Posts Tagged ‘Excel’

How to create Excel Apps for Office 365

About a week ago we explored the aspects of extending Google Spreadsheets by creating Apps scripts. In that example, we created a sidebar and custom menus with which the user could specify the orientation their current selection could be changed to. In today's article, we'll attempt the same functionality, but this time using the Napa development tools for Office 365. ... Read the rest of this entry →

Create a status report generator using Excel and Outlook: C# sample

Today, I'll show you how to create a status report using Excel and Outlook. This add-in sample will run within Excel. The user will have a button to click that starts the report process. Instead of creating a new workbook or worksheet, the add-in will insert the task status report into the existing spreadsheet... Read the rest of this entry →

How to import contacts and appointments from Excel into Outlook and vice-versa

Importing contacts and appointments into Microsoft Outlook is a feature that has existed in Outlook for a while. In Outlook 2013 you can find the Import/Export function in the File or Backstage view menu, under Open & Export... Read the rest of this entry →

How to find the last used cell (row or column) in Excel

VB.NET code samples explain some reliable methods for finding the last used cell in an Excel worksheet or a range.... Read the rest of this entry →

Populating Excel workbooks and ranges with arrays

Microsoft Excel, with its almost endless supply of rows and columns, is data DisneyLand. It's fun to work with data and make it easy to consume. Part of the fun, at least for developers, is populating Excel with data. Today, I want to take another look at how to use arrays to populate Excel with data... Read the rest of this entry →

How to use Excel VBA macros and COM add-ins in one solution

The Microsoft Excel Office Object model is a varied and very mature framework and allows you to not only create VBA macros and functions but also COM add-ins. Of course creating these add-ins is made even simpler with the help of Add-in Express... Read the rest of this entry →

Convert an Excel column number to a column name or letter: C# and VB.NET examples

There are a lot of examples floating around on the internet on how to convert Excel column numbers to alphabetical characters. There are a few ways to get the column letter, using either vanilla C# or VB.NET, Excel formulas or the Excel object model. Let's take a look at some of the solutions... Read the rest of this entry →

How to properly release Excel COM objects

You'll see a lot of complaints on the internet about Excel and other Microsoft Office applications not quitting properly after using the object model to perform certain actions, or showing sporadic and unpredictable behavior in COM add-ins. In the end most of these issues boil down to developers not properly disposing of COM objects... Read the rest of this entry →

Working with Excel pivot tables: VB.NET code examples

Today, I'll show-off some code that shows how to automate pivot tables. It's quite likely your user base is 100% comprised of uber-serious spreadsheet jockeys. These people need your help. This code will help you relate to them and make their life easier... Read the rest of this entry →

Importing data from SQL databases and other sources to Microsoft Excel

A number of people I've met had no idea about one of Microsoft Excel's most powerful features. I'm talking about the ability to add data from external sources to your Excel sheet and manipulate it from there. Of course as a developer this can come in very handy when you want to provide your users with an intuitive and flexible way to access your data and empower them to create their own reports... Read the rest of this entry →

Working with Excel tables & ranges: VB.NET code samples

Microsoft Excel, being a spreadsheet application, automatically brings structure to your thinking. You can build models to help you think through just about anything. You can organize your data and create lists of any imaginable type. In fact, most apps in the mobile app stores these days can easily be replaced by Excel files. Even games... Read the rest of this entry →

Working with Excel charts: how to change a chart style, color or type programmatically

Adding charts in your Excel add-ins using the Excel object model is easier than you might think. In this article we'll take a look at how to insert charts programmatically, format their style and colors as well as how to change the chart's display by filtering its data... Read the rest of this entry →

Working with Excel cell values, formulas and formatting: C# code samples

If you look at the title of this article, it almost sums up what Microsoft Excel is. Without cells, values and formulas, you just cannot get much done in Excel. Of course everything is contained within worksheets and workbooks and you can do so much more with Excel, but at the heart of it all lies cells... Read the rest of this entry →

Creating custom task panes for Excel 2013 – 2003

When building task panes for Microsoft Excel, Add-in Express provides developers with two options; using the standard Microsoft Office task pane or the more flexible Add-in Express advanced Office task panes... Read the rest of this entry →

Customizing Excel main menu, context menus, and Backstage view

Today we will tackle the issue of customizing Excel menus and back stage view. As you know, there are multiple versions of Excel "in-play" and it is wise to architect your solutions to work seamlessly with them. Add-in Express provides the tools, but it helps to know how to use them... Read the rest of this entry →

Customizing Microsoft Excel ribbons and toolbars

I think Excel's ribbon UI and toolbars are like a workbench, or set of tools. They are neatly arranged and reasonably grouped by task (although I know this is debatable). Today, we'll cover how to create custom ribbons and toolbars for Excel using Add-in Express for Office and .net... Read the rest of this entry →

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