[Year 12 IT Apps] Macros in Excel

[Timmer-Arends]

Hello Russell

I think perhaps because Excel has so much 'programmability' through its 
standard formula set that macros are something one creates for specific 
purposes, so perhaps the trick is to think of specific applications where 
the user has to do the same thing fairly frequently and does not want to 
have to go through an elaborate key sequence each time. That is, an 
application where
specific automation is useful.

For example, I keep my student records in Excel, one workbook per class. I 
have two macros that I use all the time (and perhaps can be adapted to other 
applications). One that is triggered by Ctrl-Shift-N (for New sheet): it 
prompts me for a worksheet name (and I might enter, say, GM proj), it then 
creates a new worksheet with that name and copies the class list from the 
first worksheet into the new sheet. A second is triggered by Ctrl-Shift-L: 
it hyperlinks a cell containing a student's network user name to their 
network folder.  Both of these process normally require several clicks that 
I am too lazy to go through each time.

So perhaps you could adpat those particular jobs you mentioned to something 
for the students and put it to them that automation is required (as opposed 
to widespread/general use)

Regards
Robert T-A


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Russell Edwards" <edwards.russell.t at edumail.vic.gov.au>
To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List" 
<itapps at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:37 PM
Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] Macros in Excel


> Does anyone have any thoughts on common uses of macros in Excel?
>
> I am struggling to come up with any examples that are generally 
> applicable, and therefore worth putting in to student exercises.    I  use 
> macros occasionally but they are generally quite specific to the 
> particular job that spreadsheet is designed for.
>
> About all I can think of would be setting the active cell to the  first 
> input data cell upon opening, and inter-sheet navigation buttons.
>
> thanks in advance
>
> Russell
> Whittlesea SC
>
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