excel vba for creative problem solving part 1 solutions

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1

About this course.

"Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1" is aimed at learners who are seeking to augment, expand, optimize, and increase the efficiency of their Excel spreadsheet skills by tapping into the powerful programming, automation, and customization capabilities available with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). This course is the first part of a three-part series and Specialization that focuses on the application of computing techniques in Excel/VBA to solve problems. In this course (Part 1), you will: 1) create macros to automate procedures in Excel; 2) define your own user-defined functions; 3) create basic subroutines to interface with the user; 4) learn the basic programming structures in VBA; and 5) automate Excel’s Goal Seek and Solver tools and use numerical techniques to create “live solutions” to solve targeting and optimization problems. New to computer programming? The extremely intuitive and visual nature of VBA lends itself nicely to teaching and learning - what a fun way to learn to code! No prior knowledge in programming nor advanced math skills are necessary yet seasoned programmers will pick up new and creative spreadsheet problem solving strategies. After you have learned the basics of VBA, each module will introduce foundational and broad problems inspired by situations that you might encounter in the real world. To pass each module, you'll need to pass a mastery quiz and complete a problem solving assignment. This course is unique in that the weekly assignments are completed in-application (i.e., on your own computer in Excel), providing you with valuable hands-on training.

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Excel/vba for creative problem solving, part 3 (projects).

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1

Course summary, key learning points.

• Learn how to program in VBA and automate repetitive tasks in Excel
• Discover how to use VBA to manipulate and analyze data
• Solve real-world problems using VBA and Excel

Related Topics for further study

• Data Analysis
• Problem-solving

Learning Outcomes

• Ability to program in VBA and automate repetitive tasks
• Proficiency in data analysis and manipulation using VBA and Excel
• Solving real-world problems using VBA and Excel

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

• Intermediate knowledge of Excel
• Basic knowledge of programming concepts

Course Difficulty Level

Course format.

• Online Self-paced
• Video Lectures
• Hands-on Projects

Similar Courses

• Excel VBA for Financials
• Excel VBA for Business Analytics

Related Education Paths

• Microsoft Office Specialist Certification
• Data Analysis Certification

Notable People in This Field

• Excel Campus

Related Books

• Excel VBA Programming for Dummies
• Excel VBA and Macros: with Excel Power Programming

Description

"Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1" is aimed at learners who are seeking to augment, expand, optimize, and increase the efficiency of their Excel spreadsheet skills by tapping into the powerful programming, automation, and customization capabilities available with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

This course is the first part of a three-part series and Specialization that focuses on the application of computing techniques in Excel/VBA to solve problems. In this course (Part 1), you will: 1) create macros to automate procedures in Excel; 2) define your own user-defined functions; 3) create basic subroutines to interface with the user; 4) learn the basic programming structures in VBA; and 5) automate Excel’s Goal Seek and Solver tools and use numerical techniques to create “live solutions” to solve targeting and optimization problems. New to computer programming? The extremely intuitive and visual nature of VBA lends itself nicely to teaching and learning - what a fun way to learn to code! No prior knowledge in programming nor advanced math skills are necessary yet seasoned programmers will pick up new and creative spreadsheet problem solving strategies. After you have learned the basics of VBA, each module will introduce foundational and broad problems inspired by situations that you might encounter in the real world. To pass each module, you'll need to pass a mastery quiz and complete a problem solving assignment. This course is unique in that the weekly assignments are completed in-application (i.e., on your own computer in Excel), providing you with valuable hands-on training.

