Can Excel access and execute external code?

**shadyferret** · 12-14-2012, 02:57 PM

I have an Excel file that executes codes to find data based on user-defined criteria. This file will be copied by 8 other groups and all 9 copies will be used for their group's specific user-defined criteria. I'm hoping to move my code into an external document so I can have a single source of code for all 9 files. Is there a code I can put in Excel that opens and executes a code document? If not, then any other suggestions?

Also, I can only use Notepad++ (company policy). I've been programming in VBA but I (vaguely) know Perl, which some people say works better for opening external documents.

Thanks!!

(P.S. I noticed an older thread that had a similar question but the person never responded back so I don't know if the suggestion worked.)

**Kyle123** · 12-14-2012, 03:16 PM

No, but it sounds like you need an add-in. You can have this on a shared network drive if you like and make changes to it.

**shadyferret** · 12-14-2012, 04:12 PM

What add-in or do I write one?

This will be on a shared server, one folder, but separate files. I can't copy over the files when I make large changes since the files will contain historical data, and I have multiple modules so it can be time consuming if I make a lot of changes across the modules.

**Kyle123** · 12-14-2012, 04:55 PM

It sounds like you need to or all your code in an addin rather than a workbook. This can then be shared and our informant of any data which would exist in other workbooks

**shadyferret** · 12-14-2012, 06:09 PM

Okay, I got it now. After you suggested an add-in, I looked it up and read how to create your own add-in macro and that appears to be a solution. Thanks!