Source control of Excel VBA code modules - vba

Question

I'd like to be able to source control my Excel spreadsheet's VBA modules (currently using Excel 2003 SP3) so that I can share and manage the code used by a bunch of different spreadsheets - and therefore I'd like to re-load them from files when the spreadsheet is opened.
I've got a module called Loader.bas, that I use to do most of the donkey work (loading and unloading any other modules that are required) - and I'd like to be able to load it up from a file as soon as the spreadsheet is opened.
I've attached the following code to the Workbook_Open event (in the ThisWorkbook class).
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Call RemoveLoader
Call LoadLoader
End Sub
Where RemoveLoader (also within the ThisWorkbook class) contains the following code:
Private Sub RemoveLoader()
Dim y As Integer
Dim OldModules, NumModules As Integer
Dim CompName As String
With ThisWorkbook.VBProject
NumModules = ThisWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Count
y = 1
While y <= NumModules
If .VBComponents.Item(y).Type = 1 Then
CompName = .VBComponents.Item(y).Name
If VBA.Strings.InStr(CompName, "Loader") > 0 Then
OldModules = ThisWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Count
.VBComponents.Remove .VBComponents(CompName)
NumModules = ThisWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Count
If OldModules - NumModules = 1 Then
y = 1
Else
MsgBox ("Failed to remove " & CompName & " module from VBA project")
End If
End If
End If
y = y + 1
Wend
End With
End Sub
Which is probably a bit overcomplicated and slightly crude - but I'm trying everything I can find to get it to load the external module!
Often, when I open the spreadsheet, the RemoveLoader function finds that there's a "Loader1" module already included in the VBA project that it is unable to remove, and it also fails to load the new Loader module from the file.
Any ideas if what I'm trying to do is possible? Excel seems very fond of appending a 1 to these module names - either when loading or removing (I'm not sure which).

Answer 1

There is an excellent solution to the vba version control problem here: https://github.com/hilkoc/vbaDeveloper
The nice part about this is that it exports your code automatically, as soon as you save your workbook. Also, when you open a workbook, it imports the code.
You don't need to run any build scripts or maven commands and you don't need to make any changes to your workbooks. It works for all.
It has also solved the import problem where modules such as ModName are being imported as ModName1 into a duplicate module. The importing works as it should, even when doing it multiple times.
As a bonus, it comes with a simple code formatter, that allows you to format your vba code as you write it within the VBA Editor.

Answer 2

Look at the VBAMaven page. I have a homegrown solution that uses the same concepts. I have a common library with a bunch of source code, an ant build and an 'import' VB script. Ant controls the build, which takes a blank excel file and pushes the needed code into it. #Mike is absolutely correct - any duplicate module definitions will automatically have a number appended to the module name. Also, class modules (as in Sheet and ThisWorkbook) classes require special treatment. You can't create those modules, you have to read the input file and write the buffer into the appropriate module. This is the VB script I currently use to do this. The section containing # delimited text (i.e. #build file#) are placeholders - the ant build replaces these tags with meaningful content. It's not perfect, but works for me.
''
' Imports VB Basic module and class files from the src folder
' into the excel file stored in the bin folder.
'
Option Explicit
Dim pFileSystem, pFolder, pPath
Dim pShell
Dim pApp, book
Dim pFileName
pFileName = "#build file#"
Set pFileSystem = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set pShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
pPath = pShell.CurrentDirectory
If IsExcelFile (pFileName) Then
Set pApp = WScript.CreateObject ("Excel.Application")
pApp.Visible = False
Set book = pApp.Workbooks.Open(pPath & "\build\" & pFileName)
Else
Set pApp = WScript.CreateObject ("Word.Application")
pApp.Visible = False
Set book = pApp.Documents.Open(pPath & "\build\" & pFileName)
End If
'Include root source folder code if no args set
If Wscript.Arguments.Count = 0 Then
Set pFolder = pFileSystem.GetFolder(pPath & "\src")
ImportFiles pFolder, book
'
' Get selected modules from the Common Library, if any
#common path##common file#
Else
'Add code from subdirectories of src . . .
If Wscript.Arguments(0) <> "" Then
Set pFolder = pFileSystem.GetFolder(pPath & "\src\" & Wscript.Arguments(0))
ImportFiles pFolder, book
End If
End If
Set pFolder = Nothing
Set pFileSystem = Nothing
Set pShell = Nothing
If IsExcelFile (pFileName) Then
pApp.ActiveWorkbook.Save
Else
pApp.ActiveDocument.Save
End If
pApp.Quit
Set book = Nothing
Set pApp = Nothing
'' Loops through all the .bas or .cls files in srcFolder
' and calls InsertVBComponent to insert it into the workbook wb.
'
Sub ImportFiles(ByVal srcFolder, ByVal obj)
Dim fileCollection, pFile
Set fileCollection = srcFolder.Files
For Each pFile in fileCollection
If Right(pFile, 3) = "bas _
Or Right(pFile, 3) = "cls _
Or Right(pFile, 3) = "frm Then
InsertVBComponent obj, pFile
End If
Next
Set fileCollection = Nothing
End Sub
'' Inserts the contents of CompFileName as a new component in
' a Workbook or Document object.
'
' If a class file begins with "Sheet", then the code is
' copied into the appropriate code module 1 painful line at a time.
'
' CompFileName must be a valid VBA component (class or module)
Sub InsertVBComponent(ByVal obj, ByVal CompFileName)
Dim t, mName
t = Split(CompFileName, "\")
mName = Split(t(UBound(t)), ".")
If IsSheetCodeModule(mName(0), CompFileName) = True Then
ImportCodeModule obj.VBProject.VBComponents(mName(0)).CodeModule, _
CompFileName
Else
If Not obj Is Nothing Then
obj.VBProject.VBComponents.Import CompFileName
Else
WScript.Echo "Failed to import " & CompFileName
End If
End If
End Sub
''
' Imports the code in the file fName into the workbook object
' referenced by mName.
' #param target destination CodeModule object in the excel file
' #param fName file system file containing code to be imported
Sub ImportCodeModule (ByVal target, ByVal fName)
Dim shtModule, code, buf
Dim fso
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 3
Const TristateUseDefault = -2, TristateTrue = -1, TristateFalse = 0
Set buf = fso.OpenTextFile(fName, ForReading, False, TristateUseDefault)
buf.SkipLine
code = buf.ReadAll
target.InsertLines 1, code
Set fso = Nothing
End Sub
''
' Returns true if the code module in the file fName
' appears to be a code module for a worksheet.
Function IsSheetCodeModule (ByVal mName, ByVal fName)
IsSheetCodeModule = False
If mName = "ThisWorkbook" Then
IsSheetCodeModule = False
ElseIf Left(mName, 5) = "Sheet" And _
IsNumeric(Mid (mName, 6, 1)) And _
Right(fName, 3) = "cls Then
IsSheetCodeModule = True
End If
End Function
''
' Returns true if fName has a xls file extension
Function IsExcelFile (ByVal fName)
If Right(fName, 3) = "xls" Then
IsExcelFile = True
Else
IsExcelFile = False
End If
End Function

