VBA - VSTO

[ProjectExplorer]

I have built lots of Access/Excel/Word VBA applications / functions and am now looking at the future - but I am well confused.

Can anyone please help explain where VBA is heading in terms of MS Office. Does VSTO now completely replace VBA (albeit using the .net IDE). Do I buy VSTO as a separate peice of software or does/will it come as part of future Office software (like VBA).

I am happy to embrace the future and hopefully a better programming experience but I just want to know where to start.

If any one can clarify the situation I would be very grateful and hopefully a little less confused.

Many thanks.

 

[TonyJollans]

Only Microsoft know where VBA is heading.

VBA is the only language that comes with Office. It still exists and is still maintained. Microsoft have committed to keeping it in the next release of Office so you don't need to discard it yet

There is clearly a (corporate-driven) trend towards development being in the realm of the developer rather than the end-user and there are certainly things that can be done with VSTO that cannot be done in VBA - but that was always the case.

VSTO, if you want it, comes as part of Visual Studio. Visual Studio 2008 contains the latest version of VSTO with support for many of the new facilities in Office 2007.

Enjoy,
Tony

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[ProjectExplorer]

Tony

Thanks for you reply - it clarifies a number of things for me.