Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer today!

[dk]

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! Here in Oz the party is long over and we have the hangovers to prove it

Anyway, I've written an add-in for Excel that I'd like to get some feedback and testing on. I've written it using Excel 2003 but would like to get it tested on as many different versions as possible.

The add-in allows you to maintain a Favourites list in Excel, much like the Favorites in Internet Explorer. You can save favourite folders and files and quickly access them by either clicking File, Favourites or right-clicking in a worksheet and choosing the Favourites menu item. I wrote this for work as I was fed up with constantly navigating from something like G:\004Accounting\Transport\Tran_acc\XLFILES\Planning and Budgeting\Elle\Northern Region and back to H:\Development\Elle and then off somewhere else.

I know some of you may be thinking that Excel already provides this functionality with the Add to Favorites option in the Open dialog box but it seems to have disappeared in Office 2003 (haven't fully investigated). Also, I prefer to keep my favourites as websites, not clog it up with file favourites.

Anyway, you can download the file from here. Any feedback can be posted here or sent to dan@danielklann.com.

This is not a commercial project, just something that I'd like to get tested. Hopefully some of you may find it useful.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[parry]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

hangovers in NZ as well

Works fine in Xl2k

 

[Ekim]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

Dan,

Using Excel XP – SP1

Good concept. I agree with your comment about keeping favourites as websites, …”not clog it up with file favourites”.

One thing that is annoying is the requirement to type a description to identify the file. Is it possible to provide a choice between using either the file name or using an identifier? For most people the file name is the identifier – why bother with typing something else? In addition, it would be nice to have the file extension noted in the dialog box.

A minor point involves the Delete key – my initial thought was does it simply remove the item from the Favourites dialog box or does it delete the file from my hard-disk? Testing showed it is the former but I had to think twice about using it (Dan wouldn’t delete my file from the hard-disk, would he? Naaay).

Regards,

Mike

 

[dk]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

Thanks Parry and thanks Mike

Mike, I've taken your idea on board and will have the addin automatically use the filename as the description (I won't use the full path as it will mean that the buttons could be potentially huge). I will add the ability to edit this description. The other thing I'll add is a way of preventing the same file being added more than once.

As for the delete key thing, I could put a message box similar to when you delete a shortcut in Windows XP e.g.

"This will only delete the item from the Favourites list, it will not delete the file."

I could make this appear either every time (would get annoying), just once or have a checkbox saying "Don't show me this again."

Thanks for your help so far, it's much appreciated. I will make the changes tonight/tomorrow and post back when I've uploaded a new version.

Dan

 

[XL-Dennis]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

dk,

Season greetings from Sweden

If the target is to use the add-in from 97 and above then I prefer to develop it with 97 or 2000 but not with 2003.

I made some basic test like trying to open different commands etc.

1. Replace does not work in 97.
2. Works in 2000 / 2002 and of course 2003 - swedish version

Kind regards,
Dennis

 

[Wil Moosa]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

Works in 2000, Dutch version too.

The browse-button opens a window that shows only "real" folders and files, no shortcuts. This problem is not an essential one but it can be confusing.

Nice job.

 

[dk]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

Thanks Dennis and Will.

Dennis, I'm not rich enough to be able to afford all of the previous versions of Excel Hopefully you'll be able to tell me if the add-in now works in 97.

Wil, I'm not sure what you mean. Which browse button are you referring to?

<hr>
I've uploaded an updated version of the add-in to Favourites.zip which incorporates the feedback I've received so far:-

<ul>
[*]Got rid of Replace function so it should now work in Excel 97.
[*]The name of the favourite is automatically added - it doesn't prompt you to enter a description.
[*]You cannot enter duplicate files/folders and you cannot use the same Favourite description more than once. If you try to do this the add-in will prompt you to enter an alternative description.
[*]Added a 'Rename' button so you can change the favourite description if you wish.
[/list]

Any further feedback or ideas for improvement greatly appreciated

 

[parry]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

Just downloaded new ver and she's a pearler. :wink:

Well done.

 

[Ken Puls]

Re: Testers Wanted-Feel good about yourself and volunteer to

Hi Dan,

Just downloaded the new version, and the changes are great.

Also, I think I can expand on Wil's question/point.
-When you go to "Add File" you can see file shortcuts and add them without any issue. You can also see folder shortcuts, and double clicking those will take you into that folder (as it should)

-When you go to "Add Folder" though, you can't see any folder shortcuts at all...

As Wil said, not essential, but could be confusing.

Cheers,

 

[Ivan F Moala]

DK, Excel 2000 icons OK

Excel97 Icon Error, you used Xl XP ? to develope

5593 I think doesn't Exist.

I think
Xl2000 goes up to 5683
Xl97 goes up to 3518

    Combut.Caption = OrganiseButtonCaption
    Combut.OnAction = "ShowfrmOrganise"
    Combut.Style = msoButtonIconAndCaption
    Combut.FaceId = 5593 '<<< ERROR

I don't see a similar one ??? If you must have this one
add the image to your Addin sheet > ref it > copy and paste
via code.

eg

    Set Combut = ComPop.Controls.Add(msoControlButton)
    With Combut
        .BeginGroup = True
        .Caption = OrganiseButtonCaption
        .OnAction = "ShowfrmOrganise"
        .Style = msoButtonIconAndCaption
         ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1).Shapes("YourImage Name").Copy
        .PasteFace
    End With