• Macro recording, VBA procedures, and debugging
• What can you do with Excel/VBA?
• Is this course for you?
• How the course works
• How to Switch Sessions of the Course
• Week 1 preview
• Getting your feet wet
• Saving your files as macro-enabled workbooks
• Recording basic macros
• Absolute vs. relative referencing during macro recording
• Overview of procedures in VBA
• Why use Option Explicit?
• Declaration of variables, data types, and scope of variables
• How to troubleshoot when your code is not working properly
• Assignment 1 preview and instructions
• For Mac users
• The power of Excel/VBA
• The importance of a Course Certificate and the future of higher education
• Auditing the course vs. purchasing a Course Certificate
• For business and finance folks
• Course improvement and my philosophy on learning
• If an assignment is not showing up for you
• VBA Tutorial
• Need to improve your Excel skills?
• Quiz 1 solutions and explanations
• Assignment 1
• Week 1 Quiz
• Assignment 1 Submission
• User-Defined VBA Functions
• Week 2 preview
• How to write basic VBA expressions and use built-in functions
• How to make your own user-defined function
• Example of a user-defined function
• How to convert a user-defined function to an Excel Add-In
• Borrowing Excel functions
• How to troubleshoot your user defined functions
• Why you don't use input and message boxes in functions
• An introduction to modular programming
• Running a subroutine that resides in another file
• Assignment 2 preview and instructions
• Quiz 2 solutions and explanations
• Assignment 2
• Week 2 Quiz
• Assignment 2 submission
• Exchanging Information Between Excel and VBA
• Week 3 preview
• Introduction to objects, properties, methods, and events
• Common objects, properties, and methods
• Examples, Part 1: Basic input and output in subroutines
• Examples, Part 2: Basic input and output in subroutines
• Examples, Part 3: Basic input and output in subroutines
• How to handle basic user error in your subroutines
• Assignment 3 preview and instructions
• Remember to use your DEBUGGING skills!
• Quiz 3 solutions and explanations
• Assignment 3
• Week 3 Quiz
• Assignment 3 submission
• Programming structures in VBA
• Week 4 preview
• How to implement One-Way If...Then selection structures
• How to implement Two-Way If...Then selection structures
• All about the Multi-Alternative If...Then
• Variable iteration loops (Do...Loops)
• Validating user input using a Do...Loop
• Creating a guessing game using a Do...Loop
• All about fixed iteration (For...Next) loops
• Putting it all together: Example 1
• Putting it all together: Example 2
• Using the For Each... Next statement
• Worked mini-project: Searching through high and low temperatures in an Excel workbook
• (OPTIONAL) Advanced input validation and error handling: Part 1
• (OPTIONAL) Advanced input validation and error handling: Part 2
• Assignment 4 preview and instructions
• Quiz 4 solutions and explanations
• Assignment 4
• Week 4 Quiz
• Assignment 4 submission
• (OPTIONAL) Numerical techniques and live solution strategies
• Week 5 preview
• How to use the Goal Seek and Solver tools to solve targeting problems
• How to solve optimization problems using the Solver tool
• Fuel tank example and limitations of the Goal Seek and Solver Tools
• Automating the Goal Seek and Solver Tools
• Circular Calculations in Excel
• Implementing the bisection method in Excel
• Implementing a live solution of the bisection method to solve a case study
• Using the Golden Section search technique for optimization problems in Excel
• Live solution of the Golden Search technique for solving an optimization problem
• Solving a case study for friction factor using a circular calculation
• Implementing targeting and optimization algorithms in VBA subroutines
• Bisection method in a VBA function
• Preview of Part 2 of the course
• Assignment 5 preview and instructions
• Week 5 is optional, but you can earn Honors designation
• Course wrap-up and I'd love to see what you are doing with VBA!
• Consider rating the course
• Quiz 5 solutions and explanations
• Assignment 5
• Week 5 Quiz
• Assignment 5 submission

Summary of User Reviews

Key aspect users liked about this course, pros from user reviews.

• Comprehensive coverage of Excel VBA programming and creative problem-solving techniques
• Practical approach with real-world examples and exercises
• Instructor provides clear explanations and helpful tips throughout the course

Cons from User Reviews

• Some users found the pace of the course to be too slow
• A few users felt that the course could have been more challenging
• Several users experienced technical issues with the course platform
• The course may not be suitable for advanced Excel users who are already familiar with VBA programming

Charlie NuttelmanTop Instructor

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This course is the first part of a three-part series and Specialization that focuses on the application of computing techniques in Excel/VBA to solve problems....

Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 2

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 3 (Projects)

In this course, learners will complete several VBA projects. This course builds off of skills learned in those two courses. This is a project-based course....

Everyday Excel, Part 3 (Projects)

"Everyday Excel, Part 3 (Projects)" is a continuation of "Everyday Excel, Parts 1 and 2". Introduction and General Course Information Course Overview and Introduction...

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Help Needed: Excel VBA For Creative Problem Solving Part 1 Assignment 4

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Assignment 4 - STARTER.xlsm Problem Statement: INSTRUCTIONS: In the "Assignment 4 - STARTER.xlsm" file, you will find information for a bunch of batches from a certain process. Column A contains the Batch ID, Column B contains the production date, and Column C contains the ship date. The Batch ID has a two-digit code to the left of the hyphen and a 3- or 4-digit code to the right of the hyphen. The first letter of the Batch ID is known as the Identifier and the leading number of the 3- or 4-digit code to the right of the hyphen is known as the Key. For example, in the Batch ID "N9-363B", the Identifier is "N" and the Key is 3. Your goal is to create a subroutine that allows the user to select the Identifier from a drop-down menu in cell F2 and the Key from a drop-down menu in cell F3 (these drop-down/data validation menus are already available in the starter file) and any rows of the data (columns A, B, and C) whose Batch ID meets those criteria will be highlighted GREEN. The RUN button is linked to the HighlightRows subroutine in the starter file. The RESET button is already linked to the Reset subroutine in the starter file so please do not modify it. When run, the RESET button (or Reset sub) will remove any fill color/highlighting from anywhere on the "Data" sheet. However, it will not remove any additional rows that you may add, so be sure to reset the data (by copying/pasting) present in the "Original Data" tab if you add or change any of the original data. IMPORTANT: Also contained within the starter file are 3 additional procedures: 1) a sub called Example, 2) a function called Identifier, and 3) a function called Key. The Identifier function takes as an argument a Batch ID and outputs the Identifier. The Key function takes as an argument a Batch ID and outputs the Key. I encourage you to utilize these functions within your HighlightRows sub - you can see how to use these two functions in the Example sub. Requirements: 1) When a match is found in a row, all three columns of data (columns A, B, and C) must be highlighted green. 2) "Green" refers to the interior color index equal to 4. For example, Range("A1").Interior.ColorIndex = 4 would color cell A1 green. The grader file is specifically looking for this ColorIndex! If you color the cells a different shade of green, it won't pass the grader! 3) When additional rows are added to the data (for example, in row 27 and beyond), your sub should automatically detect the size of data (number of rows) and adjust accordingly. Hints I would recommend using the Range approach to working with data arrays such as this. See the screencast "Iterating through a Selection vs. a Range" and pay close attention to the approach using Range instead of Selection. Note that in the starter file, cell F2 has been named "identifier" and cell F3 has been named "key". Could someone help me out with the problem above and screenshot your code in your VBEditor?

Last edited by webcam723; 05-01-2023 at 11:35 AM .

Re: Excel VBA For Creative Problem Solving Part 1 Assignment 4

Did you have an excel question?

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Can you help me out with the assignment above and screenshot your code in the VBEditor? I am totally stuck and unsure how to begin.

What have you tried? Nothing is more frustrating than to be working on homework and to get stuck. Without guidance, you might have no hope of finishing the assignment before the deadline. The Internet can be a big help in that respect, but without learning how to get the right answer, asking others to solve your homework questions for you simply becomes a downward spiral (and it's cheating). We do not want to contribute to you cheating yourself out of your education, but we also acknowledge that seeking assistance to learn a concept is a legitimate request. If you are genuinely interested in receiving help in the form of tutoring or coaching, then please rephrase the title of your original post to clearly indicate you are seeking coaching or tutoring help. Any forum members (who are willing to assist as a tutor) will modify their responses accordingly to facilitate your learning. Tutors don't tell you the answers, they help you figure it out for yourself; so don't expect answers, expect suggestions, or just plain hints. Also, be specific in describing the function/formula or technique you trying to learn, and tell us what you have attempted so far. Otherwise, expect your plea for homework answers to be ignored.

