We have a lot of VBA code in spreadsheets and a lot of time people save them to local drives. When we want to upgrade the spreadsheets we push a new version out to a shared drive but dont have any way of enforcing that people dont use the old versions of the spreadsheets.
Is there some best practice here to deploy vba spreadsheets so if someone loads an old version it wont open or will ask you to upgrade. It seems like this must be an issue for any custom solution so i would have through MS would have some solution here.
Does microsoft have a standard versioning / deployment solution for this or do i need to come up with some home grown solution (spreadsheet pings a database on startup to check version)
If its just the VBA code you want to be able to upgrade one solution is to separate all the code into an XLA that sits on an accessible server.
then the users Excel has an addin loader that gets the latest version from the server, or you could embed the loader in the workbook.
There is a working example reversioning Addin Loader available at
http://www.decisionmodels.com/downloads.htm
Though I've not done this. I've see people do something similar where they store the code in dlls in the database, and then verify that the local ones are the same on start up.
Add a custom property to the workbook, such as a GUID, Integer, Date, or whatever you need. On startup, check the value and determine if VBA should continue or whatever implementation you decide. Usually, I open the "shared" latest version of the document and inspect its custom property. If user is not using latest version, display a message prompting the user to get the latest version. This is usually good enough. I have done this for years with great success for Access, Word, and Excel VBA.
One real problem is people who ignore the prompt to update. They will do this because they fear losing data, bugs in latest version, and so on. You need to address their concerns and not try to "lock" them in to your "solution" to this problem. I strongly recommend you always provid a means of "importing/upgrading" data to latest version of workbook.
Fairly simple to implement. If you address the above mentioned problem effectively, people will start to trust the "prompt" and you will find this is a really simple and effective solution.
If you workbook is tied to a database, it gets a little more complicated. Generally, you do not allow the user to maintain the data outside of the database. When they want to modify the data, you generate the workbook for them. After they are done modifying data, you import the data. (The workbook is saved for "backup" purposes or the user can maintain a copy of the workbook for reference or an archive.) This has the advantage of eliminating the need to maintain document version since the document is "virtual".
Define a current version property. Use whatever way for that, like a constant in VBA.
Find a standard way to access the latest version. It could be on a shared drive always on the same path, or whatever other means you have.
If current version number < latest version number then:
Ask to upgrade
Show the upgrade procedure
Possibly do some locking on normal VBA operations until the upgrade is done
An easy solution would be:
Store a version number somwhere in the workbook (on a hidden sheet for example so that it will not get removed accidentally) or as a variable.
Store a text file with the latest version number on your share
Include a macro which automatically reads the latest-version-textfile and compares the version number to the one in the currently running workbook. If its too old just show a message-box (telling the user to update) and close the workbook.
I'm using a similar approach and it works fine.
Related
I am working off of a great solution created by #MattHall from 2011 to a question that I also shared about importing a dynamic range from Excel into Access.
Specific to that--though in general for future VBA's--my question is whether there is an additional way to be able to point to the Excel source file if it is moved without having to go into the VBA editor every time?
For my specific needs, I am trying to work on these Access and Excel files with others through a shared BOX that has a different file path for whoever is working on it.
USER 1 may be: C:\Users\USER1\Box Sync\filename.xlsx
USER 2 may be: C:\Users\USER2\Box Sync\filename.xlsx
...and so forth for any other users. I am curious how we can all work off this when the file path used in the VBA created and used by USER1 is not accessible by USER2? Could there be some code that allows for the every user to locate the file each time through their own filepath?
It would be a pain to do that but I also do not know a better option as we are not working off a shared server and this is unfortunately limited to Box share at the moment.
EDIT: If anyone could also suggest how to integrate their recommendation into the 'Dynamic Range' code in solution from #MattHall in the linked Stackoverflow, that would particularly helpful to my request.
With newly released Webi there's no way to manipulate reports with VBA like it was in DESKI era.
I'd like to know if there's a way for me to click a button with parameters in Excel sheet and get a report from the server?
I've been thinking of using the RESTful Web-services but it seems that there is a performance problem.
I also considered using a JAVA app in the middle using the SDK but it's not really satisfying as I add one layer.
Do you know if there's an other way to download a Webi report from and to Excel?
For this type of requirement, you'd normally use the OpenDocument feature. There is one thing that it won't do however, at least not for Webi documents, and that is deliver the output in Excel format (HTML and PDF are the two possible formats for Webi). In all fairness, the export to Excel option is only about two or three clicks away, but I can understand that this wouldn't be an ideal solution.
Another option is the Java SDK, which I would not recommend, as the ReBEAN SDK (the part of the Java SDK you need to interface with Webi documents) is deprecated and replaced by the REST SDK.
The REST SDK would be the way to go if the OpenDocument feature is not sufficient. Keep in mind that this would involve quite a few steps, each time sending a command to the WACS server and then decoding the answer. The steps would be:
Authenticate and get a logon token
Refresh the document (if necessary pass prompt values)
Export the document to Excel
Close the document
The REST interface is only supported on the WACS server, which should run on your BI4 server (unless you have a customised landscape). If it's slow, I would suggest looking into the root cause of this performance issue, instead of discarding the SDK altogether.
If you're going to use the REST interface, I would recommend opting for JSON to communicate through REST instead of XML. It's easier to read and parse.
A last option, which I wouldn't recommend, is LiveOffice. This is a separate product which allows you to embed contents from Webi documents into Office documents (most notably Excel). LiveOffice has always had its share of problems and has not received much love from SAP regarding much needed updates.
One final thought: the report will never appear in the same sheet, at least not without an additional amount of coding. Whatever SDK you end up choosing, you will always end up with an Excel file. If you want to show the results in the Excel file you started from, you'll need to code the steps to open the generated file, grab the contents and then copy those to your worksheet.
