(
Visual
Basic for
Applications) A subset of Visual Basic that provides a common language for customizing Microsoft applications. VBA supports COM, which allows a VBA script to invoke internal functions within Excel, Word and other COM-based programs or to make use of stand-alone, external COM objects. VBA evolved into a common language to consolidate earlier macro and scripting languages. Since 1996, VBA has been licensed to third parties for use in non-Microsoft applications within the Windows environment. Microsoft encourages Windows developers to put VBA support in their software. See
COM,
COM automation and
application programmability.