Class (Static) Methods in VBA

Class (Static) Methods in VBA: Easy Solutions to a Common Problem 💪

Are you struggling with creating class methods in VBA? You know, those methods that can be called without having an object of the class? Well, buckle up, because we're about to dive into the world of static methods in VBA! 🚀

In languages like C++ and Java, you can simply use the 'static' keyword to create these handy class methods. But in VBA, it's not as straightforward. However, fear not! We have the solution you've been looking for. 😉

Let's take a look at an example:

' Classmodule Person
Option Explicit
Private m_name As String

Public Property Let name(name As String)
    m_name = name
End Property

Public Function sayHello() As String
    Debug.Print "Hi, I am " & m_name & "!"
End Function

' --- How to make the following method static? ---
Public Function Create(name As String) As Person
    Dim p As New Person
    p.m_name = name
    Set Create = p
End Function

' Using Person
Dim p As New Person
p.name = "Bob"
p.sayHello ' Works as expected
Set p2 = Person.Create("Bob") ' Yields an error

🔎 The Problem

As you can see, we have a Person class with a Create method that we want to make static. When we try to call the Create method without instantiating an object of the Person class, we encounter an error.

💡 The Solution

To make your VBA class method static and accessible without an object, you'll need to employ a clever workaround using a regular module. Here's how you do it:

1. In your VBA project, insert a new module by clicking on Insert > Module.

2. Inside the new module, declare a function with the same name as your class method and specify the return type as the class type you want to create. In this case, it's the Person class.

   Public Function Create(name As String) As Person

3. Next, create an instance of the class and set it to the function name. Then, you can call the instance's original method.

   Set Create = New Person Create.name = name

4. Finally, you can now use your static method by calling it like any other regular function.

   Set p2 = Create("Bob") ' Works like magic! 🎩✨

And that's it! By utilizing this workaround, you can create class methods in VBA that behave like static methods. 🙌

📣 Reader Engagement: Share Your Thoughts!

Now that you're armed with the knowledge of creating static class methods in VBA, why not put your skills to the test? Try implementing this workaround in your own project and see the results for yourself.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Let us know in the comments below how this solution worked out for you. If you have any questions or alternative approaches, feel free to share them too! Let's learn and grow together. 💡🌱

Happy coding! 👩‍💻👨‍💻