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Thread: [RESOLVED] Excel8.olb Redistributable?

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    Resolved [RESOLVED] Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    I was working an old project created on an xP machine from a number of years ago and whe I put it to the IDE it asked for the reference to EXCEL8.OLB ( and also th4e MSCACC8.OLB . Is that/those .OLB(s) "allowed" to be redistributed. I have office 365 on my machine, and there is no Excel8.olb or MSACC8.OLB that I can see. Indeed, I could not find any ExcelXX. OLB.

    Advice/Comments, etc? Particularly on the part about redistribution of this OLB in my project. I think I am starting to dig myself int o a hole, and just want to know what kind of rocks I am going to run into as I dig.

    Also, to use this OLB, I guess I have to have Excel on the dev machine and the target machine?

  2. #2
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    Re: Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    Is that/those .OLB(s) "allowed" to be redistributed.
    No

    Advice/Comments, etc?
    use late binding, will work with all versions of excel

    I have to have Excel on the dev machine and the target machine?
    Yes
    i do my best to test code works before i post it, but sometimes am unable to do so for some reason, and usually say so if this is the case.
    Note code snippets posted are just that and do not include error handling that is required in real world applications, but avoid On Error Resume Next

    dim all variables as required as often i have done so elsewhere in my code but only posted the relevant part

    come back and mark your original post as resolved if your problem is fixed
    pete

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    Re: Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    Same for MSACC8.OLB, I presume?

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    Re: [RESOLVED] Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    They are not used at runtime, and if MS Access is installed they have them anyway. So no need to ever redistribute them. These are just type libraries with a funky file extension.

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    Re: [RESOLVED] Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    Quote Originally Posted by dilettante View Post
    .... So no need to ever redistribute them.......
    The project that was handed over to me did not open in the VB6 IDE. It threw a "Missing Reference" error to Excel8.olb and MSACC8.OLB. and these OLBs were not on my current Win 10 machine. They were were on another machine. Putting them into the Win 10 VB project's project folder, I was able to add these missing references, and all was good. I took look a the project, and I see that it did NOT use late binding. From what I am reading here and elsewhere, if I redo the project to use late binding, it will pick up whatever one is needed from the Excel and Access installed on the machine(s).

    Am I thinking correctly about the situation?

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    Re: [RESOLVED] Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    No.

    Late binding doesn't use type libraries at all unless you are using something like the Enums defined there. In any case those are not needed at run time. Office applications do not maintain binary compatibility, so nothing can be "magically picked up" anyway.

    You've also just trashed the registry in your Windows 10 machine by causing the improperly installed typelibs to be registered in place in a (most likely) temporary location (project folder). As soon as the files move or get removed.... chaos. Never do something like this.

    The proper action would have been to install the relevant versions of Access and Excel on that machine before trying to work with your project there. What you've done is basically piracy as well.

    If those Office applications were already installed then there shouldn't have been any need to copy those files anyway.

    BTW: Redistribution doesn't mean what you seem to think it does. It's a deployment issue, not a development issue.

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    Re: [RESOLVED] Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    BTW: Redistribution doesn't mean what you seem to think it does. It's a deployment issue, not a development issue.
    Redistribution to me was the creation of a setup exe using these OLBs, and then deploying it off my dev machine to somebody. That is redistribution, right?? If that was verboten, then I did not want to do that, and that is what I was concerned about, and the reason for my question in this regard. I did not want to send a compiled project to anybody if that was not proper. ( I think you are saying that this DOES constitute redistribution for sure!)

    Regarding redistribution in a development environment ... are you saying that it is NOT redistribution if they are used in a development environment? Please advise on this too, as I don't want to run afoul in that regard either.


    BTW - I did change out the references to point to the installed Access and Excel exe on my dev machine, and the project does not throw any "reference missing" message and runs fine in the IDE, and so I now know for the future that I just add them as a reference instead.

    RE: The Registry - No exe has been installed. It is just the VB6 IDE that was called up, and the attempt to run the .vbp in the IDE, and the Missing Reference" error arose. i checked my dev machne aftr all this and the access and excel run fine. I think that you were concerned that if I did an install from a setup with those verboten OLBs, that it would do a registration and cause some real issues, right?


    I think that the answer in this link runs afoul too, right?

    https://www.experts-exchange.com/que...xcel8-olb.html


    BTW - I did change out the references in the project to point to the Access and Excel exe on my dev machine, and the project does not throw any "reference missing" message and runs fine in the IDE.


    Thank you for your thoughts ( and warnings and admonitions) in this matter. I want to be legit.
    Last edited by clickman; Feb 1st, 2021 at 03:39 PM.

  8. #8
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    Re: [RESOLVED] Excel8.olb Redistributable?

    late binding does not require any redistribution of files and is legit for any user that has a legit version of excel installed
    it should work with any version of excel that is installed on any target machine, of course it will not work if no excel is installed on any machine

    while is is not essential, it is often better to use early binding for development, then change the variable and remove any references before deploying

    it is reasonably straightforward to change from early binding to late binding and if you have any specific problem people here will help all they can
    also if you search there should be many threads in this and other forums to help you

    i have never automated access, but i believe all the same rules would apply
    i do my best to test code works before i post it, but sometimes am unable to do so for some reason, and usually say so if this is the case.
    Note code snippets posted are just that and do not include error handling that is required in real world applications, but avoid On Error Resume Next

    dim all variables as required as often i have done so elsewhere in my code but only posted the relevant part

    come back and mark your original post as resolved if your problem is fixed
    pete

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