VBAToolKit feature : Recreate Configuration

VBAToolKit is able to recreate the Excel file corresponding to a configuration.

What it does (from a user point of view)

A configuration is described by a name, a path, and a number of modules.

When asked to recreate a configuration, VBAToolKit creates an Excel file :

• containing all the modules described in the configuration

• whose VBProject object has the name of the configuration.

• whose name is the same than in the indicated path

• whose file type is consistent with the extension indicated in the path (for example, a .xlam configuration will be recreated as an Excel add-in)

The recreation of configurations is accessible via a form that can be viewed by clicking the according button in the VBAToolKit ToolBar .
It is possible to create either a single configuration, either every configuration except the one selected. This is handy when we don't want to recreate the DEV configuration we are working on.

It is impossible to recreate a configuration corresponding to an open Excel workbook.

How it does it (from a programmer point of view)

• Firstly, VBAToolKit gets the list of projects and their respective location information from the "remembered projects" file, described here. The module dedicated to this purpose is vtkProjects.

• Then, it uses this information to compute the location the XML description file that describes the wanted project.

• VBAToolKit then creates a dedicated vtkConfigurationManager object to read from the file and get the project information.

• The vtkRecreateConfiguration function uses the information found in the XML file and the modules found at the paths indicated in the XML file.

The vtkRecreateConfiguration function creates a Workbook object, fills it with the relevant data (modules, project title, etc), and saves it at the indicated path, with the relevant fileformat.

The filetypes corresponding to the extensions are :

xlsx -> xlOpenXMLWorkbook
xltx -> xlOpenXMLTemplate
xltm -> xlOpenXMLTemplateMacroEnabled
xlsm -> xlOpenXMLWorkbookMacroEnabled
xlam -> xlOpenXMLAddIn
xla  -> xlAddIn
xls  -> xlExcel8

Tips about the UserForm

• A green path indicates a valid path.

  • for a folder or a template, it indicates that the object exists in the file system.
  • for an XML file, it indicates that the file exists ad is loadable without problems, that is to say : is compliant with the embedded DTD.

• A red path indicates that the object does not exist in the file system.

• An orange path is only used for XML files : it indicates that the file could be found but could not be loaded : there is a problem, probably with the DTD. In the near future, a button to diagnose the problem could be put near the text field.

• The Create Configuration button will only be enabled if :

  • a project is selected
  • a configuration is selected
  • the template (if any) needed for creating the configuration can be found.