Use VBA to retrieve and call VBA code from a text file - vba

Question

I am working on a project to process some incoming Outlook messages using rule-triggered VBA code.
However, I don't want to have to manually update the code for each user's inbox any time the code needs to change. So my idea is to put a text file on a shared drive and have the VBA pull that text file down and treat it like code. Essentially, I want to use that text file like a little code library.
I was able to find this link that has gotten me very close to my goal. However, I'm having a few issues with it.
Here is the code I put together. It is attached to the click event of a Rectangle shape I inserted into an Excel file. Eventually, I'll move this over to Outlook, but I'm just doing a basic test with Excel VBA first.
Sub Rectangle1_Click()
On Error GoTo Err_Handler
Dim enviro As String
Dim myFile As String
'Pull code "library" from text file on user's desktop
'This will eventually be changed to reside on a shared drive
enviro = CStr(Environ("USERPROFILE"))
myFile = enviro & "\Desktop\hello_vba.txt"
'If the "Library" module already exists, delete it
For Each a In Modules
If a.Name = "Library" Then
a.Delete
Exit For
End If
Next
'Add a new module
Set m = Application.Modules.Add
'Rename it to "Library"
m.Name = "Library"
'Insert the text from the other file to this new module
m.InsertFile myFile
'Call the hello() subroutine from the retrieved text file
Library.Hello
Exit_Here:
'Cleanup code goes here
Exit Sub
Err_Handler:
MsgBox Err.Description
Resume Exit_Here
Exit Sub
And here is the content of the external text file named "hello_vba.txt":
Sub Hello()
MsgBox "Hello"
End Sub
The first time I run this, using the debugger I can see that it creates the new module and then gets to the line that says:
m.Name = "Library"
And then a window pops up in the debugger that says:
Can't enter break mode at this time
When I click continue on that message, I get an
Object Required
error message. If it run it again, then I get some more error messages but I do eventually get a successful "Hello" message box pop up.
I'm wondering if I may not have "Dim"ed the "a" or "m" variables properly or if there is a problem trying to pull in a text file and immediately treat it like code?
Any ideas?

Answer 1

To run your new code, try using Application.Run instead of Library.Hello
It would be written:
Application.Run("Hello")
Does that work?