XL: Command to Create Add-in File from Visual Basic Module

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0

SUMMARY

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above, there is no built-in method in Visual Basic, Applications Edition, that will perform a Make Add- In operation. To create an add-in from a Visual Basic subroutine, you must use the Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro method to call the VBA.MAKE.ADDIN macro command.

MORE INFORMATION

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above, you can create add-in files by choosing Make Add-In from the Tools menu in a Visual Basic module or Microsoft Excel 4.0 macro sheet. When you do this, you are prompted to enter a filename for the add-in that you want to create.

To create an add-in file from a Visual Basic subroutine, use the following line of code

   Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro "VBA.MAKE.ADDIN(""TEST.XLA"")"

Note that the following line of code will NOT create an add-in file (even though it seems like it should perform the same function):

   ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs "TEST.XLA", xlAddIn

Visual Basic Code Example

Microsoft provides examples of Visual Basic procedures for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This Visual Basic procedure is provided 'as is' and Microsoft does not guarantee that it can be used in all situations. Microsoft does not support modifications of this procedure to suit customer requirements for a particular purpose. Note that a line that is preceded by an apostrophe introduces a comment in the code--comments are provided to explain what the code is doing at a particular point in the procedure. Note also that an underscore character (_) indicates that code continues from one line to the next. You can type lines that contain this character as one logical line or you can divide the lines of code and include the line continuation character. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications programming style, see the "Programming Style in This Manual" section in the "Document Conventions" section of the "Visual Basic User's Guide."

This code shows an example of the correct way create an add-in file using a Visual Basic subroutine:

'----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub MakeAddIn()

   'This command makes an add-in called TEST.XLA, based on the
   'active workbook.
   Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro "VBA.MAKE.ADDIN(""TEST.XLA"")"
End Sub
'----------------------------------------------------------------------