Help with a recording programme

[PRW1]

Hello, I wonder if anyone can give me some help with a problem.

Several years ago, myself and a college developed a recording system in excel 2003, it was well tested and worked brilliantly – that is until excel released their 2007 version. They made several changes to this new version, which meant our programme didn’t work properly with anyone who was using excel 2007. What’s more we didn’t even own the new 2007 version so that we could make the appropriate changes (where possible). Even if we had got excel 2007 and made these amendments, we realised that this problem was going to be replicated for us each time Microsoft released a new version of excel – we were totally stumped with how to move on with this.

Therefore I’m wondering what our options are to develop a spreadsheet based recording programme which isn’t affected when products such as Excel, upgrade, or change elements each time they issue a new version. How would you suggest I should go about this?

The product will have to be used by other people, so it has to be stable and in a format which can be used by anyone, no matter what version of Microsoft or other operating systems they are using on their computers.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

 

[Oeldere]

Please read the link below.

It contains text about crossposting.Excelguru Help Site - A message to forum cross posters

 

[PRW1]

Sorry, I hadn't realise that I'de broken the forum rules, I'll be more careful in future.

I hope this doesn't stop anyone from answering my question, thanks.

 

[Macropod]

It's impossible to diagnose this problem without seeing the code. It could be something that's quite easily fixed, but without knowing what causes the problem, it's impossible to say. In any event, Office version changes generally do not break code that works with earlier versions, so you fears in that regard are probably unfounded.

Please also provide links to your cross-post(s).

 

[PRW1]

Hello Macropod,

Thanks for your thoughts above.

It's not really a case of diagnosing problems here, as my colleague is more than capable of doing that and fixing them. Is more a case of ongoing compatibility, going forward with a product which is stable and which will work for anyone, no matter what spreadsheet based programme or operating system etc they are using(apart from excel issues, we also had compatibility problems with new 'Windows' updates). i.e. I need to know it will work for anyone on any computer. Do you have any thoughts on how this can be achieved?

Links to this thread can also be found here:-
Help with a recording programme

 

[Macropod]

There is no way to guarantee that your code or mine will be compatible with an as-yet unreleased Excel version. For all we know, MS could drop vba altogether - as happened with Mac Office 2008.

 

[PRW1]

Yes, that's why I'm asking if there is a different platform (spreadsheet based) that I could use instead of Excel which would be stable in all circumstances regardless of what operating system etc a user may have installed on their computer.

 

[Macropod]

That would be a tall order - even Excel only runs on a limited range of Operating Systems.

 

[PRW1]

Ok Macropod, thanks for your input on this, I guess I'll just have to go back to the drawing board on this one.