Convert Excel XLA to COM Addin

[brian]

Dear All,

I need to convert an existing xla to COM Addin restricted to using Office
Developer 2000.

The project consists of

19 userforms
25 modules
6 classmodules
3 referenced xla's

What are the potential pitfalls?

I've seen i can't bring over referenced xla's.
Can i bring over userforms to the com addin
Can i bring over code modules to the com addin
Can i bring over class modules to the com addin

I've read through the samples on

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306130/en-us?ln=en-us&sd=gn&fr=0
http://www.kbalertz.com/kb_253338.aspx
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/230225
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dno2kta/html/mso2kaddin.asp
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/7766/7766.html

But those are from scratch, here i am with an existing project need to
convert with a time constraint, and i would like some real world stories on
how to get started and what to look for.

Thanks for any thoughts
Brian

 

[Stephen Bullen]

Hi Brian,

What are the potential pitfalls?

Needing to use event handling to hook commandbar and control events (no
OnAction to a procedure).

No use of OnKey to run some code

No worksheets available for handy storing of lists etc.

The ability to create COM Addins from the VBE has been dropped in
Office 2003 - the Office 2003 Developer tools are focussed on .NET
development, rather than extending the VBE. Although if you install
Office 2003 over Office XP Developer, it continues to work fine. Hence,
doing it in VB6 (if you can get a copy) might be a safer bet.

I've seen i can't bring over referenced xla's.

Correct, but the code they contain can be moved to a separate VB DLL
that both the COM Addin and the other addin references (best written in
VB6)

Can i bring over userforms to the com addin
Can i bring over code modules to the com addin
Can i bring over class modules to the com addin

Yes to all.

If you can wait a few weeks, our book "Professional Excel Development"
is published at the start of February, which includes a chapter about
creating COM Addins and an example of converting a (simple) Excel addin
to be a COM Addin.


Regards

Stephen Bullen
Microsoft MVP - Excel
www.oaltd.co.uk

 

[brian]

Dear Stephen

Thanks a lot, i had already given up getting any concrete answers to this
question.

But now i have them, in the meantime the client and i decided to first
restructure the current code which is work of three years adding features on
the go.

That's probably were my questions came from in the first place. If it were
my personal project i would've chosen for VS2003 since i got a few addins
build in that environment already. But the client has Office Dev 2K as
environment so i'm stuck with that.

I'm looking forward to that book, from which publisher?

After a years on EE and finding answers to questions also on your site or in
the newsgroups. At last i have the honour of thanking you personally for all
the great work you [and the other MVP's] have done on making peoples life
with excel and office easier.

Best regards
Brian

 

[Stephen Bullen]

Hi Brian,

I'm looking forward to that book, from which publisher?

Addison-Wesley. See my web site for details.

After a years on EE and finding answers to questions also on your site or in
the newsgroups. At last i have the honour of thanking you personally for all
the great work you [and the other MVP's] have done on making peoples life
with excel and office easier.

Thank you!

Regards

Stephen Bullen
Microsoft MVP - Excel
www.oaltd.co.uk