Not all data is going to be provided to you in a tidy Microsoft® Excel® workbook or relational database. It is common for business analysts to have to work with a wide array of different file types, including XML, JSON, CSV, HTML, and all sorts of proprietary file formats. While Excel includes an extensive toolset for importing such data, there may be circumstances in which you need to import a file that requires custom VBA code to extract, transform, and load the data.

You have developed procedures to import and aggregate data. In many cases, the data you import from other sources may not be ready for analysis until you perform a variety of data cleaning and transformation tasks.

You have extended Excel's capabilities by automating tasks within Microsoft® Excel®, adding new custom workbook functions, custom forms, and the ability to read and write external files and data. With VBA, you can reach beyond Excel's normal sphere of influence by automating external programs. And as you expand Excel's capabilities in this way, you can share what you develop so other users can take advantage of your efforts

You'll wrap things up and then validate what you've learned in this course by taking an assessment.