Binary files inside EXCEL VBA

[Paul A. Gagniuc]

As advanced as it is, often even VBA excel has limitations. To overcome these shortcomings, a communication between an independent application and the excel application is an artifice that can save many automations. For example, faster processing can be done by injecting data using VBA into an external application after which the result can be returned to Excel VBA for further processing. Or, maybe we want to execute a VBA function inside EXCEL at regular time intervals.

Now the problem arises: what if this .xlsx file (VBA Excel file) needs to be used by a large mass of analysts inside a company? analysts who don't know much about software programming and automation. What do we do? Well, we can't bother them with all the technical details on where different files should pe put in or how the application works. If we do, they will simply reject your automatisation. On the other hand no programmer may wish to explain the "how to" for let's say 1000-3000 individuals, it is not feasible (i.e. resistance to new things, different training backgrounds, and so on).

The best solution is to give them one EXCEL file like they are used to. This implies that the external application (exe file) must somehow be in the same excel file.

Thus, this application from below converts any executable file to VBA source code that can be included as a '.bas' module in an EXCEL file. Once inserted into the EXCEL file, the VBA code can be used to completely restore the executable file to disk in the same directory as the EXCEL file. Also, once recomposed on disk, the executable file can be executed automatically. Use the EXCEL file in the "test" directory for experimentation.


Download: Binary files inside EXCEL VBA