Catching FileFormat property of .XLAM without confusion with .XLSM - vba

Context
I have developed a .xlam add-in that contains user-data inside. In other words, the user can decide to show the add-in file through a ThisWorkbook.IsAddIn = False to edit the content, which is functional to the add-in itself.
However, the user should not be able to perform some operations when he's/she's working on the add-in's spreadsheets rather than on the normal workbook where the Add-In is running.
Need to check for file extension
From here, it comes my need of checking for the file extension and validate it when some specific "forbidden" procedures might get called. I have made the following tests:
If ThisWorkbook.IsAddIn = True, then ThisWorkbook.FileFormat = 55;
If ThisWorkbook.IsAddIn = False, then ThisWorkbook.FileFormat = 52;
The source of confusion
This is not what I was expecting. By simply executing a FullName request when the Add-In is set visible:
ThisWorkbook.IsAddIn = False
MsgBox ThisWorkbook.FullName
I can read that my file is still named C:\myFile.xlam, even if in that moment is visible to the user. So, I would expect ThisWorkbook.FileFormat to raise a 55 even if visible at run-time. But it doesn't do that, apparently.
The question
I need to make sure to distinguish between modifications on the Add-In (.xlam) and modifications on a possible .xlsm file that the user created, from which is using my Add-In.
Why is the FileFormat of my add-in being equal to the one of an xlsm, if the file is clearly xlam to which is associated a 55 instead of a 52? Where am I being wrong?
EDIT - Example of the action to forbid
On the ribbon there's a button created and added from the add-in, which is connected to a macro that cannot be run into the Add-In. So the check I had in mind was something like this:
If ActiveWorkbook.FileFormat = 55 Then
Exit Sub
End If
However, as said above, this check will not be performed because the Add-In has FileFormat = 52 in the moment in which is set to .IsAddIn = False; hence, even if the ActiveWorkbook is the add-in where I do not want to run the macro, the check will fail and the macro will run anyway.

The .IsAddIn workbook property simply indicates whether the file is being run as an Add-in. It does not change the file format. From the documentation:
When you set this property to True, the workbook has the following characteristics:
You won’t be prompted to save the workbook if changes are made while the workbook is open.
The workbook window won’t be visible.
Any macros in the workbook won’t be visible in the Macro dialog box (displayed by pointing to Macro on the Tools menu and clicking Macros).
Macros in the workbook can still be run from the Macro dialog box even though they’re not visible. In addition, macro names don’t need to be qualified with the workbook name.
Holding down the SHIFT key when you open the workbook has no effect.
I sense that this is the real problem you're trying to tackle:
However, the user should not be able to perform some operations when he's/she's working on the add-in's spreadsheets rather than on the normal workbook where the Add-In is running.
Perhaps it will be best if you can specify what actions you're trying to restrict? There may be a better way to solve this.

For the moment I have found four possible solutions, that I'm going to post here just in case someone would have my same issue:
Comparing the full names - credit to Tim Williams
The "special code" cannot run if the full names are different:
If ActiveWorkbook.FullName = ThisWorkbook.FullName Then
Exit Sub
End If
'"special code"
Comparing the isAddIn property - credit to David Zemens
The "special code" cannot run if this workbook is not currently an add-in:
If ThisWorkbook.IsAddIn = False Then
Exit Sub
End If
'"special code"
Comparing the two objects
The "special code" cannot run if the active workbook is the add-in workbook:
If ActiveWorkbook Is ThisWorkbook Then
Exit Sub
End If
'"special code"
Checking for "xlam" extension
The "special" code will not be run if the extension of the file is xlam:
If Right(ActiveWorkbook.FullName,4) = "xlam" Then
Exit Sub
End If
The four solutions above work fine for the purpose, but the question is still opened : why the FileFormat property changes over the same file depending on ThisWorkbook.IsAddIn being False rather than True?

Related

How to keep unrelated workbooks open in excel when running a macro

I am writing a macro in VB in excel 2013. The only remaining bug left is when the macro runs, all of the other workbooks i have open close, even ones unrelated to the macro. I do not want users of my macro to lose other tabs of excel they may have open if they run my program. I have tried using "Application.Visible = true" but it is not giving me the desired behavior. Is there a way to run a macro without affecting any other currently open workbooks? Or is it possible that something else I have written is overriding the Application.Visible method? If someone could provide a recommendation it would be much appreciated.
Application.Visible = false
Simply does what it says, set the application "Excel in your case" to invisible.
If you want to hide something specific you have to call this:
e.g Sheet
Sheets("Whatever").Visible = False
e.g Workbook
ActiveWorkbook.Windows(1).Visible = False
//ActiveWorkbook needs to have an reference to the specified Workbook which you get as an example if you store the opening of the workbook (ActiveWorkbook = Workbooks.Open )
It sounds like you have a line
Workbooks.close
(which will close all workbooks) when what you wanted to do was close the specific workbook with the macro. That should be
ThisWorkbook.Close

