Hi,

Appologise for the cross post, but this fits both in Excel and .NET world.

I've got a requirement to build a windows app for a specific type of
financial modelling. My ideal position would be to write a .NET windows form
app that embeds an excel worksheet in the way a grid control would normally
be used, but to be able to control every aspect of that sheet, both in terms
of properties and events, from my .NET app.

The reason I want to do this is that Excel has most of the functionality I
need as a base (we are really automating existing worksheets as a basis of
our app), and the look and feel within the worksheets is exactly what I
need. I would open up the bits of excel functionality I want them to have
access to as and when its appropriate.

I've looked at the add-in option, but the end result of this will be a
saleable product, and the perception is that if we just did it as an add-in
there is an expectation that its a small add-on to excel and therefore
cheap. If I could make the app run from within Excel but not make the fact
that it is excel obvious then I might be ok. Provided I can do everything I
want that way.

I've also looked at automating from outside of excel, but my perusal of the
news groups suggests that its not really possible to do it in the way I
would want - really the full excel app would need to be up and running, with
my app communicating with it, which I can see as a recipe for ultimate
disaster, rather than running a single excel sheet from within my Windows
app.

Third thing I looked at were the excel web components, but these appear to
be too limited in functionality for my use - specifically I'd like to make
use of excel styles which doesnt look like its available, and there is
probably a great deal of other functionality that is missing. I also dont
think I can control or capture enough of the events this way.

So there is my problem. Am I best to bite the bullet and basically rework an
excel look-alike from inside my app, using some other form of grid control
or some third-party excel-like control? Sounds ludicrous to me but I'll do
it if I have to... Or is this all a lot easier than its looking at present
and I'm just missing the vital piece of the puzzle?

Tom