Professional Excel Development: The Definitive Guide to Developing Applications Using Microsoft(r) Excel and VBA(R)

“As Excel applications become more complex and the Windows development platform more powerful, Excel developers need books like this to help them evolve their solutions to the next level of sophistication. Professional Excel Development is a book for developers who want to build powerful, state-of-the-art Excel applications using the latest Microsoft technologies.”

–Gabhan Berry, Program Manager, Excel Programmability, Microsoft

“The first edition of Professional Excel Development is my most-consulted and most-recommended book on Office development. The second edition expands both the depth and range. It shines because it takes every issue one step further than you expect. The book relies on the authors’ current, real-world experience to cover not only how a feature works, but also the practical implications of using it in professional work.”

–Shauna Kelly, Director, Thendara Green

“This book illustrates techniques that will result in well-designed, robust, and maintainable Excel-based applications. The authors’ advice comes from decades of solid experience of designing and building applications. The practicality of the methods is well illustrated by the example timesheet application that is developed step-by-step through the book. Every serious Excel developer should read this and learn from it. I did.”

–Bill Manville, Application Developer, Bill Manville Associates

The Start-to-Finish Guide to Building State-of-the-Art Solutions with Excel 2007

In this book, four world-class Microsoft® Excel developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors—three of whom have been honored by Microsoft as Excel Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs)—show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel’s most powerful new features. Using their techniques,you can reduce development costs, time to market, and hassle—and build more effective, successful solutions.

Fully updated for Excel 2007, this book starts where other books on Excel programming leave off. Through a hands-on case study project, you’ll discover best practices for planning, architecting, and building Excel applications that are robust, secure, easy to maintain, and highly usable. If you’re a working developer, no other book on Excel programming offers you this much depth, insight, or value.

•    Design worksheets that will be more useful and reliable

•    Leverage built-in and application-specific add-ins

•    Construct applications that behave like independent Windows programs

•    Make the most of the new Ribbon user interface

•    Create cross-version applications that work with legacy versions of Excel

•    Utilize XML within Excel applications

•    Understand and use Windows API calls

•    Master VBA error handling, debugging, and performance optimization

•    Develop applications based on data stored in Access, SQL Server, and other databases

•    Build powerful visualization solutions with Excel charting engine

•    Learn how to work with VB.NET and leverage its IDE

•    Automate Microsoft Excel with VB.NET

•    Create managed COM add-ins for Microsoft Excel with VB.NET

•    Develop Excel solutions with Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO)

•    Integrate Excel with Web Services

•    Deploy applications more securely and efficiently

This is not a book for beginners. Writing for professional developers and true Excel experts, the authors share insider's knowledge they've acquired building Excel applications for many of the world's largest companies—including Microsoft. Professional Excel Development demonstrates how to get the utmost from Excel, addressing everything from application architectures through worksheet and userform design, charting, debugging, error handling and optimizing performance. Along the way, the authors offer best practices for every type of Excel development, from building add-ins through interacting with XML Web services. Coverage includes

• Building add-ins to provide new Excel functions

• Designing effective worksheets, userforms and other user interface elements

• Leveraging Excel's powerful data analysis features

• Creating sophisticated custom charts

• Handling errors, debugging applications and optimizing performance

• Using class modules and interfaces to create custom objects

• Understanding Windows API calls: when to use them, and how to modify them

• Adding worksheet functions with

• C-based XLLs

• Programming with databases

• Controlling external applications from Excel

• Integrating with Visual Basic 6, VB.NET and Visual Studio Tools for Office

• Using XML to import and export data and communicate with Web services

• Providing help, securing, packaging and distributing

The accompanying CD-ROM contains the book's sample timesheet application at every stage of construction, with detailed code comments. It also includes many examples of the concepts introduced in each chapter and a collection of the authors' Excel development utilities.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

The Start-to-Finish Guide to Building State-of-the-Art Solutions with Excel 2007

In this book, four world-class Microsoft® Excel developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors–three of whom have been honored by Microsoft as Excel Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs)–show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel’s most powerful new features. Using their techniques,you can reduce development costs, time to market, and hassle–and build more effective, successful solutions. Fully updated for Excel 2007, this book starts where other books on Excel programming leave off. Through a hands-on case study project, you’ll discover best practices for planning, architecting, and building Excel applications that are robust, secure, easy to maintain, and highly usable. If you’re a working developer, no other book on Excel programming offers you this much depth, insight, or value.

• Design worksheets that will be more useful and reliable
• Leverage built-in and application-specific add-ins
• Construct applications that behave like independent Windows programs
• Make the most of the new Ribbon user interface
• Create cross-version applications that work with legacy versions of Excel
• Utilize XML within Excel applications
• Understand and use Windows API calls
• Master VBA error handling, debugging, and performance optimization
• Develop applications based on data stored in Access, SQL Server, and other databases
• Build powerful visualization solutions with Excel charting engine
• Learn how to work with VB.NET and leverage its IDE
• Automate Microsoft Excel with VB.NET
• Create managed COM add-ins for Microsoft Excel with VB.NET
• Develop Excel solutions with Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO)
• Integrate Excel with Web Services
• Deploy applications more securely and efficiently

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Contents

Acknowledgments.

