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Home > Microsoft Excel Macro Software Design

Microsoft Excel Macro Software Design

Award Winning Microsoft Excel Macro Software Design

for Business, Engineering and Science

eMAGINE What We Can Do With Your Spreadsheet! Over 14 Years of innovative, cutting edge Microsoft Excel software design that saves you time and money. At EMAGENIT, we do all of our programming in the US which means your proprietary information remains secure. We work continuously with businesses as well as the technical communities and we provide a life long guarantee so if something goes wrong down the road, we will always fix it.

 
 

Our Excel Macro Design Services


NASA Award for Microsoft Excel Software Design

EMAGENIT Excel Software Design - NASA Award

EMAGENIT received an award from NASA  for its software design in Microsoft Excel and VBA for the Mars Rover. Click the hyperlink above to see how we did it.

 

 

 

About Our Microsoft Excel Software Design Services

EMAGENIT specializes in automating the Microsoft Excel environment for business, engineering and science.  In addition to our Excel macro design, EMAGENIT also uses the following elements in its Excel software design services:

  • Visual Basic .Net

  • Microsoft SQL Server

  • Microsoft Access

  • Microsoft Word

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

  • ASPX

For example, our Table Viewer software, pictured to the right, is capable of reading Excel workbooks, text files and databases and brings to bear all types of tools used to analyze data. It leverages both the .Net environment as well as the Microsoft Excel environment.

EMAGENIT has been involved with Microsoft Excel software design for over 14 years and has created software solutions for companies and organizations like:

  • NASA JPL

  • VERIZON

  • NORTHROP GRUMMAN

  • MEDTRONICS

  • CATERPILLAR

  • ACTUATE

  • RYDER

  • TIME WARNER CABLE

  • CEMEX

Over the years, we have pushed Microsoft Excel software design to its limits providing tools for engineering, science and business related tasks. Along this journey, we have also realized that Microsoft Excel macros coupled with other design tools like Visual Basic .Net and other programs like Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint allowed hybrid tools to be developed that were quick in design yet more powerful than using just Microsoft Excel macros alone. The idea is to use each environment's strengths and making them act as one seamless tool.

So when you read about our Excel software design services in the boxes below, keep in mind we provide not only Microsoft Excel Marco design services but also state of the art hybrid software design for any type of application. If it can be run by Visual Basic, we will find a way to do it.

 


 

Microsoft Excel Worksheet Design

  • EMAGENIT knows how to take an ordinary Excel worksheet design and through formatting make it look like a $10,000.00 program

  • Based on our 14 years of Excel worksheet design, we can take an ordinary worksheet and set of formulas and turn them into a high tech dashboard using Conditional Formatting, Data Validation, Excel array formulas and ActiveX controls

  • We can construct smart worksheet formulas that think using logic and have the ability to adapt to changing table sizes

  • Our Excel worksheet designs use array formulas that know when to start and stop, have the capability to work with multiple values and can find data ranges

  • EMAGENIT knows how to design sophisticated worksheet forms that can tie into a central database so the user is always guaranteed to get the latest up to date data

  • We know how to construct proper worksheet tables that can be used to store data like a database and later retrieve this information in a systematic way using Excel's built in features like MS Query or through Excel macros

  • EMAGENIT can design summary formulas that can look at multiple conditions at once and return an answer

  • We have over 14 years of Excel worksheet design under our belt and have worked on elaborate dashboards for companies and organizations like NASA and MEDTRONICS and have produced data systems that manage 1000's of workbooks for the US government

 

Design Example

Simple Worksheet Dashboard Built from Data Validation, Conditional Formatting, ActiveX Controls, Charts and Excel Array Formulas

 


 

Microsoft Excel Automated Report Design

  • We can design automated Microsoft Excel macro charting programs that can output charts to Excel, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint

  • EMAGENIT can design Excel macros that automatically format worksheets, rearrange and delete data, sort and create Pivot Tables

  • We can also use Microsoft Excel software to automate worksheet formula construction when building worksheets on the fly. This is a great auditing capability

  • EMAGENIT can also develop macros that automatically create worksheets and workbooks then store them in an Excel macro managed Windows folder system

  • We can create Microsoft Excel software that build worksheet tables from multiple data sources of differing formats including text files, workbooks and databases

  • EMAGENIT can develop Excel macros that automatically transfer cell values, ranges, charts and pictures between Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint

  • We can automate Microsoft Outlook including scanning for information in emails then downloading that data to Microsoft Excel

  • We can automate complex calculation routines including numerical and statistical routines

  • We also design data consolidation programs that build different types of summary tables from multiple data sources

Design Example

Example of a reporting tool in Excel that processes data, creates charts then places them in PowerPoint

 


 

Microsoft Excel Dashboard Design

  • EMAGENIT can create Excel dashboards using Excel formulas, Excel macros, worksheets, ACTIVEX, charts, drawing shapes and databases

  • We can create Excel macro driven schedulers, employee time cards and Gantt charts

