Excel Addin Release Procedure

D

dabramov

Can someone recommend a release/test procedure for Excel Add-ins? It
seems that keeping add-ins-to-test in a testing directory and
add-ins-in-production in some production directory doesn't work because
I can't flip between the add-in in test and production. Changing the
location of the add-in using Excel's add-in menu works about 20% of the
time so I can't reliably figure out if I am using an add-in from the
test or production directory. Any suggestions?
 
D

Dave Peterson

Your life will be much simpler if you create the toolbar (or menu items) when
you open your addin.

Then you won't have to worry about what macro in what workbook is assigned to
each button/item.

If you want to add an option to the worksheet menu bar, I really like the way
John Walkenbach does it in his menumaker workbook:
http://j-walk.com/ss/excel/tips/tip53.htm

Here's how I do it when I want a toolbar:
http://www.contextures.com/xlToolbar02.html
(from Debra Dalgleish's site)
 
D

dabramov

Thanks for the reply but I'm sorry I can't seem to figure out how to
apply that to my question. Let's take an oversimplified example,
suppose I have a function in my addin called abc() that returns 1 and a
user asked me to modify the function to return 1.5 (to give him more
precision let's say). So in production I still want the function abc()
to return 1 but in some other environment I want the function to return
1.5 and I want the tester/user to make sure it does that to his
content. When he is happy I will move the function that returns 1.5
into the production environment thereby replacing the old one. How do I
achieve this with the toolbar (menu items) trick?
 
D

Dave Peterson

Sorry, I thought that you were having trouble with macros assigned to buttons.

Personally, I'd use a different function name while testing--or just use the
same addin name (rename the production version and put the test version in the
same location with the same name--but make sure the tester knows that he's
testing!)
 
D

dabramov

This is what I tried to do but now assume that you have multiple users.
At this point you can't just flip the production version to the staging
version because other people will get confused what they are using.
This is my dilemma -- what is the correct way to do this?
 
D

Dave Peterson

It sounds like you have your addin on a network drive shared by all the users.

I would limit my testing to a few users. And I'd give them my test version (any
name) to install locally--or a different name or folder. Tell them to install
that version and remove the other version.

Then tell them to change the link to the test version.
Edit|links.
 
D

dabramov

Hi Dave, thank you very much! The Edit -> Links trick works well! I was
trying to change the Add-Ins. BTW what is the difference between the
Edit|Links and just chaning the Add-Ins?
 
D

Dave Peterson

If you open a workbook that uses a function in the original addin, and look at
one of the formulas, then you'll see a reference to that addin (full path and
filename -- if the addin is not open).

Edit|Links changes that link just like edit|Links changes a "normal" link to a
cell in a different workbook.

(But I'm not sure I understand your question.)
 
D

dabramov

Reading back my message I wasn't very clear. I'm sorry. I was just
trying to figure out what is the difference between changing a link to
something using Edit|Links v. changing the Add-In to point to some
other addin.
 
D

Dave Peterson

I don't see any difference between Edit|Links|change source and changing the
workbook (not addin) to point at a different addin.

If there is, maybe someone will post it.
 
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