I have created an extensive macro in excel, that I now want to distribute. I decided I want to do this by saving the macro as add in to a shared network, where all of my collegues have access to it. This way maintaining the macro will be way easier, as I am sure that there are plenty of updates, and bugfixing to come.
I have never created an add in before, so I read several online tutorials + stack overflow questions about it. Up until now I always saved my macros in personal.xlsb, likewise with the macro I now want to save as add in.
My first attempt was to simply save the workbook, where I run the macro, as .xlam, which did not work (I guess because the macro was not saved in that workbook, but in the personal.xlsb).
So I deleted the macro from the personal.xlsb, opened a new workbook, opened the VBA editor, created a new module in that workbook and inserted my code. I then saved the workbook as .xlam. I checked that in the VBA Editor the IsAddin is set to True.
From here it gets confusing somehow. When I open the .xlam file there are no worksheets in it, the add-in is loaded, but the macro does not show up in "Macros", even though the code shows up in the Editor.
When
However the .xlam is still empty when I open it - no code to be seen.
When I open another workbook and load the add-in, in the VBA editor the add-in does show up, and the module with the code of the macro is there as well. But when I click on "macro" it does not show up.
When I open a different Excel file, the add-in is loaded as well (in Excel-add-ins the box is ticked), the module does not show up, and in the VBA editor the .xlam also does not show up.
I have saved, closed, opened, and restarted several times. I have checked if the add-in is saved anywhere else - it was, but I deleted all .xlam files (as non of them worked anyway), and repeated my attempts stated above. When I load the .xlam from the shared network it seems to save itself into the addin folder of microsoft (I guess that is what it should do when it is loaded).
I would really appreciate if someone could help me with how to properly set this up.
I have:
a VBA code that runs fine, when I run it as macro.
I want
to save it to a shared network as add-in, and get it to run.
Edit1:
the add-in shows up in the active add-ins section in options:
Related
The Problem
I have an Excel workbook that prompts the user for some actions every time it is opened.
This same workbook contains charts that are linked in a PowerPoint file. These links were created by copying the charts in Excel and then, in the PowerPoint file, clicking "Paste Special", choosing "Paste Link", and selecting "Microsoft Excel Worksheet (code) Object" as the link type.
Every time the PowerPoint file is opened, I am prompted to update the links in the document.
The trouble is that, while PowerPoint is updating links, the Excel prompts that are intended for the user are shown and have to be clicked (multiple times) during the link update process.
Is it possible for my VBA code to detect when it's being opened for the purposes of updating links so I can skip the user prompts? I should note, in case it matters, that I'm using Microsoft Office 365 on Windows 10.
What I've Tried
I've tried monitoring the value of ThisWorkbook.ReadOnly, Application.Interactive, and Application.IsSandboxed during startup, but they all appear to have the same values regardless of whether the workbook is opened for the purposes of updating links or not. I'm not familiar enough with how link updating works to know what else to check for.
I've identified a couple of possible work-arounds:
First, if the Excel workbook is opened before PowerPoint is opened and the link update process starts, then the prompts don't appear. This will work, if there's no better solution.
Second, I could create a second "shadow" Excel workbook with charts generated from data in the first spreadsheet, but without user prompts. If PowerPoint links to the charts in the "shadow" workbook, then links are updated without issue. This is far from ideal because of the need to keep the two workbooks in sync.
I'm hoping for an elegant automated solution.
I wanted to save all my VBA Project in a Excel workbook (or other type of file if possible) and then embbed it to run in another workbook. I've seen topics about it but only found ways to run the macros opening the first sheet.
I want to run a macro from a first workbook in a second one without opening the first workbook to do it. How can I do that?
Save the file with the macros as a xlam file and Excel can load them each time Excel opens.
You need to open File -> options -> add-ins.
At the bottom there is a button Go to (or something, I don't have English Excel on the current computer.)
Then add the file to the list by clicking Browse and finding the file you just saved as xlam file.
Two scenarios comes to mind:
1) You have a second macro for personal use and can save it locally (save in: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART). This will allow you to create quick-buttons for your macros, etc. These types of macros open with Excel and will be separate VBA Projects inside of the default VBA editor.
2) You have a network or drive that multiple users need to access, so each user has a macro in their file (.xlsm or .xlsb), where that internal macro reads Application.Run "filepath\workbookname.xlsb!macro", which also allows you to call a private subroutine (note that you could use Call, but Application.Run will ensure that even Private macros are able to be accessed). This shouldn't require the other workbook be open, though I have personally had one user whose computer always opens the other file, regardless.
Edit:
Third scenario (really 2b):
3) You have files where you want to regularly access another file... you will follow a similar approach to point 2 where you make a macro to Application.Run, though you can save that macro in your XLSTART folder... this will allow you to have a source macro location where others may also want to access and utilize. The source document would allow you to maintain 1 file for many users.
