Launch Excel from the Web

[DAN]

Hello-- This question relates to problems when launching Excel from a link on
a web page.

SCENARIO: I have an Excel workbook with some pretty involved VBA code. The
code creates a budgeting and reporting application against an OLAP database.
A new requirement has come up to make this workbook available to around 300
users. To send the workbook to these users individually would become a
nightmare in maintenance and support. So, I have put the file on a shared
drive. Now, the powers that be want the workbook launched from a link on a
web page.

Here are my issues:

1) The code was not originally designed to run through a browser, so I plan
to have the link open the Excel application. Is there a way to have the
workbook opened from a link without it asking the user to "Open" or "Save"
the file?

2) Originally the workbook was an Excel Add-in (.XLA), so it never asked to
enable/disable macros. Now (because of the way new requirements are setup), I
need to have a "main menu" (my first sheet) with some buttons. Therefore it
prompts to enable/disable. I have thought about writing some type of LAUNCHER
in VB6 which opens the workbook, and compile as .EXE-- and have the link call
the launcher. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this?

3) I have a menu that is created during Workbook_Open(). Problem is, that
during testing of the link (after opening Excel application and then the
Workbook), every thing is working fine except when I choose something from
the menu-- it trys to reopen the workbook from the server. I'm not sure why
this is happening. This does not happen if I launch Excel and the workbook
outside of the browser.

4) Any helpful links on deploying Excel or Excel on the Web??

Thanks for your help!

DAN

 

[gimme_this_gimme_that]

Hi Dan,

I'm also interested in follow ups to your questions. I'll follow up as
best I can. Your milage may vary.

SCENARIO: I have an Excel workbook with some pretty involved VBA code. The
code creates a budgeting and reporting application against an OLAP database.
A new requirement has come up to make this workbook available to around 300
users. To send the workbook to these users individually would become a
nightmare in maintenance and support. So, I have put the file on a shared
drive. Now, the powers that be want the workbook launched from a link on a
web page.

I'm facing exactly the same issues.

You didn't mention what web server you're using, IIS or what? And also
what OS your server is running.

I fathom that the recommended Microsoft solution is to use Microsoft
Report Server.

My experience is that Report Server is a great solution, as far as
permissions are concerned, but that it's an unworkable solution if the
report has to have print regions, pivot tables, multiple sheets, or
charts.

The big selling points of Report Server are that other departments can
use it and that it' easy to create customizable entry points for
different reporting needs. Where I work managment want's to migrate to
Report Server, but when it comes to getting real Excel reports they are
still in denial about what it can't do. Oh yeah, it possible to send
query string parameters to a Report Server report and have it render a
Worksheet and it's also possible to create forms - but you can't count
on the validation to validate business rules (it can't be done).

Another approach, if you have Server 2003, is to recreate the Excel
application as web application via Sharepoint. You might be lucky and
discover that you use it's wizards to build forms and to render
Worksheets. The wizards can be customized to accept form parameters and
database settings and display worksheets. You can also build WebParts
to do ADO queries to a database. Personally, I have very little
experience going down this route so I can't recommend (one way or the
other) whether this is a good road to go down. My inclination is to
think this approach is limited similar to how I described Report Server
as being limited.

Here are my issues:

1) The code was not originally designed to run through a browser, so I plan
to have the link open the Excel application. Is there a way to have the
workbook opened from a link without it asking the user to "Open" or "Save"
the file?

Not that I know of.

2) Originally the workbook was an Excel Add-in (.XLA), so it never asked to
enable/disable macros. Now (because of the way new requirements are setup), I
need to have a "main menu" (my first sheet) with some buttons. Therefore it
prompts to enable/disable. I have thought about writing some type of LAUNCHER
in VB6 which opens the workbook, and compile as .EXE-- and have the link call
the launcher. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this?

I once discovered a hack that allows a user to click on a link and
start up an application.
I recall posting on comp.lang.javascript but I couldn't find the post
just now using Google advaced search on my email address over various
keywords.

But to make a long story short. If you find something that works
there's a good chance that that solution will not work over all
dialects of Windows, and you may discover that after a SP upgrade the
solution might not work at all - because something that does this is a
security risk.

Also.

I googled microsoft.public.inetserver.iis and seen where someone
attempted to create a VB com object and to wrap Excel in it. They still
had the issue though of being prompted to save or open upon startup.

3) I have a menu that is created during Workbook_Open(). Problem is, that
during testing of the link (after opening Excel application and then the
Workbook), every thing is working fine except when I choose something from
the menu-- it trys to reopen the workbook from the server. I'm not sure why
this is happening. This does not happen if I launch Excel and the workbook
outside of the browser.

Well that makes me flash on something else. If you have users can
access the Workbook from Sharepoint. It should work just as it did when
everyone was running the Workbook from the shared drive.

 

[DAN]

Thanks gimme. See my comments below.

You didn't mention what web server you're using, IIS or what? And also
what OS your server is running.

I fathom that the recommended Microsoft solution is to use Microsoft
Report Server.
...
Another approach, if you have Server 2003, is to recreate the Excel
application as web application via Sharepoint...

Yes, it would be nice to be able to consider more Microsoft solutions. The
web server is running Tomcat on Linux. Report Server, Sharepoint, etc. are
not an option at this point (politically, support wise, and project $$).

I googled microsoft.public.inetserver.iis and seen where someone
attempted to create a VB com object and to wrap Excel in it. They still
had the issue though of being prompted to save or open upon startup.

I thought I saw something out there. I'll post a solution if I find one.

I'm guessing but I think that you'll either have to stick with the
shared drive solution or that the solution will be to rewrite the
application in ASP.

That's what I'm afraid of

And oh yeah, since the application is an Excel Worksheet, have you
considered adding a new email distribution Worksheet in your local
AddIn and having Excel send the emails from a single Sub?

Have considered something like this, but this will not solve many
maintenance and support issues. If I go this route, I have considered writing
a Version Control utility (or is there free-ware or OpenSource on this??) to
help keep workbook changes in sync.

Thanks again!