VBA or C

I'll be doing S&T at a BB this summer and I've been told by a lot of people that if I picked up some programming skills, I would be ahead of the learning curve as an intern. However, some have said to learn C and take that knowledge to help learn VBA when I'm there, and others have said just to learn VBA for Excel straight up. I did some Java in hs, so I could transition to C easily, but I'm more inclined just to go straight to VBA. Any opinions on this?

 

If you learn C++ or C#, VBA comes with ease. Its basically a simpler version with some additional features. Only new things you really need to learn are application-specific functionality.

BTW, definitely go for C++ or C# and not C. The functionality is just so much better, particularly with respects to data manipulation and class creation.

Jack: They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off from that economic crisis that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have zero real world skills, but God they work hard. -30 Rock
 

Yea, I'll probably just go straight to VBA. But like you guys said, I've been told the transition from C++ to VBA is really easy and I should just do C++. Anyone who knows both languages have some insight?

 
Best Response

Background: I have pretty deep experience in VB(through VB6), VB.NET (through v2005, haven't had occasion to need 2008 yet), and VBA (in Excel). Also have some light experience in C++ and C#, some things I did required a level of control that VB couldn't give me.

The main advantage of learning C++ is that VB* languages give you 'bad' programing habits if they're your first major language. But you already have Java, so that's not really a concern; also, the syntax of Java and C++ is very similar, while VB is a bit more natural IMHO. C++ is a lot more powerful if you really get into it, but the learning curve is a lot steeper than VB. So unless you intend to go into programming as a career (maybe as a quant?), there's no real benefit of putting yourself through the steep curve of C++ if you're just going to use VBA to make your life easier.

Hope that helps.

 
dacarez:
Background: I have pretty deep experience in VB(through VB6), VB.NET (through v2005, haven't had occasion to need 2008 yet), and VBA (in Excel). Also have some light experience in C++ and C#, some things I did required a level of control that VB couldn't give me.

The main advantage of learning C++ is that VB* languages give you 'bad' programing habits if they're your first major language. But you already have Java, so that's not really a concern; also, the syntax of Java and C++ is very similar, while VB is a bit more natural IMHO. C++ is a lot more powerful if you really get into it, but the learning curve is a lot steeper than VB. So unless you intend to go into programming as a career (maybe as a quant?), there's no real benefit of putting yourself through the steep curve of C++ if you're just going to use VBA to make your life easier.

Hope that helps.

As someone that knows C++, Java and VBA - what he said.

  • Capt K
- Capt K - "Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
 

Yeah, I would tend to agree with most other people, probably just go straight to VBA. It can't hurt to have C++ experience though.

Jack: They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off from that economic crisis that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have zero real world skills, but God they work hard. -30 Rock
 

Having spent a significant time during my HS and college days programing (I got lazy in a number of my math classes and programmed solvers in various languages, depending on my need), I've learned how to code in a number of languages. I've studied C, C++, Java, VB, Perl (goes hand and hand with learning SH scripting for Linux and Unix) and a few others with limited applications.

That said, if you learned some Java in HS, you should be able to best transition to C++. I found that the move was pretty easy, in that I went from one style of bloated object oriented programming to another OO-style language with a much more elegant language. Java and C/C++ have very similar styles of syntax and functionality, meaning that if you understand one, you can learn both languages move from one to the other fairly quickly. Additionally, C/C++ serves as the foundation for most programing. IF you want to do Quant related trading, knowing C/C++ will make your life much easier. If you don't plan to be a Quant, VBA doesn't hurt at all.

It's nice, but I can't stand it. IF you were taught good habits of coding (like comment everywhere... you'd be surprised how many people don't comment at all), VB and VBA will be a nightmare when you look at good coding practices. It's significantly more bloated than JAVA, but is more intuitive for someone without significant coding experience to learn on. It also can make excel a bit easier to use for some people.

Also, avoid the Dummies Guide, they are god awful. I would highly recommend picking anything by Deitel and Deitel. Those were the books I found most useful to teach myself coding, plus they are a great reference to have, since the examples they use are pretty good for most entry level coders. It's how I taught myself Perl and XML. I also have copies of their Java book and C++ book if I ever need a refresher.

 

Dolorem maiores et culpa illum soluta aspernatur deleniti. Est odio tenetur eos corporis dicta non. Est distinctio cumque ex minus. Doloribus iusto architecto molestiae hic rerum illum. Aliquam assumenda soluta fuga sapiente eos ex.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”