Creating a production quality Excel add-in

[Guest]

Hi,

I have an Excel add-in that will become a retail product.

1) Does VBA support the use of resource files (string tables,...)? If not,
is the best way to access localized resources through a helper ActiveX
component that can get at resources?

2) Is there a way to compile and resolve references for the add-in outside
of Excel. I'd like to automate the build process using makefiles/scripts.

Thanks in advance,
Robin

 

[Stephen Bullen]

Hi RobinC,

I have an Excel add-in that will become a retail product.

Congratulations, and good luck

1) Does VBA support the use of resource files (string tables,...)?
No.

If not,
is the best way to access localized resources through a helper ActiveX
component that can get at resources?

That depends how and when you want the strings to be localised. Using a
helper ActiveX component is great if you want to be able to perform the
localisation independent of/after the build, but most people just include a
worksheet that contains a translation table - one column per language and
some sort of ID in the first column.

2) Is there a way to compile and resolve references for the add-in outside
of Excel. I'd like to automate the build process using makefiles/scripts.

Not entirely 'outside of Excel', but by automating Excel within the script
and manipulating the Workbook.VBProject.References collection.

Regards

Stephen Bullen
Microsoft MVP - Excel
www.oaltd.co.uk

 

[Guest]

Thanks!

Hi RobinC,


Congratulations, and good luck


That depends how and when you want the strings to be localised. Using a
helper ActiveX component is great if you want to be able to perform the
localisation independent of/after the build, but most people just include a
worksheet that contains a translation table - one column per language and
some sort of ID in the first column.


Not entirely 'outside of Excel', but by automating Excel within the script
and manipulating the Workbook.VBProject.References collection.

Regards

Stephen Bullen
Microsoft MVP - Excel
www.oaltd.co.uk