Source control of Excel VBA code modules

Question

I\'d like to be able to source control my Excel spreadsheet\'s VBA modules (currently using Excel 2003 SP3) so that I can share and manage the code used by a bunch of differ

Answer 1

I've been working on exactly this for months. I think I figured it out.

If the VB Project is trying to remove a module containing something in the call stack, it delays the removal until the call stack pops the module being replaced.

To avoid a module being in the call stack, launch your code with Application.OnTime

Private Sub Workbook_Open()

    'WAS: module_library (1)

    Application.OnTime (Now + TimeValue("00:00:01")), "load_library_kicker_firstiter"

End Sub

If you are self-healing your code like I am, you'll also have to launch your code that overwrites the 'calling' code with that same strategy.

I did not perform extensive testing yet, I am in total celebration mode, but this gets me extremely close to straightforward 99.9% self-healing code within a standalone .xls file without any other tricks

Answer 2

The following is an easy-to-implement answer if you don't need to export your VBA code automatically. Just Call the following sub and it will export (as text) the VBA code of the current active workbook in a subfolder named "VC_nameOfTheWorkBook". If your project is a .xlam, you need to temporarily set the IsAddin property to false. Then you can easily add the new subfolder to Git. It is a slight modification of the code found here made by Steve Jansen. For a more complete solution see Ron de Bruin post.

You need to set a reference to "Microsoft Visual Basic For Applications Extensibility 5.3" and to "Microsoft Scripting Runtime" in the VBE Editor.

Public Sub ExportVisualBasicCode()
    Const Module = 1
    Const ClassModule = 2
    Const Form = 3
    Const Document = 100
    Const Padding = 24
    Dim VBComponent As Object
    Dim path As String
    Dim directory As String
    Dim extension As String
    Dim fso As New FileSystemObject
    directory = ActiveWorkbook.path & "\VC_" & fso.GetBaseName(ActiveWorkbook.Name)
    If Not fso.FolderExists(directory) Then
        Call fso.CreateFolder(directory)
    End If
    Set fso = Nothing
    For Each VBComponent In ActiveWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents
        Select Case VBComponent.Type
            Case ClassModule, Document
                extension = ".cls"
            Case Form
                extension = ".frm"
            Case Module
                extension = ".bas"
            Case Else
                extension = ".txt"
        End Select

        On Error Resume Next
        Err.Clear

        path = directory & "\" & VBComponent.Name & extension
        Call VBComponent.Export(path)

        If Err.Number <> 0 Then
            Call MsgBox("Failed to export " & VBComponent.Name & " to " & path, vbCritical)
        Else
            Debug.Print "Exported " & Left$(VBComponent.Name & ":" & Space(Padding), Padding) & path
        End If

        On Error GoTo 0
    Next
End Sub

Answer 3

Can't leave comment to comment

There is an excellent solution to the vba version control problem here: https://github.com/hilkoc/vbaDeveloper

About saving custom VBAProjects using this XLAM. Try this in Build.bas:

'===============
Public Sub testImport()
    Dim proj_name As String
    Dim vbaProject As Object

    'proj_name = "VBAProject"
    'Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.VBProjects(proj_name)

    Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject
    proj_name = vbaProject.name

    Build.importVbaCode vbaProject
End Sub
'===============
Public Sub testExport()
    Dim proj_name As String
    Dim vbaProject As Object

    'proj_name = "VBAProject"
    'Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.VBProjects(proj_name)

    Set vbaProject = Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject
    proj_name = vbaProject.name

    Build.exportVbaCode vbaProject
End Sub
'===============

This will export/import Active VBA Project.

Answer 4

Usually the "Loader1" thing happens when Excel is asked to import a module and a module already exists with the same name. So if you import "Loader", then load it again and you'll get "Loader1". This would be because Excel doesn't know (or maybe just doesn't care) if it's really the same thing or a new chunk of functionality that just happens have the same module name, so it imports it anyway.

I can't think of a perfect solution, but I think I'd be inclined to try putting the load/unload logic in an add-in - that Workbook_Open thing looks a little vulnerable and having it in all workbooks is going to be a huge pain if the code ever needs to change (never say never). The XLA logic might be more complex (trickier to trap the necessary events, for one thing) but at least it'll only exist in one place.

Answer 5

There is an excellent solution to the vba version control problem here: https://github.com/hilkoc/vbaDeveloper

The nice part about this is that it exports your code automatically, as soon as you save your workbook. Also, when you open a workbook, it imports the code.

You don't need to run any build scripts or maven commands and you don't need to make any changes to your workbooks. It works for all.

It has also solved the import problem where modules such as ModName are being imported as ModName1 into a duplicate module. The importing works as it should, even when doing it multiple times.

As a bonus, it comes with a simple code formatter, that allows you to format your vba code as you write it within the VBA Editor.

