Create user defined functions in Excel 2007

[AbhayD]

I am having Microsoft Office 2007 on my Windows Vista computer. I am currently working on creating a macro in Excel. Since I new to macros and also to coding I need some help in creating a custom user defined functions rather than using the pre-defined functions available in Excel. Can you help me how to create the user defined functions in Excel?

[sergioKomic]

A macro is nothing but a series of commands and functions that are used to perform a specific task. A macro can be called by either manually or when an event occurs. You can create your own functions based on your requirements using inbuilt formulas in Excel. A user defined function always begins with "FUNCTION" keyword.

[ThoMas321]

Here are the steps for creating User Defined Functions in Excel 2007:

1. Open up a new workbook.
2. Get into VBA (Press [Alt] + F11)
3. Insert a new module (Insert -> Module)
4. Define your function and determine what all things it should do when it is called
5. Get out of VBA (Press [Alt] + Q)
6. Use the functions (You will find it in the Paste Function dialog box, [Shift] + F3, under the "User Defined" category)

[Gunilla]

Limitations of user defined functions (UDF) in Excel 2007

It can be sealed but cannot be abstract, internal, or private. It must have a parameterless, public constructor. The UDF method must be thread-safe. The UDF method must also have a supported return type (Numeric types: Double, Single, Int32, UInt32, Int16, UInt16, Byte, Sbyte; String; Boolean; Object arrays: one- or two-dimensional arrays; DateTime; Object). A UDF method cannot have:

• ref or out parameters
• retval attributes
• Optional arguments
• unsupported data types

You cannot "record" an Excel UDF like you can do with an Excel macro.