VBA & Macros

Good macro candidates:

• Same footer/header on dozens of similar .docx files
• Apply standard style cleanup to imported legacy docs
• Insert standard boilerplate block

Bad candidates:

• One-off formatting → use styles
• Complex layout decisions → human judgment
• Anything you do not understand on a shared network — security risk

Developer → Record Macro → name (no spaces) → store in Current Document or All Documents (Normal.dotm) for global → perform steps → Stop Recording.

Developer → Macros → Run replays steps. Assign to button on Quick Access Toolbar for daily tasks.

Macro security: Developer → Macro Security — only enable trusted locations; never run unknown macros from email.

Developer → Visual Basic → Modules → double-click module.

Recorded code looks like:

Selection.TypeText Text:="Northgate Academy"

You do not need to master VBA to change literal text, loop files, or comment out one bad line. Read top to bottom — it is the clicks you performed, in order.

Object model basics: Document (whole file), Selection (cursor highlight), Range (start/end positions), Paragraph, Table. Macros manipulate these objects — same things you touch manually.

For Each loop through documents in a folder — batch footer update.

If statement — skip files already containing footer text.

UserForms — dialog boxes for advanced tools; not required for James's first macro.

Start with record → read → change one string → run on copy.