Practice with Process Automation

To do the homework, you can choose any of the following: [a] work in any of the RRH labs (hint: way easier), or [b] work from home using your own computer, which is technically more challenging.

Task

Using Visual Studio (VS), create a simple EXCEL app. To get ready, watch the virtual lab (vLab) below.
Careful! The example in the video IS NOT the exact solution. This is to force you to think on your own, as opposed to just type what you see in the video.

Criteria

Requirements: your button must be blue and read "Click me!" in white ink.  When pressed, a greeting appears in cell A2: "Hello [yourname]. Great job!"

When you are done, zip the homework and upload it using MyCommSite. Pay attention to zipping and upolading. It is easy to lose points for being careless (e.g., uploading a link rather than the homework).

Note: yes, this first app is rather simple. Do not miss the real goal of this assignment, which is to get you started with the labs, using Visual Studio, and saving to myCommSite. I cannot teach the most interesting topics in the course until everybody has a good grasp of the tools.

Check the HINTS and TIPS below. If you encounter any difficulty, contact me using the Microsoft Teams chat, or email me if Teams is not yet active. We will find a way to get you going quickly.

Hints and Tips

• Oh no! I cannot access myCommSite!
  If you cannot access myCommSite it is probably a password issue or the site has not been activated yet. No big deal. Email me a new desired password: grazioli@virginia.edu
• Oh no! My VS license has expired!
  If VS tells you that the license has expired, there is an easy fix from the good people at the HelpDesk
• Oh no! VS tells me that the "Project cannot be created"!
  If you see an error that tells you that the "project cannot be created" or the button cannot be dragged to the spreadsheet, let me and the helpdesk know. Note which computer you are using if you are in a lab. Try to restart the computer (unplug/replug). Try a different computer.
• Oh no! I do not have the exact same version of VS or Excel as in the video!
  There are several versions of VS and Excel. Do not let minor differences stop you. Use the latest version of VS and Excel that you have available on your computer.
• Oh no! Even after resetting the toolbox window and restarting VS I do not see the controls
  Are you seeing a spreadsheet? If you do not, the controls in the toolbox are not visible. To see the spreadsheet, click on its name (e.g., "Sheet1") on the window on the side of your screen.
• Oh no! I have lost a window...!
  If you 'lose' a window in Visual studio, you can always click the "Window : Reset Window Layout" menu.
• I am about to upload my homework
  Make sure that you exit VS before zipping and uploading.
• Oh no! I cannot zip my homework!
  Do not use 7z.. Instead, Right click > Send to > Compressed zipped folder.    If that does not work, make sure that Visual Studio and all instances of Excel are closed. Press the window icon on the screen, and type task manager. Check that there is no instance of Visual Studio or Excel running.  If you find any, right click and end task for all.
• Where do I save my own copy?
  While you are working, I recommend to save on the desktop.  When you are done, and move your work to R: S: or Box for safekeeping. You might not be able to work on the same computer the next time, but you will always be able to retrieve your work from those remote loacations.
  If you try to develop a project on your S: or R: drive or Box, the program may not work correctly.
  If you use the default location suggested by VS, remember where that is and in any case make a copy. You might not be able to work on the same computer the next time.
• Oh no! My program tells me it is not "trusted"!
  Make the folder where you save your projects a "trusted" location.  Open a blank Excel workbook. Go to  File > Options > Trust Center > Trust center settings > Trusted Locations > Add new location > check the sub-folder option.  You will need to repeat this for all computers on which you work,.
• Oh no! I do not see the file extensions in Windows!
  Sometimes your computer does not show file extensions (e.g., .zip, .vb). To see them, do the following: 1) in windows, open the folder and click the tab “view”, then unclick “hide extensions for known file types."
• Oh no! My program is not running after I zipped for submitting it!
  That is normal. You cannot run a zipped project.  You must unzip it first.