In Excel versions 2010 and 2013, showing the Developer tab is a bit different.

A new Ribbon tab

named File has supplanted the Offi ce button. Use the following steps to make the Developer tab visible:
1. Click the File tab and then click the Options button, as shown in Figure 2-5. The Options
dialog box opens.
FIGURE 2-5

Composing Your First Macro ❘ 15

2. Click the Customize Ribbon item at the left, which displays two vertical lists, as shown in
Figure 2-6. Notice that the list on the right has a drop-down menu above it called Customize
the Ribbon.
FIGURE 2-6
3. Select the Main Tabs item from the Customize the Ribbon drop-down.
4. In the list of Main Tabs, select Developer and click OK. You will see the Developer tab in
your Ribbon, as shown in Figure 2-7.
FIGURE 2-7

16 ❘ LESSON 2 GETTING STARTED WITH MACROS

Using the Macro Recorder
The easiest way to create a macro is to record your worksheet actions using a valuable tool
called the Macro Recorder. All you need to do is turn on the Macro Recorder, perform the
actions that comprise the task you want to automate, and then turn off the Macro Recorder
when you have fi nished your task. While the Macro Recorder is turned on, every action you
do—selecting a cell, entering a number, formatting a range, pretty much everything—is
recorded and represented as VBA code in a new macro. As you see later, when you run the
macro created by the Macro Recorder, your task is completed automatically, just as if you had
done it manually.
The Macro Recorder comes in handy for repetitive (and sometimes mundane) common tasks that
you’d rather not have to keep manually doing over and over. For example, say you manage a table of
data every day, such as the one shown in Figure 2-8, that shows how many items your company sold
in its East, West, North, and South regions.