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Date: 10 November 2003
From: Howard Kaikow <kaikow@standards.com>
Subject: Word VBA books


The books listed below may be useful if you need to write macros for Microsoft Word using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). Since VBA, within each version of Office, is sort of the same for all of the Office components, it may also be useful to look at some VBA books for Access, Excel or Outlook. Also see WordBasic books. I do not list any books that I do not personally own, even if I have seen them.

In some cases, there may be a more recent edition of a listed book. The more recent edition may include corrections, or changes incorporated in a newer version of Word VBA. Since I have decided not to list a book unless I own a copy, you'll have to check for updates yourself.

WordBasic

If you have previously written macros using WordBasic, VBA has a useful Help topic, Visual Basic Equivalents for WordBasic Commands, that will help you understand which VBA methods/objects/properties correspond to WordBasic statements.

The following book can be useful in learning how to do something in WordBasic and then using the Visual Basic Equivalents for WordBasic Commands Help topic to learn which VBA statements correspond to particular WordBasic statement. This is useful even if you have never done any WordBasic programming.

Microsoft has made the WordBasic Help file available. This is just a regurgitation of the online Help found in non-VBA versions of Word. Although the WDK is largely a regurgitation of the same Help files, the WDK does offer a few useful additional chapters and a better index.

VBA

Starting with Office 97 and Office 98, VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) has been the macro programming language for Word. WordBasic is not supported in the VBA versions of Word, other by using the WordBasic object in VBA.

You may view VBA as being a core set of capabilities from the full Visual Basic product, plus VBA enhancements to support an application specific object model for each component of Office supporting VBA.

VBA 5: Used in Office 97 and all Macintosh versions since Office 98.

VBA 5 is based on Visual Basic 5. VBA in Office 97 is not identical with VBA in Word for the Macintosh.

Books listed for VBA 6 versions of Office may be used with VBA 5 versions of Office

VBA 6: Used in Office 2000, Office XP and Office 2003.

VBA 6 is based on Visual Basic 6. VBA 6 is not used in Word for Macintosh. VBA 6 has significant enhancements over VBA 5, so one must take care if trying to write cross-platform or cross-version Word VBA macros.

Office 2000

Office XP

VBA 6.3 is used in Office XP. VBA 6.3 is not used in Word for Macintosh. VBA 6.3 has some enhancements over VBA 6, so one must take care if trying to write cross-platform or cross-version Word VBA macros.

I have not seen any need to purchase a Word 2002 VBA book. However, I have purchased VBA books for some other Office XP applications, e.g., Excel 2002 and Outlook 2002, which do cover some of the changes in VBA 6.3.

Office 2003

VBA 6.3 is also used in Office 2003. VBA 6.3 is not used in Word for Macintosh. VBA 6.3 has some enhancements over VBA 6, so one must take care if trying to write cross-platform or cross-version Word VBA macros.

I am waiting to see if any Office 2003 VBA books are released that will be worth purchasing, given all the other books I already have.

OK, now for the fly in the ointment

In order to learn more about (Word) VBA, one also has to read some books that are oriented towards Visual Basic or VBA, in general, not Word in particular.

For starters, I would recommend the VBA Developer's Handbook by Ken Getz and Mike Gilbert. ISBN 0-7821-1951-4 is based on Office 97. ISBN 0-7821-2978-1 is based on Office 2000 and Office XP.

The following books are useful for learning Visual Basic, which should make it easier for you to understand and use VBA:

The above is more than enough to get someone started with Word VBA macros. A word, no pun intended, of advice: VBA is far superior to WordBasic, but is also much more difficult to use, even more so, due to the inadequate documentation from Microsoft. Fortunately, there are a number of 3rd party books, but to do it right, you need quite a few books.