VBA Syntax and Variables

VBA syntax is line-based and readable, descending from the BASIC family. Each statement usually occupies one line, continued onto the next with a space followed by an underscore, keywords are case-insensitive, and code is organized into procedures inside modules. Mastering Subs, variables, and operators is the foundation for writing any macro.

A Sub procedure runs a block of code without returning a value and is declared with Sub...End Sub. A Function returns a value using Function...End Function, assigning the result to its own name. Both can take arguments in parentheses. Subs appear in the Macros dialog and can be run directly, while Functions can be called from other code or even used as custom worksheet formulas.

Variables are declared with the Dim keyword, followed by a name and optionally As Type, for example Dim total As Double. Names must start with a letter, cannot contain spaces or most symbols, and cannot be reserved words. Declaring a specific type improves performance and helps catch errors, whereas an undeclared or Variant variable is flexible but slower and more memory-hungry.

VBA provides arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /, the backslash for integer division, Mod for remainder, and ^ for exponent), comparison operators (=, <>, <, >, <=, >=), and logical operators (And, Or, Not). String concatenation uses the ampersand operator, not +, which avoids ambiguity with addition. Comments begin with an apostrophe and are ignored at runtime, documenting the intent behind your code.