I learned it mostly through experience, but a little bit in school. I'd suggest buying the SAS Learning Edition, it's like $99, and going from there. Go online, get some large datasets, and start doing some exercises -- regression, time series forecasting, whatever. Basically, google what you want to do in SAS and you'll find some solutions. PROC REG, PROC LINREG, PROC ETS, and PROC LOGISTIC, as well as DATA step, are good queries to start against.

This, of course, assumes that you know various forms of regression, and just need to learn how to manipulate data and specify the model in SAS. If you also need work on the mathematics, I'd suggest an econometrics textbook to learn some of the above. At least, thats where I picked it all up.