Tutorial
This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions to get you proficient with creating high performance production quality Excel add-ins. You will learn how to install the components you need, how to build add-ins and create beautiful documentation directly from the source code, and how to debug the code you write.
Installation
The xll library has three components. The first component Contains the header files and library for creating Excel add-ins. The second component creates a new project template in Visual Studio 2010 for creating Excel add-in projects. The third component is Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop that can be used to produce nativley integrated Excel help files.
- Installing the xll library: Open setup.zip and run setup.msi.
- Installing the project template: Open project.zip and run project.msi.
- Installing help file generation: Go to HTML Help Workshop and install htmlhelp.exe.
New Project
In any version of Visual Studio 2010 choose
File|New>Project..., select
Visual C++, and locate
XLL Addin Project in the main window. You can change the
Name and
Location, or leave them as is, then click
OK.
Build
To build the project select
Build|Build Solution or just press
F7. The
Output window should indicate the build succeeded.
Debug
Click to the left of any line In the souce file to set a break point. Select
Debug|Start Debugging or just press
F5 to start Excel an load the add-in. Type
XLL.FUNCTION(1) in a spreadsheet cell and press the Enter key. You should see Visual Studio show up with a yellow cursor pointing at the line with the breakpoint.