VBA - excel closes the previous workbook on opening the new one

I have a strange problem, I suscpect it's connected to the version of the Excel, but I'm not sure at all. I can't figure it out alone so I need your help. I have a macro, which operates on a fresh workbook - it's not saved anywhere, as the worker will save it manually afterwards. The macro is a .xlam format add-in, adding a couple of buttons to the ribbon and these buttons start the code.
Inside the code I have simple lines for opening a new workbook, chosen earlier by an user:
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Set wbMPA = Workbooks.Open(MPA_file)
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Earlier, the code sets active workbook as an object/workbook the macro will mainly work on (tried both versions):
Set dwb = Application.ActiveWorkbook
and later in the code
dwb.activate
OR:
dwb = ActiveWorkbook.Name
and then
workbooks(dwb).Activate
The lines are in separate subs, but the variable is globally declared.
The code works fine until the opening of wbMPA (watching it in the locals all the time). When I try to open the new file with the code above, the earlier workbook (dwb) just closes itself from unknown reasons.
The error I get from the 1st method is this:
error screenshot
The second one gives a simple "Subscipt out of range".
The errors, however, are not a problem. The problem is the cause of them, which is closing of the workbook from unknown reasons.
It happens only when I open the completely new workbook (using the excel icon on the Start bar) - when I do it from File -> New -> Blank Workbook using already opened workbook, the error does not occur.
Another strange thing - me and my colleague from work use 2013 version of Excel. I never have this error, she has it every time.
This is a general scheme of the code, other things are meaningless in this case because there are no other manipulations of workbooks/worksheets.
Dim dwb As Object
Dim wbMPA As Object
Sub_1()
Set dwb = ActiveWorkbook
Set wbMPA = Workbooks.Open(MPA_file)
Call Sub_2
End Sub
Sub_2()
dwb.Activate
End Sub
I get an error on the activation of dwb in Sub_2, because it closes itself for God knows what the reason on the opening of wbMPA in the Sub_1.
If you have only opened a blank workbook (clicking Excel from Toolbar, for example) and then you open any named workbook before making any changes to the blank workbook, the blank workbook will disappear. I believe that is normal/expected behavior.
I can't speculate why this happens on one computer but not another, but this is always how I have observed new/blank documents (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) to behave, and assume this to be the normal behavior. You may have some different option/configuration on your Excel environment which is changing this default behavior, or maybe you are slightly altering the blank file before running the macro, and your co-worker isn't, etc.
A word of caution to avoid relying on ActiveWorkbook -- and especially in this case if the expectation is to always Set dwb to a new/blank workbook, the best way to do that is to explicitly create a new/blank workbook, rather than relying on the user to manually open a new/blank target workbook.
Set dwb = Workbooks.Add
If, on the other hand dwb must be assigned to some other known/existing workbook, then you should be either providing the file path to an Open statement, or the workbook name to the Workbooks collection.
On a related note, it's almost never necessary to Activate a workbook, see here:
How to avoid using Select in Excel VBA macros
And further note: your variables aren't globally scoped, they're scoped only to the module using Dim statement. A public declaration uses the Public keyword, not the Dim keyword. Both module-scoped and global-scoped should be used with caution (Public moreso than module-scoped) and in most cases it's preferable to pass objects/variables by reference to dependent subs and functions:
How to make Excel VBA variables available to multiple macros?

Run Macro from Desktop Shortcut

I wrote a macro that does some calculations based on a particular type of excel sheet. Im trying to distribute this to my coworkers but the addition of a macro to a workbook and then running the macro is something foreign to them. I'd like to have a "shortcut" or some VBS program to open a specific workbook (specified by the user), run the macro, and display the results.
Your help is appreciated!
--Edit--
I wrote a macro in VBA. I exported the file to my desktop. Its simply called "Macro1". We have a standard form of excel sheet our company uses. Its literally the same sheet with different numbers. The macro I designed works on these kinds of sheets and does calculations. My coworkers aren't good with macros, so I want some sort of "code" that will prompt one of my coworkers for an excel file, then execute the macro on the file. Hopefully this clarifies any questions.
You need to make it a excel add-in.
Then in the add-in make it run on workbook open with Sub App_SheetActivate(ByVal Sh As Object) in thisworkbook.
In the macro you can then have it only activate on certain workbook name or workbook type by:
If range("A1").value = "something" ' something that makes the workbook type special.
' Maybe you need B1 value and so on too.
Do you need a way to self-install the add in just let me know and I have a code for that too.
Self install:
' if add-in is not installed and the workbook is a add-in (workbookcount =0)
' Also take note that this code will only run if the add-in is not installed
If Dir(Application.UserLibraryPath & "YourWorkbookName.xlam") = "" And Workbooks.Count = 0 Then
'optional ask user if he wants to install or not. Code not included.
' copy file from current position to add-ins folder.
Result = apiCopyFile(ThisWorkbook.FullName, Application.UserLibraryPath & "YourWorkbookName.xlam", False)
' activate the add-in
AddIns("YourAdd-inName").Installed = True
msgbox("add-in installed")
' Close Excel since add-ins does not work without restart of Excel
On Error Resume Next
Application.Interactive = False
AppActivate "Microsoft Excel"
Application.Quit
Exit Sub
End If
Note that the file must be saved as a add-in. (xlam) this means there is no sheets, the workbook is VBA code only.
Normally, that does not mean the code needs to be written in a special way.
Usually Range("XX").value works, but some commands may need to point towards the correct workbook. (you have two workbooks open with add-ins, the add-in with the code and the workbook with the sheets and numbers)
Hope this helps

