Why This Chapter Is Important
One of the richest libraries of programming code functions is supplied by Windows itself. This function library commonly is referred to as the Windows API (Application Programming Interface) . Fortunately, as a VBA programmer, you can tap into the Windows function library by using these built-in Windows functions in your own VBA modules.Furthermore, you might discover other dynamic link libraries (DLLs) that contain functions that would be useful in your applications. These DLLs also are available to you as long as you are properly licensed to use and distribute them.A DLL is a library of procedures that applications can link to and use at runtime. Functions contained in the Windows API and other DLLs can provide your applications with significant, added functionality. It is often much more efficient to use an external DLL to accomplish a task than to attempt to write a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) function to accomplish the same task.