I have a system with an Excel spreadsheet template file which is used for invoicing. I would like the user to be able to click a button on an Xpage, which will then open the spreadsheet and enter the latest invoicing data in Excel. I don't mind if Excel is either the application on their machine or on the server, but my preference would be the application locally on their machine.
I've looked into Xagents, as I feel this is probably the answer. I know they can be used to create Excel but I have not been able to locate any mention of opening an Excel file, and entering data into specific cells.
Is this possible?
EDIT: you can use Apache POI for editing and creating Microsoft Office documents. This is a java project which gives you a handle to office documents and this can be used using java.
A good starting point can be the blog of Christian Guedemann from webgate:
http://guedebyte.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/documents-and-spreadsheets-with-xpages-building-the-kernel-part-ii/
(end of edit)
The only way I KNOW and tried to write data from Notes to Excel is exporting the data to an HTML page and setting the Content Type accordingly (e. g. as described here (there are a lot more resources available for taht):
http://www.dominoguru.com/pages/developer2010_xpagexlsexport.html
I am not sure if this is of help but it seems that this project can help you:
http://www.openntf.org/internal/home.nsf/project.xsp?action=openDocument&name=ZK%20Spreadsheet%20for%20XPages
As far as I can see this project can load Excel files from XPages - and then it should also be possible to edit the files.
Besides that the only solution I can think of is a Notes Agent that is called from the XPage. This agent can then run in background and do all the excel stuff. After running, the XPage can show a link to the Excel file. Actually this is the solution I would consider to implement - but maybe others step in with better answers here.
You don't want to introduce a dependency on Excel in your application -- wouldn't work with an iPad front-end. Rather have a look at the ZK Spreadsheet, it will fulfill your needs.
However if you have to have Excel, then you need a roundtrip solution: load the Excel from an URL (probably generated by an XAgent (?) and save it back. The saving back part is the tricky one. Normal HTTP doesn't allow that. What you need there is a webDAV capable server. Watch out for a project on OpenNTF soon (just clearing IBM legal) that provides webDAV.
However the ZK Spreadsheet looks much better for your needs.
I have a sample database at the following URL --> http://www.nnsu.com/nnsusite.nsf/%24%24OpenDominoDocument.xsp?documentId=B65507CB2DE15B3286257986005F061D&action=openDocument
Download the APCC.nsf. This will allow you to create/read a new EXCEL spreadsheet and then stream the resulting file to the requesting browser. There is not need to have EXCEL or office installed on the Server.
THe examples create a new workbook, but you can also store a "template" on the server or in a notes document and use it as a starting point and then save it to a document or stream it to the requesting browser.
With Apache POI you can read/write to a spreadsheet using data from the notes document the process is initiated from.
I made a discovery some time back. Just follow these steps:
Create a .doc/.xls/.ppt file in office 2003. Keep some test data in there and close the file. Now rename the file to change it's file extension to a random string, taking care that it is unassociated, like test.asdfghjkl etc.
Double click the file and it opens seamlessly in the parent application.
Now AFAIK, windows checks the file extension of the file and uses it to do an action, viz open an application and pass the file to it to open. Then how does the office suite manage to do this?
EDIT: How about the case when the extension is changed to one that is associated with another application. Is there a priority algorithm in place for handling that ?
Do you have the "View extensions for known types" option on?
EDIT: #Comments....
Yes, its a stupid/insulting question, but when troubleshooting a problem I have learned to assume nothing, and trust the users 0%.
BUT, I tried it, and you're right. Its stupid that MS has this kind of behavior, and it can only lead to security vulnerabilities, which led me on a search for your answer.
From the posts at http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2007/Jan/0444.html
"You have stumbled on an age-old
quirky behavior of Windows. Office
document formats are based on a
standard Windows container format, OLE
structured storage files, also known
as "docfiles". A docfile's name and
extension are irrelevant - the file
is, conceptually, a serialization of
an OLE object, and like all
serialization formats it contains the
identifier of the application that
produced it, in the form of an OLE
class id (in GUID format) in this
case. You can easily verify that it
doesn't work with the newer Office XML
formats"
Indeed it doesnt work for the 2007 *X file types, but 2K3 is still a problem. To solve this problem... Upgrade! =)
And here at security focus under TOC point 2.
So, there you go.
I can't seem to make this happen now, but I know I saw Windows reading XML processing instructions a few years back. Maybe that is what's going on?
I am stuck with a problem
The Requirement is that, there a complex Excel file(XLS) that is used as template; it has Macros and all the worksheets are either locked or hidden. When the user clicks to download it, the follows operation occurs
Unlock a particular worksheet, fill some data # certain cells and then lock it back.
Unhide a worksheet, fill some data # certain cells and then hide it back.
I think there are two options to resolve it (if there are more then please let me know)
Interop libraries / Excel Object Library
OLEDb Driver
I cannot got with the option 1 as excel is not installed on the webserver and I heard that it's not a good option to install MSOffice # webserver.
My question is that can we use OLDb to perform the operations mentioned above OR is there any other option ???
BTW Sharepoint service is also not available :(
Please help!!!!
You could maybe try ExcelPackge.
See this article:
Server-Side Creation of Excel 2007 Files Using .NET 3.0 and Office Open XML
see also:
Office Space - Building Office Open XML Files
Check out this question I asked some time ago for an overview of options. I ended up going with the Aspose library, which I link to in my original post. It's not cheap, but it does the job very simply and elegantly. It even has templating functionality built in (called SmartMarkers, IIRC).
SpreadsheetGear for .NET will handle this and has an API which is very similar to Excel. You can see what our customers say and download the free, fully functional evalution here.