Answer 3

I've been working on exactly this for months. I think I figured it out.
If the VB Project is trying to remove a module containing something in the call stack, it delays the removal until the call stack pops the module being replaced.
To avoid a module being in the call stack, launch your code with Application.OnTime
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
'WAS: module_library (1)
Application.OnTime (Now + TimeValue("00:00:01")), "load_library_kicker_firstiter"
End Sub
If you are self-healing your code like I am, you'll also have to launch your code that overwrites the 'calling' code with that same strategy.
I did not perform extensive testing yet, I am in total celebration mode, but this gets me extremely close to straightforward 99.9% self-healing code within a standalone .xls file without any other tricks

Answer 4

Usually the "Loader1" thing happens when Excel is asked to import a module and a module already exists with the same name. So if you import "Loader", then load it again and you'll get "Loader1". This would be because Excel doesn't know (or maybe just doesn't care) if it's really the same thing or a new chunk of functionality that just happens have the same module name, so it imports it anyway.
I can't think of a perfect solution, but I think I'd be inclined to try putting the load/unload logic in an add-in - that Workbook_Open thing looks a little vulnerable and having it in all workbooks is going to be a huge pain if the code ever needs to change (never say never). The XLA logic might be more complex (trickier to trap the necessary events, for one thing) but at least it'll only exist in one place.

Answer 5

Can't leave comment to comment
There is an excellent solution to the vba version control problem
here: https://github.com/hilkoc/vbaDeveloper
About saving custom VBAProjects using this XLAM.
Try this in Build.bas:
'===============
Public Sub testImport()
Dim proj_name As String
Dim vbaProject As Object
'proj_name = "VBAProject"
'Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.VBProjects(proj_name)
Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject
proj_name = vbaProject.name
Build.importVbaCode vbaProject
End Sub
'===============
Public Sub testExport()
Dim proj_name As String
Dim vbaProject As Object
'proj_name = "VBAProject"
'Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.VBProjects(proj_name)
Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject
proj_name = vbaProject.name
Build.exportVbaCode vbaProject
End Sub
'===============
This will export/import Active VBA Project.

Answer 6

The following is an easy-to-implement answer if you don't need to export your VBA code automatically. Just Call the following sub and it will export (as text) the VBA code of the current active workbook in a subfolder named "VC_nameOfTheWorkBook". If your project is a .xlam, you need to temporarily set the IsAddin property to false. Then you can easily add the new subfolder to Git. It is a slight modification of the code found here made by Steve Jansen. For a more complete solution see Ron de Bruin post.
You need to set a reference to "Microsoft Visual Basic For Applications Extensibility 5.3" and to "Microsoft Scripting Runtime" in the VBE Editor.
Public Sub ExportVisualBasicCode()
Const Module = 1
Const ClassModule = 2
Const Form = 3
Const Document = 100
Const Padding = 24
Dim VBComponent As Object
Dim path As String
Dim directory As String
Dim extension As String
Dim fso As New FileSystemObject
directory = ActiveWorkbook.path & "\VC_" & fso.GetBaseName(ActiveWorkbook.Name)
If Not fso.FolderExists(directory) Then
Call fso.CreateFolder(directory)
End If
Set fso = Nothing
For Each VBComponent In ActiveWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents
Select Case VBComponent.Type
Case ClassModule, Document
extension = ".cls"
Case Form
extension = ".frm"
Case Module
extension = ".bas"
Case Else
extension = ".txt"
End Select
On Error Resume Next
Err.Clear
path = directory & "\" & VBComponent.Name & extension
Call VBComponent.Export(path)
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Call MsgBox("Failed to export " & VBComponent.Name & " to " & path, vbCritical)
Else
Debug.Print "Exported " & Left$(VBComponent.Name & ":" & Space(Padding), Padding) & path
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Next
End Sub