Trevor Shuttleworth - Retired Excel/VBA Consultant I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned 'Being unapologetic means never having to say you're sorry' John Cooper Clarke

Re: Help Needed: Excel VBA For Creative Problem Solving Part 1 Assignment 4

Attachment 827689 This is what I've got so far. There is still something missing in the code.

You missed nesting your if statement Please Login or Register to view this content. new Clipboard(".copy2clipboard",{target:function(a){for(;a ? a.getAttribute?a.getAttribute?!/bbcode_description/.test(a.getAttribute("class")):null:null:null;)a=a.parentNode;for(var b=a.nextElementSibling;b?!b.classList.contains("bbcode_code"):null;)b=b.nextElementSibling;return b}}); Probably start your loop at row 2 Please Login or Register to view this content. new Clipboard(".copy2clipboard",{target:function(a){for(;a ? a.getAttribute?a.getAttribute?!/bbcode_description/.test(a.getAttribute("class")):null:null:null;)a=a.parentNode;for(var b=a.nextElementSibling;b?!b.classList.contains("bbcode_code"):null;)b=b.nextElementSibling;return b}}); The you don't have to add 1 to the color row Please Login or Register to view this content. new Clipboard(".copy2clipboard",{target:function(a){for(;a ? a.getAttribute?a.getAttribute?!/bbcode_description/.test(a.getAttribute("class")):null:null:null;)a=a.parentNode;for(var b=a.nextElementSibling;b?!b.classList.contains("bbcode_code"):null;)b=b.nextElementSibling;return b}}); I edited the Key function, you are looking for the 4th character. Please Login or Register to view this content. new Clipboard(".copy2clipboard",{target:function(a){for(;a ? a.getAttribute?a.getAttribute?!/bbcode_description/.test(a.getAttribute("class")):null:null:null;)a=a.parentNode;for(var b=a.nextElementSibling;b?!b.classList.contains("bbcode_code"):null;)b=b.nextElementSibling;return b}});

Last edited by davesexcel; 05-02-2023 at 09:23 AM .

Attachment 827763 Sub HighlightRows() 'Place your code here Dim nr As Integer, I As Integer, ID As String, key As Integer nr = WorksheetFunction.CountA(Columns("A:A")) For I = 2 To nr ID = Range("A2:A" & nr) If Identifier(ID) = Range("identifier") And key(ID) = Range("key") Then Range("A" & I & ":" & "C" & I).Interior.ColorIndex = 4 End If Next I End Sub Is this correct?

Last edited by webcam723; 05-02-2023 at 07:21 AM .

Did it work?

Hi Dave! Sorry but it did not work. I keep getting "compile error expected array".

You need to tell it what ID is. Please Login or Register to view this content. new Clipboard(".copy2clipboard",{target:function(a){for(;a ? a.getAttribute?a.getAttribute?!/bbcode_description/.test(a.getAttribute("class")):null:null:null;)a=a.parentNode;for(var b=a.nextElementSibling;b?!b.classList.contains("bbcode_code"):null;)b=b.nextElementSibling;return b}});

Last edited by LPT4N; 08-24-2023 at 10:36 PM .

Hi all, Can someone to provide me with a to solve the assignment #4? My subroutine as follows: Sub HighlightRows() Dim nr As Integer, i As Integer, identifier As String, key As Integer nr = WorksheetFunction.CountA(Columns("A:A")) - 1 For i = 1 To nr If identifier(Range("A" & i + 1)) = Range("identifier") And key(Range("A" & i + 1)) = Range("key") Then Range("A:C" & i).Interior.ColorIndex = 4 End If Next i End Sub Not sure why "expected array" error pops up. Please, I just want an "advice" , not a complete fix. Thanks in advance PS: fairly new with VBA by the way

Administrative Note: Welcome to the forum. We are happy to help, however whilst you feel your request is similar to this thread, experience has shown that things soon get confusing when answers refer to particular cells/ranges/sheets which are unique to your post and not relevant to the original. Please see Forum Rule #1 about hijacking and start a new thread for your query. If you are not familiar with how to start a new thread see the FAQ: How to start a new thread

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1

This course is a part of Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, a 3-course Specialization series from Coursera.

