Power Point® All?in?One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter 5. Automating Tasks with Macros

In This Chapter

• Understanding what a macro is

• Displaying and hiding the Developer tab

• Examining macro security issues

• Running a macro

• Placing a macro button on the Quick Access toolbar

• Installing an add‐in on your computer

This brief chapter explains how macros can make your work a little easier. It describes how to display the Developer tab in the Ribbon and run a macro. It also looks into macro security issues and shows you how to place a macro button on the Quick Access toolbar. You also discover how to install PowerPoint add‐ins on your computer.

What Is a Macro?

A macro is a set of command instructions recorded under a name. When you activate a macro, PowerPoint carries out the instructions in the macro. Macros help automate repetitive and complex tasks. Instead of entering commands yourself, the macro does it for you — and it enters the commands faster and more efficiently. Instead of reaching into several dialog boxes to get the task done, you can run a macro and let the macro do the work.

Not that you necessarily need to know it, but playing a macro involves running command sequences in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), a programming language built into all the major Office applications. Behind the scenes, the application you're working in executes VBA codes when you run a macro.

Unless you want to construct them on your own using VBA code, you can't make your own macros in PowerPoint 2007 (although you can in Word, Excel, Access, ...