Are Excel Macros GitHub Friendly

[acb7865]

Cross-posted at https://www.mrexcel.com/board/thread...ithub.1199607/

Hi,

I've developed a first version of an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool called ETransL. I would like to keep working on it adding new features and functions. It is on Github.

ETransL-003.PNG.

The question I have is whether Excel macros embedded in an Excel Workbook are amenable to work with GitHub?

With Github, code reviews are possible. It this possible with VBA code?

If there is a workaround I would prefer to address it early on in the shared project's stage.

Thanks.

[mogul]

I tried version control years ago. I used a tool called CodeCleaner to export the VBA code and forms. I didn't use Github but it was something similar. The VBA code worked for version control but the forms changed every time you exported it. I see there has been a lot of work to improve this. Check out

xltrail[dot]com/blog/auto-export-vba-commit-hook

[6StringJazzer]

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[macropod]

Also cross-posted at: https://www.excelguru.ca/forums/show...ol-to-code-VBA

[acb7865]

Sorry guys.

I'm quite new to the Excel Forums ecosystem and am trying to find one I would like to call my main reference.

PS: this message will be cross posted to the other two fora.

[6StringJazzer]

I'm quite new to the Excel Forums ecosystem

Completely understandable but the first thing to do when joining any forum is to read the rules. Most other forums have rules similar to ours.

PS: this message will be cross posted to the other two fora.

When that happens please post the links here. We do have some restrictions on who can post hot links so if you have any trouble, PM me and I'll post them for you.

[acb7865]

I tried version control years ago. I used a tool called CodeCleaner to export the VBA code and forms. I didn't use Github but it was something similar. The VBA code worked for version control but the forms changed every time you exported it. I see there has been a lot of work to improve this. Check out

xltrail[dot]com/blog/auto-export-vba-commit-hook

Thanks for the lead.

I'm not sure it addresses the need of having a group of developers operating around GitHub to move the utility forward. For example today the tool lacks center padding and a person decides to implement it. My understanding is that everyone needs to fork out Euro 35 per month for xtrail. I don't think that is going to work.

In the initial stages of this project I was thinking of going the python route as I had done with a similar topic related to the SEPA payment system but opted to go with Excel macros because many companies (esp multinationals) prohibit the use of any software other than MS products.

[6StringJazzer]

I have limited experience with GitHub but I've used lots of CM tools. You could check in the Excel file but then it would be one unit, and you could not track version changes to individual modules. I don't know if GitHub supports change tracking to show what changed between versions, but it probably wouldn't work for that method either.

[PrizeGotti]

The question is, will you even be able to upload VBA to GitHub in the coming months? Microsoft's next Office Update eliminates the ability to run macros that were downloaded from the internet, only Macros created on your local machine will be able to run, unless the macro has previously been run on that machine prior to the update.

[6StringJazzer]

Microsoft's next Office Update eliminates the ability to run macros that were downloaded from the internet, only Macros created on your local machine will be able to run, unless the macro has previously been run on that machine prior to the update.

Do you have a cite for that?

[PrizeGotti]

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dep...macros-blocked

[Fluff13]

I don't think it prevents you from running them, it's just an extra level of security to ensure you don't run something by mistake.

[PrizeGotti]

It will stop them completely unless you follow a procedure to allow it, and it looks like any exemptions will have to be done manually for every downloaded macro.

[Fluff13]

It will stop them completely unless you follow a procedure to allow it

Which is basically what I said, another level of security.

[6StringJazzer]

...eliminates the ability to run macros that were downloaded from the internet, only Macros created on your local machine will be able to run, unless the macro has previously been run on that machine prior to the update.

That overstates the case. It does not eliminate the ability and you will still be able to run any macro that you explicitly authorize to run.

[Dan_W]

You might also check out the RubberDuckVBA IDE-Addin. My understanding is that from v2, it had IDE-Integrated Git Source Control.