Your answers were great! Great to know about XLSTART folder from #Cyril, but based on #Andreas answer I found my path.
The "problems" with adding an Add-In as #Andreas said, are cause my VBA Project would be avaliable on the VB Editor to every workbook on that computer, and to run my macros I'd have to use Application.Run("workbook.xlam!Macro").
Then I found References, which I have the same features, including I can delete my .xlam file to remove my code, and don't have the problems I mentioned above.
Adding my VBA .xlam file as an reference, it'll be avaliable only to that specific workbook and I can run my macro just like it was on the same workbook.
For general knowledge:
ADDING A REFERENCE:
1- Save your project as an Excel Add-In (.xlam file)
2- Open your target workbook, go to the Visual Basic Editor
3- Go to Tools > References > Browse... find your .xlam file and make sure it's checked.
4- Done! Now you'll see the project on the editor and can run your macros just like it was on the same workbook.
I was just introduced to VBA. However, on saving my first excel file with VBA code, with .xlsm extension (I was advised to do so), and then reopening that saved file, I realized that all the VBA code had disappeared and the cells in which I had used the user-defined functions threw errors. Saving the workbook as .xlsx instead of .xlsm also didn't help. When I tried saving the VBA module, it showed that FUNCRES.XLAM is read-only and hence cannot be modified, and so try saving it at a different location. Doing so, saved an excel file which on opening showed a pop-up message that it's corrupt so can't be opened. Then I gave all permissions to FUNCRES.XLAM and it is NOT read-only. But the problem still prevailed. What should I do? Can someone please help me?
PS: It is Windows 10, Office 2016.
Your VBA code needs to be saved in a module within the same workbook in which you are working. This will probably be listed as VBAProject(Book1)
There will likely be other projects listed in the Project Explorer window of the VBA GUI, but your code will not get saved with those modules.
These are related to add-ins, and not to your workbook.
I have a macro stored in my PERSONAL.xlsb that works. I'm trying to enable the same macro using an ActiveX button instead, in a macro-enabled excel template, so that I can more easily share updates to the macro with other users. I copied the code to the new macro-enabled template so that it will be activated when the ActiveX command button is pressed, but the code doesn't seem to run without stopping for debugging every few lines. Are there different requirements for how to code for ActiveX compared to how to code for PERSONAL.xlsb?
Some of these fixes may (or may not) work. But they will address common halting issues.
Try going to the VB-Editor, Debug Menu, and selecting clear all breakpoints. Halting sometime is also caused by have set watches and the not clearing them, so go to view, watches and make sure your don't have any set.
Failing that, try selecting all, cut to the clipboard (ctrl-x), do Debug>Compile, paste the code back in and compile again. Sometimes the underlying pcode gets into a weird state and this will cause it to be re-written.
At long last, if none of this works, you may need to export your code modules, import them into new workbook, and replace your personal workbook.
I have a reasonably complex macro that I need to run on multiple different excel sheets, this macro is updated periodically and whenever a change is made its necessary to change it in each individual excel sheet. is there a way to get each excel document to refer to the one macro?
for example if i had a hierarchy like this:
DOCUMENTS:
-xlsheet1.xls
-xlsheet3.xls
-xlsheet2.xls
MACROS:
-macro1.bas
where there was a button in each sheet that ran macro1 when clicked.
I would recommend either moving that macro to your personal file or create an Add-In
Working with Personal File
Topic: Create and save all your macros in a single workbook
Link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-and-save-all-your-macros-in-a-single-workbook-66c97ab3-11c2-44db-b021-ae005a9bc790
Quote from the above link:
When you first create a macro in a workbook, it works only in that workbook. But what if you want to use the macro in other workbooks? To make your macros available every time you open Excel, you can create them in a workbook called Personal.xlsb. That’s a hidden workbook stored on your computer, which opens in the background every time you open Excel.
Creating an Add-In
Topic: Creating Excel Add-ins
Link: http://www.ozgrid.com/VBA/excel-add-in-create.htm
Quote from the above link:
I am often asked by users 'what is the best way to distribute their macros?' My answer, is without doubt via an Excel Add-in. After all, this is what Add-ins are for. For those that are not sure what an Excel add-in is, it's is nothing more than an Excel Workbook that has been saved as an Add-in, File>Save as \ Microsoft Excel Add-in (*.xla). Once saved and re-opened the Workbook will be hidden and can only be seen in the "Project Explorer" via the Visual Basic Editor. It is NOT hidden in the same way as the Personal.xls as this can be seen (and made visible) via Windows>Unhide.
The Personal file is good for having a macro across any number of workbooks on a single computer. In a networked environment with multiple users, you could simulate the Personal file by having a single workbook with your macros in it and coding all other workbooks to open and hide this workbook when they start up.