About the Authors.

1. Introduction.

    About This Book

    The Excel Developer

    Excel as an Application Development Platform

    Structure

    Examples

    Supported Versions

    Typefaces

    On the CD

    Help and Support

    Feedback

2. Application Architectures.

    Concepts

    Conclusion

3. Excel and VBA Development Best Practices.

    Naming Conventions

    Best Practices for Application Structure and Organization

    General Application Development Best Practices

    Conclusion

4. Worksheet Design.

    Principles of Good Worksheet UI Design

    Program Rows and Columns: The Fundamental UI Design Technique

    Defined Names

    Styles

    User Interface Drawing Techniques

    Data Validation

    Conditional Formatting

    Using Controls on Worksheets

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

5. Function, General and Application-Specific Add-ins.

    The Four Stages of an Application

    Function Library Add-ins

    General Add-ins

    Application-Specific Add-ins

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

6. Dictator Applications.

    Structure of a Dictator Application

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

7. Using Class Modules to Create Objects.

    Creating Objects

    Creating a Collection

    Trapping Events

    Raising Events

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

8. Advanced Command Bar Handling.

    Command Bar Design

    Table-Driven Command Bars

    Putting It All Together

    Loading Custom Icons from Files

    Hooking Command Bar Control Events

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

9. Understanding and Using Windows API Calls.

    Overview

    Working with the Screen

    Working with Windows

    Working with the Keyboard

    Working with the File System and Network

    Practical Examples

    Conclusion

10. Userform Design and Best Practices.

    Principles

    Control Fundamentals

    Visual Effects

    Userform Positioning and Sizing

    Wizards

    Dynamic Userforms

    Modeless Userforms

    Control Specifics

    Practical Examples

    Conclusion

11. Interfaces.

    What Is an Interface?

    Code Reuse

    Defining a Custom Interface

    Implementing a Custom Interface

    Using a Custom Interface

    Polymorphic Classes

    Improving Robustness

    Simplifying Development

    A Plug-in Architecture

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

12. VBA Error Handling.

    Error-Handling Concepts

    The Single Exit Point Principle

    Simple Error Handling

    Complex Project Error Handler Organization

    The Central Error Handler

    Error Handling in Classes and Userforms

    Putting It All Together

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

13. Programming with Databases.

    An Introduction to Databases

    Designing the Data Access Tier

    Data Access with SQL and ADO

    Further Reading

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

14. Data Manipulation Techniques.

    Excel’s Data Structures

    Data Processing Features

    Advanced Functions

    Conclusion

15. Advanced Charting Techniques.

    Fundamental Techniques

    VBA Techniques

    Conclusion

16. VBA Debugging.

    Basic VBA Debugging Techniques

    The Immediate Window (Ctrl+G)

    The Call Stack (Ctrl+L)

    The Watch Window

    The Locals Window

    The Object Browser (F2)

    Creating and Running a Test Harness

    Using Assertions

    Debugging Shortcut Keys that Every Developer Should Know

    Conclusion

17. Optimizing VBA Performance.

    Measuring Performance

    The PerfMon Utility

    Creative Thinking

    Macro-Optimization

    Micro-Optimization

    Conclusion

18. Controlling Other Office Applications.

    Fundamentals

    The Primary Office Application Object Models

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

19. XLLs and the C API.

    Why Create an XLL-Based Worksheet Function

    Creating an XLL Project in Visual Studio

    The Structure of an XLL

    The XLOPER and OPER Data Types

    The Excel4 Function

    Commonly Used C API Functions

    XLOPERs and Memory Management

    Registering and Unregistering Custom Worksheet Functions

    Sample Application Function

    Debugging the Worksheet Functions

    Miscellaneous Topics

    Additional Resources

    Conclusion

20. Combining Excel and Visual Basic 6.

    A Hello World ActiveX DLL

    Why Use VB6 ActiveX DLLs in Excel VBA Projects

    In-Process versus Out-of-Process

    Automating Excel From a VB6 EXE

    Practical Examples

    Conclusion

21. Writing Add-ins with Visual Basic 6.

    A Hello World Add-in

    The Add-in Designer

    Installation Considerations

    The AddinInstance Events

    Command Bar Handling

    Why Use a COM Add-in?

    Automation Add-ins

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

22. Using VB.NET and the Visual Studio Tools for Office.

    Overview

    How to Leverage the .NET Framework

    Managed Workbooks

    Managed Excel Add-ins

    Hybrid VBA/VSTO Solutions

    The VSTO Security Model

    The Big Issues

    Further Reading

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

23. Excel, XML and Web Services.

    XML

    Web Services

    Practical Example

    Conclusion

24. Providing Help, Securing, Packaging and Distributing.

    Providing Help

    Securing

    Packaging

    Distributing

    Conclusion

Index.