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recommend this course in 13 reviews

I would highly recommend this course for a fairly wide range of experience levels.

I strongly recommend this course to those who have no VBA experience and want to learn VBA.

I recommend this course to everyone in business life.

Highly recommend this course to anyone seeking to learn how to start using VBA.

Since I am an engineer and enjoy numerical methods I especially like this and would enjoy a course that might be described as “Numerical Recipes in VBA” .I would recommend this course to novices seeking an introduction through to experienced users wanting a deeper understanding and foundation for future work in VBA for Excel.

I would recommend this course for anyone looking for an introduction to VBA.

True learning beyond getting certs, I would strongly recommend this course.

I would highly recommend this course to anybody who is looking for the opportunity to learn VBA and enhance Excel skills.

I really liked this course, it taught me a lot of things I dind´t know and that will be very useful for my professional development.Thank you very much I recommend this course to everyone.

I highly recommend this course.

I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to dig into Excel VBA.

I would highly recommend this course to my friends!

highly recommended in 13 reviews

Highly recommended!

The deduction of 1 star is because I wish I can get the PPT available to download :) Still highly recommended for this course!

But all things considered, highly recommended.

This course is highly recommended to anyone who wishes to leverage their excel and VBA skills.

Highly recommended to anyone using Excel/VBA on a daily basis.

Highly recommended.

Highly recommended for beginners This course is beyond expectations, and helps refreshing some math methods.

Highly Recommended!

learnt a lot and the quizzes and little questions at the end of the videos are really help ful Highly recommended for everyone who want to start programming, be it for professional reasons or just for the sake of learning.

easy to follow in 9 reviews

Yet easy to follow.

Course with (i) an excellent organization (starts with the basics and evolves to more advanced topics); (ii) easy to follow videos (concise instructor with practical examples); and (iii) challenging quizzes and assignments, that apply VBA to real world problems.

Well explained and easy to follow.

The instruction by Prof. Nuttelman is extremely fluid and easy to follow, even for the most complex concepts presented in this course.

very clear instruction and easy to follow.covered many topics of VBA, very useful in my daily work.

Videos are easy to follow.

Very easy to follow but I have the content I was looking for to get me started.

Very informative and easy to follow.

looking forward in 12 reviews

I'm looking forward to Part 2.

I am looking forward to part 2.

Looking forward to the remaining course!

I loved the part 1 of the course, looking forward for the next ones!

Looking forward for Part 2 and Part 3.

Looking forward to seeing this specialization through.

I am looking forward to Prof. Nuttelman’s second Excel/VBA course.

Very much looking forward to the next part!

I'm looking forward to part II.

Looking forward to taking Parts 2 and 3.

right away in 5 reviews

The best part is I can apply the skills learner here right away!

I could start using right away what i've learned in real life problems.

I'm now equipped to go ahead and apply the concepts learnt from this course right away.

The only minus part is that for a few parts in the course, sometimes the instructor have misread or mistype few information, although it was covered right away with correction marks.

dr. nuttelman in 5 reviews

Dr. Nuttelman was also very responsive.

I sent it to Dr. Nuttelman and he was able to look over my code and point out the problem.

Even though there is an engineering bias in the course, and I don't have an engineering background, Dr. Nuttelman ensures you'll have enough explanation to follow along and complete assignments.Dr.

The reason that content was not presented is that Dr. Nuttelman simply does not know the answer to that question, as his background is in academia and engineering.

Really appreciate the active engagement from Dr. Nuttelman and other moderators on the forum who gave excellent advice.

An overview of related careers and their average salaries in the US. Bars indicate income percentile.

