You cannot completely eliminate bugs in your programs, but
there are a few tips that will help you keep them to a minimum
Use an Option
Explicit at the beginning of your module - Doing so will require that you
define the data type for every variable that you use. It's a bit more work, but
you'll avoid the common error of misspelling a variable name.. And there's a
nice side benefit: Your routines will often run faster.
Format your code with
indentation - Using indentation to delineate code segments is quite
helpful. If you have several nested For...Next loops, for example, consistent
indentation will make it much easier to keep track of them all.
Be careful with On
Error Resume Next - This statement causes Excel to ignore any errors and
continue. In some cases, using this statement will cause Excel to ignore errors
that shouldn't be ignored. Your may have bugs and not even realize it.
Use lots of comments
- Nothing is more frustrating than revisiting code that you wrote six months
ago - and not having a clue as to how it works. Adding a few comments to
describe your logic can save you lots of time down the road.
Keep your subroutines
and functions simple - Writing your code in smaller modules, each of which
has a single, well-defined purpose, makes it much easier to debug them.
Use the macro
recorder to help you identify properties and methods - If I can't remember
the name or syntax of a property or method, it's often quicker to simply record
a macro and look at the recorded code.
Consider a different
approach - If you're having trouble getting a particular routine to work
correctly, you might want to scrap the idea and try something completely
different. In most cases, Excel offers several alternative methods of
accomplishing the same thing.
Understand Excel's
debugger - Although it can be a bit daunting at first, you'll find that
Excel's debugger is an excellent tool. Invest some time and get to know it.
