Com-AddIn for protection of VBA code

[Peter Ostermann]

Hi NG,

question especially MVPs:
The protection for VBA code in Excel application is notoriously week. It is
said, that only a com-addin could help. For MS it is or would have been easy
to supply such an addin. Where could it be found?

Regards
Peter Ostermann

 

[JE McGimpsey]

It's not that any particular COM add-in could improve XL's protection of
VBA code in workbooks.

But if you compile your VBA application code into a COM add-in, the
compiled code is much more secure. The Developer's edition of Office
gives you the tools to do that.

 

[Bob Phillips]

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=291392
Q291392 - INFO: Excel COM Add-ins and Automation Add-ins

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=238228
How to build an Office 2000 COM add-in in Visual Basic

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=256624
HOWTO: Use a COM Add-In Function as an Excel Worksheet Function

--
HTH

Bob

(there's no email, no snail mail, but somewhere should be gmail in my addy)

 

[Chip Pearson]

A COM Add-In (CAI) provides no additional protection for existing VBA code.
The security advantage of using a CAI is that you never distribute the
source code to the end users. All that you deploy is a DLL file compiled to
machine code. You can rewrite your existing XLA add-ins as COM Add-Ins and
you can write new add-ins as CAIs, but a CAI has no effect whatsoever on the
security of existing VBA. See www.cpearson.com/Excel/CreatingCOMAddIn.aspx
for VB6 code COM Add-Ins. If you just want to add new functions, you can use
an Automation Add-In, which is a slimmed down COM Add-Ins. See
www.cpearson.com/Excel/AutomationAddIns.aspx . For creating a function
library in NET, see www.cpearson.com/Excel/CreatingNETFunctionLib.aspx.


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel, 10 Years
Pearson Software Consulting
www.cpearson.com
(email on the web site)

 

[Peter Ostermann]

It's not that any particular COM add-in could improve XL's protection of
VBA code in workbooks.

But if you compile your VBA application code into a COM add-in, the
compiled code is much more secure. The Developer's edition of Office
gives you the tools to do that.

Hi JE,
thanks to all who posted concerning this matter.

IMHO your suggestion has the most charm. I developed the VBA application,
that I like to protect, under Excel 2003, and its running under Excel 2000
with no problems. So far I had no information about the existance of a
"Developers Edition", but that does not mean anything .

I like to discuss this:

Since MS discontinued to keep The Developer's edition of MS Office 2000 in
the product-line (as I believe) and so it does not supply this feature
within higher Excel versions (I found at least no info for that), I wonder
why this excellent and just even "indispensable" tool/feature for MS Office
developers (last but not least reason: compiled-/machine-code runs faster
and is more compact too) is drawn from the mariket. What may have led to
such a decision? And: Does exist any replacement for that, or is there any
announcement in that direction?

Best Regards
Peter

 

[Jim Cone]

Peter,
For what it is worth, Office XP (2002) has a developer edition.
I know because I have one.
It does limit you to creating Com add-ins for XL 2000 versions
and later. (no xl97).
I've noticed that Ebay occasionally will have a developer edition for sale.
--
Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware
(Excel Add-ins / Excel Programming)



"Peter Ostermann"
wrote in message
Hi JE,
thanks to all who posted concerning this matter.
IMHO your suggestion has the most charm. I developed the VBA application,
that I like to protect, under Excel 2003, and its running under Excel 2000
with no problems. So far I had no information about the existance of a
"Developers Edition", but that does not mean anything .
I like to discuss this:
Since MS discontinued to keep The Developer's edition of MS Office 2000 in
the product-line (as I believe) and so it does not supply this feature
within higher Excel versions (I found at least no info for that), I wonder
why this excellent and just even "indispensable" tool/feature for MS Office
developers (last but not least reason: compiled-/machine-code runs faster
and is more compact too) is drawn from the mariket. What may have led to
such a decision? And: Does exist any replacement for that, or is there any
announcement in that direction?
Best Regards
Peter

 

[Chip Pearson]

It does limit you to creating Com add-ins for XL 2000 versions

and later. (no xl97).

That limitation is because 97 doesn't support COM Add-Ins. They were
introduced with 2000.


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel, 10 Years
Pearson Software Consulting
www.cpearson.com
(email on the web site)

 

[Peter Ostermann]

Peter,
For what it is worth, Office XP (2002) has a developer edition.
I know because I have one.

Jim,

any idea why MS did not continue to offer the "Developer" feature in newer
versions?
I wonder about upward compatibility to later versions of Office.

Regards
Peter

 

[Jim Cone]

Peter,
re: "any idea why MS did not continue to offer the "Developer" feature
in newer versions?"...
No

re: "I wonder about upward compatibility to later versions of Office."...
Always a valid concern with any Office feature.

Sincerely,
Jim Cone


"Peter Ostermann"
wrote in message
Jim,
any idea why MS did not continue to offer the "Developer" feature in newer
versions?
I wonder about upward compatibility to later versions of Office.
Regards
Peter