Word Document Properties

Parts of a Program
The examples in Chapters 1 and 2 use some physical structure. You can’t
write a program, not even a simple one, without using at least a little struc-
ture because VBA needs that structure to understand what you want it to do.
A VBA user can ignore the structure, but VBA can’t. This chapter formalizes
the meaning for each structural element.
Defining the parts of a program
A 
program
is the highest level of physical structure. It contains everything
needed to perform a given task. A program can cross module, class module,
and form boundaries. (
Modules, class modules,
and 
forms
are special containers
for holding program code. You can save them as individual files for access
later, but Office embeds them within an application document or template
for use.) The concept of a program comes from the earliest use of computers.
A program acts as a container for the code used to implement a set of features
required by the operating system or the user.
Some people have a hard time understanding what a program is because modern
software packages often define the term incorrectly. When you open a copy of
Word, you’re using a 
program.
Conversely, Microsoft Office is a set of programs,
or an 
application suite.
Microsoft Office isn’t a single program; it’s a set of pro-
grams that includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and other individual programs.
Likewise, when you open a copy of Notepad, that’s a program. Notepad and
Word each contain a set of features required by the user to perform a given task.
Programs also extend into other areas of computing. A single device driver
(say, the driver that you installed for your mouse), is a program. The user
interface that helps you configure the mouse is often a separate program.
It’s not part of the device driver even though it controls the device driver’s
actions. When you control Excel from Word, the two programs don’t become
a single unit. You’re still using two programs to accomplish a single task.
Don’t assume that a program equates to a project. (A 
project
is the container
used to hold the embedded modules, class modules, and forms associated
with a given document.) You’re not creating a new program when you create
a new project. A 
VBA project
can actually contain a number of VBA programs.
52