[non-ESRI software] The embedded programming environment for automating, customizing, and extending ESRI applications, such as ArcMap and ArcCatalog. It offers the same tools as Visual Basic in the context of an existing application. A VBA program operates on objects that represent the application and can be used to create custom symbols, workspace extensions, commands, tools, dockable windows, and other objects that can be plugged in to the ArcGIS framework.