Excel 2013 to 2010 backward compatibility issue with ActiveX (NOT Dec14th update issue)

I am transitioning a set of interrelated Excel documents that use VBA code for lookups, data manipulation and calculations from Excel 2010 to Excel 365. I have both on my development machine, however these get sent (via email) to customers all over and then returned. I use .xlmb file formats for the file size savings however this doesn't seem to be affecting the outcome.
CURRENT ISSUE
When I save a workbook using 365 on my development machine, users get errors when performing an action that runs my VBA code when run from a machine that only has 2010 installed (if both versions are installed, the behavior does not seem to happen). I have focused the problem to when there is code in a module and there is an ActiveX control on a sheet. ONLY this combination seems to create the issue.
The test file/code I've created that consistently shows the issue is a workbook with the following code in a module:
Dim strBook As String
' Worksheet Names
Public Const wksTest = "Sheet1"
Public Function TestMe(PassedSheet As String)
strBook = ActiveWorkbook.Name
Workbooks(strBook).Worksheets(PassedSheet).Protect
Workbooks(strBook).Worksheets(PassedSheet).Unprotect
MsgBox "Worked from function", vbOKOnly, "Response"
End Function
And code in the sheet. It works with this code and selecting cell B2 protects and then unprotects the sheet while displaying message boxes:
Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
If Target.Row = 2 And Target.Column = 2 Then
strBook = ActiveWorkbook.Name
Me.Protect
Me.Unprotect
MsgBox "Worked from sheet", vbOKOnly, "Response"
Call TestMe(wksTest)
End If
End Sub
However if an ActiveX Command Button named "TestButton" is added to Sheet1 and this code is added:
Private Sub TestButton_Click()
strBook = ActiveWorkbook.Name
Me.Protect
Me.Unprotect
MsgBox "Worked from Button", vbOKOnly, "Response"
Call TestMe(wksTest)
End Sub
The workbook will no longer function if saved from 365 and opened with 2010 on a machine with only 2010 installed.
This is unique enough that it has been difficult to test. Currently, the only option I seem to have is replace all my command buttons with Form Controls. This also is a separate issue from the security update (which is really muddying the waters).
I would love to get feedback on possible fixes for this issue or even just confirmation from others that this is an Excel issue and not somehow limited to our installation.
Thanks
I was looking for help on a similar question and stumbled on this info on the Microsoft help site. If this doesn't solve the problem you have, it might be a step in the right direction:
"If a workbook contains ActiveX controls that are considered to be Unsafe for Initialization (UFI), they are lost when you save the workbook to an earlier Excel file format. You may want to mark those controls as Safe for Initialization (SFI).
What to do: If you open a workbook that contains uninitialized ActiveX controls, and the workbook is set to high security, you must first use the Message Bar to enable them before they can be initialized."

VBA Dialogs.Show doesn't display warning message

Have Excel (2010 in my case but I think it will be the same also in other versions) with two workbooks. Save first one with name "1.xlx" (example) via Save As dialog. Save second one with the same name "1.xlx" to different location. Excel will not allow it with following warning message:
"You cannot save this workbook with the same name as another open workbook or add-in. Choose a different name, or close the other workbook or add-in before saving."
So far so good. But my problem is that I need to invoke dialog via VBA. I am using following code:
Sub test()
Application.Dialogs(XlBuiltInDialog.xlDialogSaveAs).Show
End Sub
Now I am trying to save second workbook (with the same name to different location) but when I click to 'Save' button nothing happen, no warning message. If I wouldn't know what is wrong it would be very difficult to tell. I didn't change any setting (there is nothing as DisplayAlerts set to true or so). Any idea how make SaveAs dialog invoked via VBA to display similar warnings?
I'm not sure why that doesn't give you an error, but it doesn't me either. If you use Application.FileDialog, you can get that error.
Sub testts()
With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogSaveAs)
.Show
.Execute
End With
End Sub
Or you could use GetSaveAsFileName and check the names of all the open workbooks and generate the error yourself.
Can you try with the below code on starting on your code.
Application.DisplayAlerts = True