Introduction to VB and Excel

M

Mark

Hi newsgroup

My boss gave me the following assignment. Please make an interface between
GAMS and EXCEL. This interface should have a lot of functionality and be
able to visualise data.

What is the easiest way to accomplish this? I thought of using EXCEL and VB
to make an application that had the feel of being a standalone program and
use components/objects from EXCEL.

My question to you is: What book should i buy for reference/introduction ?
;-)

Thank's in advance
Mark
 
H

Hank Scorpio

My boss gave me the following assignment. Please make an interface between
GAMS and EXCEL. This interface should have a lot of functionality and be
able to visualise data.
Click to expand...

Your boss is a real precise kinda person. Although I suppose s/he
could have just said "Gimmie something and make it do stuff"... 8^>
What is the easiest way to accomplish this? I thought of using EXCEL and VB
to make an application that had the feel of being a standalone program and
use components/objects from EXCEL.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what GAMS is, but if it supports ODBC links then it
shouldn't be TOO hard (for certain values of "too") to use Excel as an
interface to it. Hey, if I could manage that with Oracle Financials,
then...
My question to you is: What book should i buy for reference/introduction ?
;-)
Click to expand...

This isn't a bad one if its predecessors are any guide. (Sorry John, I
haven't seen the current edition yet):

http://j-walk.com/ss/books/xlbook25.htm

Don't be put off by the title if you're just starting with VBA; you'll
find that it gives you a good amount of groundwork as well.
 
B

Bob Phillips

Mark,

Unless you are a more than reasonably experienced programmer, with a good
understanding of object models and Excel (if not VBA), and depending upon
the timescales, then I would suggest that this is a poisoned assignment. To
learn VBA, Excel, Excel object model, inter-program communication, et al, is
not a trivial task, and will take months to develop to any sensible level of
competency as the limited spec you give suggests is required.

--

HTH

Bob Phillips
... looking out across Poole Harbour to the Purbecks
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)
 
M

Mark

Hank Scorpio said:
Your boss is a real precise kinda person. Although I suppose s/he
could have just said "Gimmie something and make it do stuff"... 8^>


I'm not sure what GAMS is, but if it supports ODBC links then it
shouldn't be TOO hard (for certain values of "too") to use Excel as an
interface to it. Hey, if I could manage that with Oracle Financials,
then...


This isn't a bad one if its predecessors are any guide. (Sorry John, I
haven't seen the current edition yet):

http://j-walk.com/ss/books/xlbook25.htm

Don't be put off by the title if you're just starting with VBA; you'll
find that it gives you a good amount of groundwork as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot!

Regards
Mark
 
M

Mark

Bob Phillips said:
Mark,

Unless you are a more than reasonably experienced programmer, with a good
understanding of object models and Excel (if not VBA), and depending upon
the timescales, then I would suggest that this is a poisoned assignment. To
learn VBA, Excel, Excel object model, inter-program communication, et al, is
not a trivial task, and will take months to develop to any sensible level of
competency as the limited spec you give suggests is required.
--

HTH

Bob Phillips
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments! You are absolutely right. Fortunately I have a
solid background in C/C++, java etc. On top of this I have some user
experiance with EXCEL. Finally the only interfacing with GAMS is through
flat files.

Still, i do not intend to underestimate the size of this assignment.

Regards
MArk
 
K

Keith Willshaw

Mark said:
Hi newsgroup

My boss gave me the following assignment. Please make an interface between
GAMS and EXCEL. This interface should have a lot of functionality and be
able to visualise data.

What is the easiest way to accomplish this? I thought of using EXCEL and VB
to make an application that had the feel of being a standalone program and
use components/objects from EXCEL.

My question to you is: What book should i buy for reference/introduction ?
;-)
Click to expand...

You may want to examine the possibility of using the
Excel Spreadsheet component in the .Net environment

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d.../html/deovrWorkingWithOfficeWebComponents.asp

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...html/deovrunderstandingspreadsheetcontrol.asp

http://vbnetadvisor.com/doc/13323

http://www.microsoft.com/office/previous/xp/developer/platform/webcomp.asp

Alternatively some useful URLS for the VB/VBA route are

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q306/1/30.ASP&NoWebContent=1

http://www.codeproject.com/com/excelfeed.asp

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/resources.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;xl2003

Keith
 
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