Microsoft VBA is an object-oriented programming environment designed to provide rich development capabilities similar to those of Visual Basic 6 (VB). The main difference between VBA and VB is that VBA runs in the same process space as AutoCAD, providing an AutoCAD-intelligent and very fast programming environment.
VBA also provides application integration with other VBA-enabled applications. This means that AutoCAD, using other application object libraries, can be an Automation controller for other applications such as Microsoft Word or Excel.
The standalone development editions of Visual Basic 6, which must be purchased separately, complement AutoCAD VBA with additional components, such as an external database engine and report-writing capabilities.
There are four advantages to implementing VBA for AutoCAD:
- VBA and its environment are easy to learn and use.
- VBA runs in-process with AutoCAD. This translates to very fast program execution.
- Dialog box construction is quick and effective. This allows developers to prototype applications and quickly receive feedback on designs.
- Projects can be standalone or embedded in drawings. This choice allows developers great flexibility in the distribution of their applications.