Distributing macros to Excel 97 users

[rguglielmon]

I have created a number of Excel macros written in Office XP and I need to distribute them to users of Office 97. The questions I have include:
- Does Excel 97 also have Add-Ins in the same manner as Excel XP? Can I create custom Add-Ins and distribute them to other users?
- If so, where should they be stored on the other users' computers?
- What major Xp to 97 incompatibilities should I be aware of?
Where is all this stuff documented? It is very hard to find comprehensive information and examples about this?

 

[combo]

It is a long time when excel uses add-ins, so it is no problem with using them in earlier versions. They can be installed manually from anywhere (the default library path for all users is in office library folder). The major reconstruction of excel development environment came with 97 version. MS introduced common, for office, VBA language and development environment, userforms, menubars and toolbars.
While downgrading excel application from XP to 97 you have to have in mind that:
- office 97 uses VBA version 5, whereas 2000 and xp version 6. There are some major changes, VBA 6 has more functions and objects, allows to show modeless userforms, and some other features.
- excel and consequently its object model offers new features.
- office objects are extensively implemented in each new office version.

You can find 'What's new?' topic in 'Microsoft Excel Visual Basic Reference' section of 2000 help file, same for XP.
There is a lot of articles in MSDN

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp

under 'Office Solutions Development': 'MS Excel' and especially 'MS Office'.
As the core of VBA is close to VB, some new VB/VBA functions can be found at

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...tml/deovrunderstandingscriptletsbehaviors.asp

Hope that this is enough to start downgrading. At any case, if you have excel 97 installed, compiling/running the code should cause errors if there is no specified object or property.

combo