Build my own 'Control Panel'

[jfarc]

I use the term freely, 'Control Panel'. I don't mean the Windows Start/Settings/Control Panel, (but, maybe I do?)

I have created several dozen automated routines, most in Excel, some in Word and the rest in several other Windows-based programs. I currently have the user open up a Windows Explorer folder menu and weed through the appropriately named folders to find the specific program they want to run it. The one thing they all have in common is the programming language is VBA.

This, I feel, is too scattered and difficult to understand and organize for the various users that utilize these routines.

I want to be able to create and manage an aesthetically pleasing (graphical, icon-laced) Menu'd Control Panel window, from which the user would see each of the available programs listed on the one menu. This menu would include the current status of each routine(that is reported automatically back from each of the individual programs) when they run.

I realize I could do all of this in a single Excel workbook and do everything I just described, with the exception of my last requirement - this Control Panel needs to remain secure so someone can't go in and screw with it. Hopefully it would be un-editable even with password cracking tools, because there is no password to crack. (is this possible?)

We all know how 'unsecure' Excel/VBA is, even with all the protection measures that can be placed upon it. It's still quite easy to subvert any protection it has.

I've looked at Windows Script Host, but not sure about the protection aspect of it.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Glory]

Threats of violence?

 

[jfarc]

Threats of violence?

?????????

 

[Glory]

In all honesty, I got the point after question-mark number seven.

It's a great question, and I'm interested in seeing the answer (there's no forum rule against securing workbooks... just breaking them open).

 

[Ruddles]

Maybe a userform with a listbox or combobox into which you load all the names of the routines. The user selects a name and clicks a command button to load/run the routine.

Is that the germ of an idea?

I've written a similar sort of thing in Access which displays all the queries in a database and allows the user to edit/copy/rename/delete/run the queries, modify the descriptions, etc. Massively useful.

 

[Glory]

I think security was the main thrust of this thread.

 

[Smitty]

Do you have Visual Studio?

 

[jfarc]

Yes, I think list/comboboxes would work fine, although better security than what Excel/VBA has to offer was the main requirement.

I don't have experience and know nothing about (other than the 10mins google I just did) with Visual Studio.

Can it be secured? More than MS Excel/VBA?

Others (but, I know they haven't had personal experience) say I should look into html. Nothing I do is web-based, all locally stored and run. I know I can call up web/IE routines from Excel/VBA, but not sure about the reverse.

 

[Smitty]

For Visual Studio (also called VB.NET), see: http://www.microsoft.com/express/downloads/

You can download the Express version for free. Visual Studio is VBA's big brother, and with it you could put together an .exe shell that calls your other apps. MS has also integrated VSTO (Visual Studio Tools for Office), so that it's a bit easier to interact with your Office apps.

Can it be secured? More than MS Excel/VBA?

Absolutely, it's what Microsoft uses to build Office applications.

But for .NET you'll need a different forum. http://www.vbforums.com/ is one.

 

[jfarc]

Thanks for the info, Smitty.

I'm looking into the Visual Studio now.