switch to a .exe installer

[Djblois]

I want to switch to something a little more reliable than the .xla add-in and I think I read somewhere that vba add-ins can be set up as .exe add-ins. is this possible or something else better than .xla?

[Bob Phillips]

Reliable in what way? If xla isn't reliable it is probably down to the coder.

[Djblois]

no I mean sometimes people have to reinstall it because our server reset their excel settings.

[Bob Phillips]

i haven't come across that myself, so I don't know, but it seems to me the problem is elsewhere.

[Djblois]

Also, is there way I can save my add-in to a server, so it is on everyone's machine? Finally, now that I am using registry settings can I give an adminstrator certain rights to not allow certain users to install certain pieces? (right now I do this by checking the persons user name but certain people have a question of security when doing this, I want to set it so management gets a certain piece of the add-in where they can set what user names get what parts of the add-in)

[JonPeltier]

I use Inno Setup to deploy add-ins. It is flexible and easy to learn. It allows a larger installation, such as an XLA and a number of related XLTs and other files. Files just go where they belong, and the user doesn't need to know anything about add-ins.

[Djblois]

Jon Where can I get more information? Also, would that allow me to give administarators privaleges to set access to certaion modules of the add-in from within the program instead of in the code?

[lucas]

Its called google.....Inno (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Inno+setup) ever heard of it?
I would guess no to the second part...that will have to be done in the addin I think.

[JonPeltier]

From Google:


Inno Setup (http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php)
A powerful script based freeware installation builder with Delphi source available. By Jordan Russell.
www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php (http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php)

I don't know if this would set the permissions, but it does allow registry operations during setup.

[lucas]

Hint: this is why folks get frustrated trying to help you Daniel. If one of my children came to me and wanted to know what a word means guess what I would tell them......look it up.....you have two of us doing your basic legwork for you in the last 3 posts....

[Djblois]

Lucas,

I don't want to argue with you but I do a lot of my own leg work. I appreciate all the help including yours. I have about 5 books of code that I use to look up problems and I check a lot of my own code as well for solutions to probems. I just checked the website for INNo and it doesn't mention anything about VBA. That is why I posted here if Jon knows about it, he can help with something I can't find support files on.

It mentions VB 6.0 would that work the same? I know they are not exactly the same, so I don't know

[JonPeltier]

Inno installs your programs. It doesn't care if it's a VBA add-in for Excel, or a C++ program, or a set of XML files, or whatever. You have to know a little bit about how you want your files deployed.

[Djblois]

Thank you Jon

[Ken Puls]

Daniel,

If you want to deploy an add-in within your own network, this article (http://www.excelguru.ca/node/45) may also help. What I do here is create my working copy on my PC, and use code to push it to a network drive when updated. The users all install it from there and I know they are all running the latest version.

It won't help you in the long run if your IT dept wipes all your settings, but neither will InnoSetup. Personally, if you're just doing this internally, that seems like an unneeded extra step.