Answer 6

Look at the VBAMaven page. I have a homegrown solution that uses the same concepts. I have a common library with a bunch of source code, an ant build and an 'import' VB script. Ant controls the build, which takes a blank excel file and pushes the needed code into it. @Mike is absolutely correct - any duplicate module definitions will automatically have a number appended to the module name. Also, class modules (as in Sheet and ThisWorkbook) classes require special treatment. You can't create those modules, you have to read the input file and write the buffer into the appropriate module. This is the VB script I currently use to do this. The section containing @ delimited text (i.e. @build file@) are placeholders - the ant build replaces these tags with meaningful content. It's not perfect, but works for me.

''
' Imports VB Basic module and class files from the src folder
' into the excel file stored in the bin folder. 
'

Option Explicit

Dim pFileSystem, pFolder,  pPath
Dim pShell
Dim pApp, book

Dim pFileName

pFileName = "@build file@"

Set pFileSystem = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Set pShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
pPath = pShell.CurrentDirectory

If IsExcelFile (pFileName) Then
    Set pApp = WScript.CreateObject ("Excel.Application")
    pApp.Visible = False
    Set book = pApp.Workbooks.Open(pPath & "\build\" & pFileName)
Else
    Set pApp = WScript.CreateObject ("Word.Application")
    pApp.Visible = False
    Set book = pApp.Documents.Open(pPath & "\build\" & pFileName)
End If


'Include root source folder code if no args set
If Wscript.Arguments.Count = 0 Then
    Set pFolder = pFileSystem.GetFolder(pPath & "\src")
    ImportFiles pFolder, book
    '
    ' Get selected modules from the Common Library, if any
    @common path@@common file@
Else
    'Add code from subdirectories of src . . .
    If Wscript.Arguments(0) <> "" Then
        Set pFolder = pFileSystem.GetFolder(pPath & "\src\" & Wscript.Arguments(0))
        ImportFiles pFolder, book
    End If
End If





Set pFolder = Nothing
Set pFileSystem = Nothing
Set pShell = Nothing


If IsExcelFile (pFileName) Then
    pApp.ActiveWorkbook.Save
Else
    pApp.ActiveDocument.Save
End If

pApp.Quit
Set book = Nothing
Set pApp = Nothing


'' Loops through all the .bas or .cls files in srcFolder
' and calls InsertVBComponent to insert it into the workbook wb.
'
Sub ImportFiles(ByVal srcFolder, ByVal obj)
    Dim fileCollection, pFile
    Set fileCollection = srcFolder.Files
    For Each pFile in fileCollection
        If Right(pFile, 3) = "bas _
          Or Right(pFile, 3) = "cls _
          Or Right(pFile, 3) = "frm Then
            InsertVBComponent obj, pFile
        End If
    Next
    Set fileCollection = Nothing
End Sub


'' Inserts the contents of CompFileName as a new component in 
'  a Workbook or Document object.
'
'  If a class file begins with "Sheet", then the code is
'  copied into the appropriate code module 1 painful line at a time.
'
'  CompFileName must be a valid VBA component (class or module) 
Sub InsertVBComponent(ByVal obj, ByVal CompFileName)
    Dim t, mName
    t = Split(CompFileName, "\")
    mName = Split(t(UBound(t)), ".")
    If IsSheetCodeModule(mName(0), CompFileName) = True Then
        ImportCodeModule obj.VBProject.VBComponents(mName(0)).CodeModule, _
                         CompFileName
    Else
        If Not obj Is Nothing Then
            obj.VBProject.VBComponents.Import CompFileName
        Else
            WScript.Echo  "Failed to import " & CompFileName
        End If
    End If 
End Sub

''
' Imports the code in the file fName into the workbook object
' referenced by mName.
' @param target destination CodeModule object in the excel file
' @param fName file system file containing code to be imported
Sub ImportCodeModule (ByVal target, ByVal fName)
    Dim shtModule, code, buf    
    Dim fso
    Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") 
    Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 3
    Const TristateUseDefault = -2, TristateTrue = -1, TristateFalse = 0

    Set buf = fso.OpenTextFile(fName, ForReading, False, TristateUseDefault)
    buf.SkipLine
    code = buf.ReadAll

    target.InsertLines 1, code
    Set fso = Nothing
End Sub


''
' Returns true if the code module in the file fName
' appears to be a code module for a worksheet.
Function IsSheetCodeModule (ByVal mName, ByVal fName)
    IsSheetCodeModule = False
    If mName = "ThisWorkbook" Then
       IsSheetCodeModule = False
    ElseIf Left(mName, 5) = "Sheet" And _
       IsNumeric(Mid (mName, 6, 1)) And _
       Right(fName, 3) = "cls Then
       IsSheetCodeModule = True
    End If
End Function

''
' Returns true if fName has a xls file extension
Function IsExcelFile (ByVal fName)
    If Right(fName, 3) = "xls" Then
        IsExcelFile = True
    Else
        IsExcelFile = False
    End If 
End Function