What You Can Do With VBA but Not With Office JS in Microsoft Excel
When it comes to automating tasks within Microsoft Excel, two powerful tools stand out: Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and Office.js (previously called Office Scripts). While both offer incredible functionality, VBA has certain capabilities that Office JS cannot match. In this article, we will explore these differences, covering areas such as sharing, support, and code readability.
Sharing Your Code
One of the key advantages of VBA is its ease of sharing. You can simply attach a workbook containing your VBA code to an email and send it to any client or colleague, regardless of their organization. This makes collaboration a breeze.
In contrast, Office Scripts, built on Office JS, face some limitations in terms of sharing. While both parties need to have permissions to use Office Scripts within the same Business OneDrive, personal OneDrives will not work. Additionally, Office JS code can be shared if you publish it in the Office Store, but this requires a more complex process. For personal sharing, you would need to send a text file containing the code and guide your client on where to install it.
Seeking Help and Support
When you need assistance with VBA code, you can turn to any Excel forum and have a good chance of getting a useful response. The VBA community is extensive and supportive, making problem-solving easier.
If your question involves Office JS, Microsoft recommends posting it on Stack Exchange with an Office JS tag. Be prepared, as it can be a challenging community, especially for beginners. This site is known for its rigorous questioning and demanding users.
Explaining Your Code to Non-Programmers
When explaining VBA code to non-programming colleagues or bosses, the process is straightforward. Open the VBA Editor using ALT F11, and you can easily share the broad outline of your code. This makes it accessible and understandable to non-tech-savvy individuals.
Office JS, on the other hand, is significantly more complex. It is case-sensitive, unforgiving about punctuation, and riddled with curly braces and unique operators. Unless your colleague or boss has taken a coding course in JavaScript, they will find it challenging to follow the code, make changes, or troubleshoot any errors.
Conclusion
While Office JS has made significant strides in automating Excel tasks, VBA retains its position as a preferred choice for many due to its simplicity, ease of use, and broader capabilities. The overwhelming majority of people continue to use VBA because it is easy to learn, introduces fewer barriers to adoption, and effectively meets the needs of knowledge workers. Office JS, while powerful in its own right, lacks the versatility and ease of deployment that VBA offers.