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Brucewuzhang/excel-vba-for-creative-problem-solving-part-II

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

>>CLICK HERE TO GO TO COURSERA

Optimize Your Excel Spreadsheets With VBA. Learn how to automate your Excel spreadsheets with Visual Basic for Applications

Learners will complete one easy project (chosen from two potential projects), one intermediate project (chosen from two potential projects), and a third, required Monte Carlo simulation project (intermediate in difficulty). Projects include: Real-Time Currency Converter, Geography Toolbox, Ultimate Organizer, Regression Toolbox, Monte Carlo Simulation, and Grade Manager.

No prior experience required.

“Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1” is aimed at learners who are seeking to augment, expand, optimize, and increase the efficiency of their Excel spreadsheet skills by tapping into the powerful programming, automation, and customization capabilities available with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

This course is the first part of a three-part series and Specialization that focuses on the application of computing techniques in Excel/VBA to solve problems. In this course (Part 1), you will: 1) create macros to automate procedures in Excel; 2) define your own user-defined functions; 3) create basic subroutines to interface with the user; 4) learn the basic programming structures in VBA; and 5) automate Excel’s Goal Seek and Solver tools and use numerical techniques to create “live solutions” to solve targeting and optimization problems.

New to computer programming? The extremely intuitive and visual nature of VBA lends itself nicely to teaching and learning – what a fun way to learn to code! No prior knowledge in programming nor advanced math skills are necessary yet seasoned programmers will pick up new and creative spreadsheet problem solving strategies.

After you have learned the basics of VBA, each module will introduce foundational and broad problems inspired by situations that you might encounter in the real world. To pass each module, you’ll need to pass a mastery quiz and complete a problem solving assignment. This course is unique in that the weekly assignments are completed in-application (i.e., on your own computer in Excel), providing you with valuable hands-on training.

“Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 2” builds off of knowledge and skills obtained in “Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1” and is aimed at learners who are seeking to augment, expand, optimize, and increase the efficiency of their Excel spreadsheet skills by tapping into the powerful programming, automation, and customization capabilities available with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

In Part 2 of the course, learners will: 1) learn how to work with arrays and import/export arrays from/to Excel using VBA code; 2) learn how to work with text strings and write data to .txt files and import information from .txt files; 3) automate the import, modification, and consolidation of information from multiple worksheets into a central worksheet as well as the import of information from multiple workbooks to a central workbook; and 4) gain experience with creating professional user forms to interface with the user, perform advanced calculations, and manipulate data on the spreadsheet.

Learners who have a foundational understanding of VBA code and programming structures can jump right into Part 2 of the course without taking Part 1 and use the screencasts in Part 1 as reference.

Each module will introduce foundational and broad problems inspired by situations that you might encounter in the real world. To pass each module, you’ll need to pass a mastery quiz and complete a problem solving assignment. This course is unique in that the weekly assignments are completed in-application (i.e., on your own computer in Excel), providing you with valuable hands-on training.

In this course, learners will complete several VBA projects. It is highly recommended that learners first take “Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1” and “Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 2”. This course builds off of skills learned in those two courses. This is a project-based course. Therefore, the projects are quite open-ended and there are multiple ways to solve the problems. Through the use of Peer Review, other learners will grade learners’ projects based on a grading rubric.

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Can I take the course for free?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

How long does it take to complete the Specialization?

Part 1 takes 5 weeks, Part 2 takes 4 weeks, and Part 3 takes 3-4 weeks. However, many learners who can devote more time to the coursework have completed the courses at an accelerated pace.

What background knowledge is necessary?

The course is designed for those without a programming background. It will greatly help if you have a knowledge of basic algebra and at least a foundational/introductory knowledge of Microsoft Excel.

Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?

Yes, it is strongly recommended that learners take the three courses in sequential order.

Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?

At this time the University of Colorado Boulder does not offer a for-credit version of the Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization.

What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?

After completing this Specialization, you will be competent and confident in using VBA to manipulate data in Excel spreadsheets, implement user forms to professionally interact with users, and have a strong foundation in programming skills.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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