Editing Microsoft Excel (section)

==== Excel 5.0 (1993) ====
With version 5.0, included in [[Microsoft Office 4.x|Microsoft Office 4.2 and 4.3]], Excel included Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), a programming language based on [[Visual Basic]] which adds the ability to automate tasks in Excel and to provide [[user-defined function]]s (UDF) for use in worksheets. VBA includes a fully featured [[integrated development environment]] (IDE). [[Macro (computer science)|Macro]] recording can produce VBA code replicating user actions, thus allowing simple automation of regular tasks. VBA allows the creation of forms and in‑worksheet controls to communicate with the user. The language supports use (but not creation) of [[Component object model|ActiveX]] ([[Component object model|COM]]) [[Dynamic-Link Library|DLL]]'s; later versions add support for class modules allowing the use of basic [[object-oriented programming]] techniques.

The automation functionality provided by VBA made Excel a target for [[macro virus]]es. This caused serious problems until antivirus products began to detect these viruses. Microsoft belatedly took steps to prevent the misuse by adding the ability to disable macros completely, to enable macros when opening a workbook or to trust all macros signed using a trusted certificate.

Versions 5.0 to 9.0 of Excel contain various [[Easter egg (virtual)|Easter eggs]], including a "Hall of Tortured Souls", a [[Doom (1993 video game)|''Doom'']]-like minigame, although since version&nbsp;10 Microsoft has taken measures to eliminate such undocumented features from their products.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/larryosterman/archive/2005/10/21/483608.aspx|title=Why no Easter Eggs?|first=Larry|last=Osterman|date=October 21, 2005|access-date=July 29, 2006|work=Larry Osterman's WebLog|publisher=MSDN Blogs|archive-date=March 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330065403/http://blogs.msdn.com/larryosterman/archive/2005/10/21/483608.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

5.0 was released in a 16-bit x86 version for Windows 3.1 and later in a 32-bit version for NT 3.51 (x86/Alpha/PowerPC)