Create an add-in

[Monique]

I am working in Office XP.

This may sound like a real no-brainer, but how do I create an add-in for Word?

I have written a macro that I would like to make available to all documents
based on a specific template. However, I do not want a copy of this macro put
in every document I create from the template. Do I want to turn this into an
add-in, or should I do something else? Note: This template and macro must be
available to several users on a network.

Thanks for your help!

Monique

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Monique,

The most common type of add-in is simply a template (.dot file) stored in a
specific folder, the Startup folder listed in the Tools > Options > Folder
Locations dialog. It gets loaded automatically every time Word starts, and
any macros it contains are available in all documents during the session.
There's more at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm.

For your purposes, you can use an add-in (which you would have to distribute
to each user with instructions on where to store it), but it isn't
necessary. The idea that documents based on a template will contain the
macros from that template is not correct -- the macro stays in the template
only. Because Word loads the original template when you open the document,
the macros are available, but they are not 'in' the document. If your macros
are applicable only to documents based on this specific template, then they
should be stored in that template.

This architecture is inconvenient when the document will be emailed or
otherwise distributed to other users without the template. When they open
the document, their normal.dot will be attached in place of the missing
original template, and the macros won't be available. If you rely on the
macros to do things in the document, it just won't work in that scenario.