This
month's topic: Graphics
Last
Month….
Barry Gilchrist shared with us the mysteries of Visual Basic
for Applications and the whole new world that they can bring
to any application that supports Visual Basic.
So
what is Visual Basic For Applications (VBA)? Well according
to Wikipedia it is an implementation of Microsoft’s event
driven programming language Visual Basic which happens to be
built into most Microsoft Office applications.
As
its name suggests, VBA is closely related to Visual Basic but
can normally only run code within a host application rather
than as a stand alone applications. It can, however, be used
to control one application from another using OLE Automation.
For example, it is used to automatically create a Word report
from Excel data, in turn automatically collected by Excel from
polled observation sensors.
So
there you have it – easy really!!!!
Barry
explained that, Microsoft’s Excel being the most popular
spreadsheet in the world, lends itself extremely well to having
various functions automated. Tasks such as cell formulae, data
lookup functions, string functions, information functions and
summation functions to name a few can be fully automated using
VBA.
But
why? You may ask. Well as Barry explained, once developed as
VBA functions or macros, the whole process can be speeded up
and makes for more ease of use. In fact anything that can be
done with the mouse or keyboard can be almost certainly be recreated
within the spreadsheet using a VBA macro.
One
of the most powerful options is to be able to control other
applications such as Microsoft’s Word to bring data into
the spreadsheet. Barry showed us some simple routines that could
automate some functions within a small Excel document. These
were in the form of operating buttons which operated when clicked
on with the mouse button.
Barry
went on to show us what actually lay behind the button which
is accessed when you go into the design mode in the spreadsheet.
Here you are able to see and modify the source code that makes
the operation tick.
After
a brief discussion round the room regarding the merits of these
VBA macro functions, Barry produced his Piece de Resistance
with a fully automated spreadsheet that is used to check and
test software for his job. The spreadsheet contains some extremely
complex checking VBA macros that are all fully automated within
the spreadsheet and have helped to reduce his testing time dramatically.
Maybe VBA is not for us mere mortals who probably only dabble
with a bit of simple spreadsheet financing, once you get into
more complex scenarios VBA macros could well be the answer.
Our
thanks to Barry for another excellent presentation.
Dave
Robb
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Microsoft
Money
Microsoft
Money
Microsoft
this week announced that it was pulling out of one of its long-time
areas of business and will stop selling its Money software at
the end of the month. They had recently stopped selling yearly
upgrades to the Money Plus product.With banks and websites now
providing a range of options for managing personal finances,
the need for Microsoft Money has changed. After suspending annual
updates of Money in 2008, Microsoft has announced that they
will no longer offer Microsoft Money for purchase after June
30, 2009.
Affected products include Microsoft Money Essentials, Microsoft
Money Plus Deluxe, Microsoft Money Plus Premium, and Microsoft
Money Plus Home & Business. Some features in these products
will continue to work indefinitely, but online services like
share quotes, bill pay, and online banking will stop working
over time.Microsoft says it will support Money Plus product
activations through January 31, 2011, and the products will
continue working until two years after the initial activation.
Money is only the latest software package that Microsoft has
discontinued in recent years, joining Encarta and the Digital
Image Suite in the dustbin.
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Antivirus
Automatic Renewals
Back
in the early days of computing when viruses first started to
appear many people believed that antivirus vendors were writing
and distributing viruses to create a need for their products.
There is of course no proof that this happened but lots of companies
appeared at that time trying to break into the lucrative antivirus
market. Many of those companies disappeared without a trace.
As we all know running a computer without antivirus software
is a recipe for disaster. But now some of the biggest names
in the business are using what I would see as backdoor ways
of extracting money from you.
So, when you buy or renew McAfee software online, you are unwittingly
agreeing to subscribe to McAfee forever. This fact is buried
in the terms of service, and is relevant here in the UK as well
as the US. You have to specifically opt out of this, and you
are most likely going to know about it only after you have been
charged. McAfee specifically says that you agree to automatic
descriptions not by actually agreeing to them, but by "charging
a valid credit card number which you have provided to McAfee".
When you buy or renew online there is no check box for selecting
renewal as an option. There is no confirmation that you have
basically agreed to buy this software for life, even if you
get rid of the computer.
To cancel, you have to go back at a later time. You could pay
for software that you don't need, and you might not know it.
After all if you have multiple computers, you might not know
exactly which licence you are being charged for.
If you are buying or renewing software packages online then
do read all the terms and conditions carefully.
Even if you already have a subscription that is not subject
to the automatic renewal you could still be drawn into this
type of renewal. I recently received an email from McAfee offering
me the option of signing up for this feature.
So why would you not want to take up this option. The first
could well be cost, it can be cheaper to look at an OEM version
of the latest version rather than just carry on with your existing
copy. The second may well be that another software package gives
you much better features. The third is that I just do not like
being forced into taking this type of feature.
Let us know if you have had any experience of this type license
condition and we can passthe information on to other members.
Derek
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2009
Photographic Competition
Here are the subject areas for this year’s competition
Recreation
People
Landscape/Seascape
Street
Life
Melton
Buildings
6.
Flora & Fauna
This
should give you all plenty of time to get out there and start
snapping away. As usual the competition will form the subject
of the December meeting. Good Luck to you all.
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25th
Anniversary Celebration
This year the club celebrates it’s 25th year, we have
discussed at previous meetings and decided that a meal was the
right way to mark this event. The proposed date for this meal
is Wednesday 23rd September. Below is a sample menu, please
let us know if you are interested in attending.
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STARTERS
Leek
& Potato Soup
Prawn Cocktail
A Fan of Melon with Fruits N Coulis
Smoked Mackerel with Creamed Horseradish
Garlic & White Wine Creamy Mushrooms
MAIN COURSES
Braised
Lamb in Redcurrant Jus
Rib Eye Steak Medallions with Prune Sauce (Braised)
Grilled Chicken Fillet with Smoked Ham &
Mozzarella finished with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Salmon with Creamy Prawn & Leek Sauce
Vegetable Stir Fry with Sweet ‘n’ Sour or Black
Bean Sauce
Chicken & Stilton Pasta
Pork Stuffed with Apricots in a Creamy Cider Sauce
SWEETS
A
Selection of Hot & Cold Sweets
COFFEE
OR TEA
£13.95
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