Saving user data outside Excel

[Stu W]

I've written an application in Excel using VBA. The application features a
form that the user uses to set various application configuration parameters.
I'm currently saving these user parameters in a sheet within the workbook.
But to retrieve them the user has to use the same workbook they have been
saved in. I would like to save these settings outside of Excel so that these
settings will be available to the user regardless of the Excel workbook they
happen to be using. That is, the settings should be user-related and not
workbook-related.

My sense is that these settings should be saved in some sort of cookie or
..ini file or something like that on the user's machine.

What's the current best practice for this, and what is a quick reference
point for how to do this?

 

[gimme_this_gimme_that]

Why cant you store the data in a Worksheet Add-In?

That would be "thinking in Excel" solution.

Also, does the WorkSheet use DAO?

You could store configuration parameters in a database.

From how you describe it, I can't help but think you're slacking on

the Form or Worksheet associated with your GUI. Can't you write your
GUI in such a way that the user can save profiles of his favorite
configurations and fetch them in a click?

How many parameters are there?

 

[Han]

Sounds like a registry. You can write/read key-value pair to registry which
can be accessed from any program. I don't know VBA but can safely say you
can do that in VBA with shell or api access from VBA.

 

[Norman Jones]

Hi Stu,

For assistance and information on implementing
Han's suggestion, see Chip Pearson at:


Functions For Working With The Registry
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/Registry.htm