Phillip Jones wrote:
>
> I am going to ask some dumb questions. Of which I am famous for doing.
>
> Why is it so complicated to use the VBA used in PC Office on a Mac?
>
> Is it the mapping of commands, and keyboard shortcuts?
>
> The use of UNIX?
> The PowerPC Processor with is strictly a RISC based Processor, then
> going to an Intel chip with is a combination of both?
>
> I don't need or want a 50 page explanation. Just why is it so
complicated.
>
> VBA sup****t for Mac Office products have been in all versions for me
> back to Excel 5 and Word 6 days. In fact it was so closely matched that
> nasty bugs that could destroy files and hard drives on a PC could do the
> same thing, on a Mac. Reason why it was recommend to turn off VBA based
> Macros by Virus detection software vendors such a Symantec, as far back
> as Word 6 days.
>
Hi Phillip,
The PC version of VBA is designed to use Microsoft Windows. The Windows
operating system addresses the hardware in specific ways. Since Windows
is not on a Mac, VBA will have to be customized to take advantage of
MacOS and how Apple hardware is controlled by software.
It's not just the mapping of commands and keyboard shortcuts. Everything
including window management and the way the screen is drawn is different
on a Mac than a PC. Normally, software is written in something like C++
or C#, then it is converted to low level programs. VBA sometimes has to
interface directly with the hardware to maintain speed (something
notably lacking in previous Mac iterations of VBA).
Whenever you use software that you didn't write yourself you are
trusting the author to not damage your system. No matter what language
is used, as long as it has access to the file system it has the
potential to do bad things. The absolute safest thing to do is to not
run any software at all on your computer. That's downright stupid. It's
equally stupid to brand all software written in a given language as too
dangerous to use and then ban it or bad mouth it. Also stupid is running
any and all software the comes your way regardless of its source.
There are tens of thousands of viruses and other exploits. The vast
majority deal with internet and web technologies, especially web
browsers and email.
I only know of one VBA virus, the ancient Word Macro virus, which was
easy to get rid of simply by deleting the file Normal.dot. There may
have been a couple other viruses written in VBA, but it is hardly
something to get all flustered about.
Having the full file system at the developer's finger tips is a very
valuable thing. Almost every application I write needs to save, open,
and revise do***ents, so this is essential even though it could be used
in bad ways.
-Jim
--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP
MVPs are independent experts who are not affiliated with Microsoft.
http://mvp.sup****t.microsoft.com/
Visit my blog
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-i7JMeio7cqvhotIUwCzaJWq9
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