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#1
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How to Enhance Excel as a Distributed Application?
Hi,
I have distributed an Excel spreadsheet to a number of users, and while it does what it should do, there are some broader issues that need to be resolved. Let me explain: The positives: 1) It has been easy enough to develop so far, within the limit of my knowledge of VBA. 2) There is a single workbook containing both the VBA code and the user's data. The negatives: 1) There is a single workbook containing both the VBA code and the user's data. As updates are needed, the user will have to delete the workbook and replace it with the new one, meaning a loss of data. 2) There is code to hide Excel's standard features at start up and insert a custom toolbar. This works well on Excel 2000 to 2003, but the custom toolbar does not appear on Excel 2007. 3) Even with a splash screen, the user knows it is Excel. Something that looks like a stand-alone application might have a higher perceived value than "just a spreadsheet". 4) Depending on the version of Excel, there is a prompt regarding macro security settings, which can confuse inexperienced users. 5) Some charts created in Excel 2000 (the earliest supported version) don't display in Excel 2007. I'm sure there's a way (or ways) to overcome these issues. What might they be, and what would be the pros and cons of each? |
#2
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How to Enhance Excel as a Distributed Application?
As far as #1, you can write code to replace all of the data, or
alternatively use a "code" workbook, which operates in the background against a data-only user workbook. That can be an addin or hidden workbook. #3: How far are you willing to dress up a cat to make it appear as a dog? You can program and program until the cows come home, but sooner or later Excel will be "known" and then you're left with all of this code that still has to put Excel back into the state it existed in before your solution was used. -- Tim Zych SF, CA "Johnno" wrote in message oups.com... Hi, I have distributed an Excel spreadsheet to a number of users, and while it does what it should do, there are some broader issues that need to be resolved. Let me explain: The positives: 1) It has been easy enough to develop so far, within the limit of my knowledge of VBA. 2) There is a single workbook containing both the VBA code and the user's data. The negatives: 1) There is a single workbook containing both the VBA code and the user's data. As updates are needed, the user will have to delete the workbook and replace it with the new one, meaning a loss of data. 2) There is code to hide Excel's standard features at start up and insert a custom toolbar. This works well on Excel 2000 to 2003, but the custom toolbar does not appear on Excel 2007. 3) Even with a splash screen, the user knows it is Excel. Something that looks like a stand-alone application might have a higher perceived value than "just a spreadsheet". 4) Depending on the version of Excel, there is a prompt regarding macro security settings, which can confuse inexperienced users. 5) Some charts created in Excel 2000 (the earliest supported version) don't display in Excel 2007. I'm sure there's a way (or ways) to overcome these issues. What might they be, and what would be the pros and cons of each? |
#3
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How to Enhance Excel as a Distributed Application?
"Tim Zych" <tzych@NOSp@mE@RTHLINKDOTNET wrote in message ... #3: How far are you willing to dress up a cat to make it appear as a dog? You can program and program until the cows come home, but sooner or later Excel will be "known" and then you're left with all of this code that still has to put Excel back into the state it existed in before your solution was used. My preference is not to hide Excel, because it is so hard to put back properly (and so many home made utilities are so bad at it). I don't care if the user knows that Excel is the underpinning of my utility, since most of my utilities close gaps in Excel. - Jon ------- Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP Tutorials and Custom Solutions Peltier Technical Services, Inc. - http://PeltierTech.com _______ |
#4
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How to Enhance Excel as a Distributed Application?
My preference is not to hide Excel, because it is so hard to put back properly (and so many home made utilities are so bad at it). I don't care if the user knows that Excel is the underpinning of my utility, since most of my utilities close gaps in Excel. - Jon Thanks. If we leave Excel as the underpinning, is there a way to overcome the issues to do with Excel 2007 (custom toolbar and charts not displaying) and the macro security prompts? |
#5
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How to Enhance Excel as a Distributed Application?
"Johnno" wrote in message ps.com... My preference is not to hide Excel, because it is so hard to put back properly (and so many home made utilities are so bad at it). I don't care if the user knows that Excel is the underpinning of my utility, since most of my utilities close gaps in Excel. - Jon Thanks. If we leave Excel as the underpinning, is there a way to overcome the issues to do with Excel 2007 (custom toolbar and charts not displaying) and the macro security prompts? If Excel 2007 is the host application, you need to work with the ribbon rather than with the old commandbars. It's a pain to get started with, but its actually pretty easy once you've gotten started. The charts not displaying issue seems to me (based on non-scientific analysis, like using my memory) to be a problem with Excel 2003 and earlier charts in Excel 2007. I have not personally observed this problem, but whether I'm good or just lucky I don't know. If the project is completely upgrading to 2007, just rebuild the charts. If you have mixed users, then I have no advice. The macro security prompts could be a problem in all Excel versions. There are tricks to get around them. 'Professional Excel Development' by Bullen, Bovey, and Green discusses this issue. - Jon ------- Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP Tutorials and Custom Solutions Peltier Technical Services, Inc. - http://PeltierTech.com _______ |
#6
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How to Enhance Excel as a Distributed Application?
If Excel 2007 is the host application, you need to work with the ribbon rather than with the old commandbars. It's a pain to get started with, but its actually pretty easy once you've gotten started. The charts not displaying issue seems to me (based on non-scientific analysis, like using my memory) to be a problem with Excel 2003 and earlier charts in Excel 2007. I have not personally observed this problem, but whether I'm good or just lucky I don't know. If the project is completely upgrading to 2007, just rebuild the charts. If you have mixed users, then I have no advice. The macro security prompts could be a problem in all Excel versions. There are tricks to get around them. 'Professional Excel Development' by Bullen, Bovey, and Green discusses this issue. - Jon Thanks Jon. Alas, I have mixed users with Excel versions from 2000 to 2007. The vertical bar charts created with Excel 2000 display in 2007, but some horizontal stacked bar charts do not. It seems that these latter charts, if created in 2007, will display in earlier versions. I've managed to have a look at 'Professional Excel Development', which suggests a front-lodaer VB6 EXE to start Excel without triggering the macro security checks. It's probably beyond me , but I'll delve into it a bit further. Johnno |
#7
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How to Enhance Excel as a Distributed Application?
"Johnno" wrote in message ups.com... If Excel 2007 is the host application, you need to work with the ribbon rather than with the old commandbars. It's a pain to get started with, but its actually pretty easy once you've gotten started. The charts not displaying issue seems to me (based on non-scientific analysis, like using my memory) to be a problem with Excel 2003 and earlier charts in Excel 2007. I have not personally observed this problem, but whether I'm good or just lucky I don't know. If the project is completely upgrading to 2007, just rebuild the charts. If you have mixed users, then I have no advice. The macro security prompts could be a problem in all Excel versions. There are tricks to get around them. 'Professional Excel Development' by Bullen, Bovey, and Green discusses this issue. - Jon Thanks Jon. Alas, I have mixed users with Excel versions from 2000 to 2007. The vertical bar charts created with Excel 2000 display in 2007, but some horizontal stacked bar charts do not. It seems that these latter charts, if created in 2007, will display in earlier versions. I've managed to have a look at 'Professional Excel Development', which suggests a front-lodaer VB6 EXE to start Excel without triggering the macro security checks. It's probably beyond me , but I'll delve into it a bit further. That front-loader was beyond me when I first tried it, but I've figured it out and made a few little enhancements. It works in 2007 (at least in Win XP, tho some users with Vista are having problems which may or may not be related). - Jon ------- Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP Tutorials and Custom Solutions Peltier Technical Services, Inc. - http://PeltierTech.com _______ |
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