Difference between Macro code and VBA?

[danny2000]

Hi

I'm very hazy as to whether there is a difference between macro code and vba. Surely if you use an event handling procedure such as clicking a command button it could triger normal vba code in that procedure. Does Access record something different when you just use the wizard (in terms of the code) or is there no difference?

Every book just jumps right in without explaining this.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

danny2000

[RuralGuy]

Not real sure about your question but the big differences are that code if far more flexible and extensible and allows for error handling.

[danny2000]

Not real sure about your question but the big differences are that code if far more flexible and extensible and allows for error handling.

Thanks. I just don't understand when I'm 1 - creating a macro and what does that macro code look like. Does it use the same syntax as VBA? If it does, why would there be an option to convert it to VBA?

2 - Can you confirm that a macro is created when you access the properties of a control in design view.

Thanks
danny2000

[RuralGuy]

2 - Can you confirm that a macro is created when you access the properties of a control in design view.

Only when that is what you want it to do.

[don94403]

when I'm creating a macro and what does that macro code look like. Does it use the same syntax as VBA? If it does, why would there be an option to convert it to VBA?

No, macros and VBA are totally independent of each other and share almost no syntax.

VBA is a programming language, derived from Visual Basic. Macros are technically not programming, they are a simplified way to string together sequential commands.

Many of the same operations can be done either by using a macro or writing a VBA procedure, so it's usually possible to convert a macro into an equivalent VBA procedure, but the reverse is generally not possible, since a fully featured programming language can do a lot that macros cannot.

Can you confirm that a macro is created when you access the properties of a control in design view.

I don't really understand your question. Certainly the direct answer is No.

[danny2000]

Thanks everyone. I think I understand now.
When I look at a macro created when I access the properties of a control and look at the code created by that macro it looks similar to VBA.

I was really just trying to understand what we are converting it to when we use the Convert to VBA function in access. At a glance the code looked similar if not almost the same.

Thanks again for coming back.

danny2000

[don94403]

Thanks everyone. I think I understand now.
When I look at a macro created when I access the properties of a control and look at the code created by that macro it looks similar to VBA.

I was really just trying to understand what we are converting it to when we use the Convert to VBA function in access. At a glance the code looked similar if not almost the same.

Thanks again for coming back.

danny2000

Oh, I think I now see what you are referring to. Those are not and never were macros. That is 100% VBA, perhaps created by a wizard, but not a macro, which is something entirely different. Macros are created by opening the Macros tab in the Database Window and entering macro commands on successive lines. This has no relation to VBA and event procedures.