Excel applications, working for everybody?

[cozzagiorgi]

Hi

If you write an excel application that will be distributed to a high number of people. You dont know what excel version they use etc.

How do you go to be sure the application will work for the highest possible number of people?

 

[mrhstn]

Try saving is as a xls (Excel 97-2003), the compatibility checker will tell you if the outmoded format can handle your design

 

[cozzagiorgi]

Hm... i would rather like to know if there are some issues i could anticipate in the design.

 

[mrhstn]

That will tell you if it's a problem. You can send it out as an xlsx and a version of Office XP with all the service packs will open it, but test saving it as xls will flag up the potential of functions not working, i.e. the design has formulas which won't funtion in Office XP therefore you can anticipate this as a problem and review your used formula list.

 

[cozzagiorgi]

Oh ok. I will try that!

What about macros? Are macros supposed to work in every excel version?

 

[mrhstn]

Macros are backwards compatible, so if it ran on Office XP is should (not definitely) run on a bang up to the second version of Excel 365 Insider...

I found this for you, which has in the first reply from Calvin Gao two links, one for testing backward compatibility and the second for an addin to inspect your VBA

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F...bility-of-vba-code-in-excel-2010?forum=isvvba

I hope this is useful

 

[MARK858]

Macros are backwards compatible, so if it ran on Office XP is should (not definitely) run on a bang up to the second version of Excel 365 Insider...

Not an entirely correct answer as Filesearch for instance was discontinued from 2007 onwards.