How does Excel work on a Network?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mervyn Thomas
  • Start date Start date
M

Mervyn Thomas

Can someone give some guidance on the best way of handling macros across
several users on an NT network.
Where should they be placed?
How can you stop users opening other XLStart files at the same time which
would confuse the workbooks index?
In VB macro programmes how do you change directories relative to the
starting point in a relative way, as I normally refer to C:\...\.... etc
when working on a stand alone PC?

Mervyn
 
#1. Macros live in workbooks. So you have to either give a copy of the
workbook to each user or make a common copy available to all users.

#2. If the macros are general, I'd save the workbook as an addin and let the
users save them anywhere (with a recommendation for people who don't care/don't
know where to put them.)

After the user saved the addin, they can do Tools|Addins and browse to that
drive/folder to make the macros available. If you use an Addin, you'll need to
provide some interface to the macros--a new toolbar or changes to an existing
toolbar.

John Walkenbach has a nice MenuMaker workbook that you can use to customize the
worksheet menubar.
http://j-walk.com/ss/excel/tips/tip53.htm

He also has a help system (not like .hlp or .chm files, though) at:
http://j-walk.com/ss/excel/tips/tip51.htm

#3. Don't do this. I wouldn't want someone interfering with my stuff. If I
work on multiple workbooks at the same time, you shouldn't hinder me. You
should find an alternative to the workbook's index.

#4. I can still do things like this:
MsgBox CurDir
ChDir ".."
MsgBox CurDir

But depending on the same structure on someone else's pc sounds like a problem
just waiting to happen. You may want to find another way--ask the user where to
store/find stuff????
 
In addition to Dave's comments:

another way is to put your macros in an addin that you install and maintain
in a shared directory on the server.
any files and workbooks that your addin requires can be stored in the same
directory or a sub directory.
Then you can find the path in your code using Thisworkbook.path etc.

Each of your users then needs to install the addin, (and answer NO to the
question "do you want to copy to the Library").

If you are going to have several addins or frequently reversion them you may
want to consider using my automatically reversioning addin loader from
http://www.decisionModels.com/downloads.htm


regards
Charles
______________________
Decision Models
FastExcel Version 2 now available.
www.DecisionModels.com/FxlV2WhatsNew.htm
 
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