  • We can create Financial Excel dashboards including data integration from databases, workbooks and text files

  • We can create Engineering Excel dashboards including rapid design environments, design visualization (cad) and data integration from databases, workbooks and text files

  • We can create Excel dashboards that are front ends to programs written in FORTRAN and C

  • We have vast experience in creating pricing and sales dashboards in Microsoft Excel

Design Example

One of Our Dashboards from Our Tek-Tasks Scheduling Software

 


 

Data and Systems Integration Using Excel Macros

  • EMAGENIT can link together data from different sources including text files, workbooks and databases and make it operate like a cohesive data system using Excel macros

  • We can make 1000's of workbooks act like a single database using Excel macros

  • EMAGENIT can link together web tables from websites YAHOO Financial and display them in a dashboard using Excel macros

  • We can use Excel macros to obtain information from other programs like Word, Internet Explorer, Outlook, Lotus Notes...etc

  • EMAGENIT can integrate different computer languages like C, FORTRAN, VB.NET, Apple Script using Excel macros

  • We can also write VB code and aspx forms for the web

  • We can write Excel macros that download or upload data to databases like Oracle, SQL Server and Microsoft Access

Design Example

Our Access Table Maker Loads or Creates and Access Database

 


 

Windows Folder Management Using Excel Macros

  • We can use Excel macros to manipulate the Windows folder system along with text files, workbooks and pictures.

  • EMAGENIT can use Excel macros to write, read, create, edit and delete files along with the folders that store them

  • We can use Excel macros to tie workbook files together in different folders and make them act like one database.

Design Example

Our Quick Save Software Allows Workbooks to be Quickly Saved to a Designated Folder and with Predetermined Names

 


 

Data Processing Using Excel Macros

  • We can build Excel macros that scan single and multiple Excel workbooks for specific data

  • We can build Excel tables from scratch or fill in existing tables automatically using Excel macros

  • EMAGENIT can automate Pivot Table construction

  • We can build Excel macros that consolidate 1000's of workbooks and their data

  • We can build Excel macros that download and process data located in text files and databases

  • We can build Excel macros that scan for specific text or match information from different tables

Design Example

A Simple Dashboard That Queries Multiple Text Files and Constructs Collated Data Tables

 


 

Data Mining Using Excel Macros

  • EMAGENIT can automate text comparison in tables deciding if information in one table is stored in another

  • We can automate data correction sweeping through entire workbooks and folders making corrections

  • EMAGENIT can separate text in tables finding key words

  • We can clean data tables using Excel macros removing or replacing unwanted characters

  • We specialize in taking one file format and transferring it into another file format (table format to a different table format, text to workbook, workbook to SQL Server, Oracle, ...)

  • We also specialize in recreating databases that have been "chewed up" by downloading them to text files

Design Example

Our Replace-IT Software Scans Text in a Table and Replaces Text Based on Position

 


 

Microsoft Excel Security

  • EMAGENIT has developed its own worksheet data encryption system using its own proprietary encryption routines. We can encrypt any worksheet table and provide ways to decrypt that table in formulas or in your VBA code

  • EMAGENIT can protect your Excel macros by recreating them in DLL's preventing users from opening your workbook's project and stealing the code

  • EMAGENIT can provide ways to lock down Excel workbooks to a single computer so they cannot be used on another

  • EMAGENIT can provide ways to time protect Excel workbooks to expire on a certain day

Design Example

Our Worksheet Table Encryption Encrypts and Automatically Decrypts Data When Calculation Occurs

 

 

 

 

 

Things to Know About Microsoft Excel Macros


 

Excel Macro Code

What is a Microsoft Excel Macro

An Excel macro is a computer program that is written or recorded and is stored in a workbook file. When run, it can perform a series of automated tasks in Excel such as automated chart creation, formatting, data processing, pivot table construction... the list is endless. Microsoft Excel macros are also capable of executing sophisticated logic instructions as well as performing iterative tasks like going through a folder for a specific file or scanning Excel for an open workbook or a specific worksheet or value. The word Macro is actually misleading being confused with the earlier Macro language that Microsoft Excel used in the early 90's till 94. The macros back then where stored on what looked like a worksheet, these sheets being called called Macro Sheets. They still exist in Excel today if you right mouse click over a worksheet tab and select Insert/MS Excel 4.0 Macro. The code on these sheets look like a series of formulas. One of these old style sheet is illustrated directly to the right.

An Excel macro is actually a Visual Basic procedure, which is written in VBA which stands for Visual Basic for Applications (What is VBA). It is usually a Sub procedure (pictured right and below) or in some instances a Function procedure. These procedures are stored in a workbook file in a module and can be viewed in the VBA Editor by pressing the Alt+F11 key while in Excel. When the workbook file storing the macro isExcel Macro Code distributed, the macro also goes along with the workbook. When the workbook is opened, its Excel macros are opened. When a workbook is closed, the macros are closed. Once a macro is saved in a workbook and the workbook reopened, the macro must be enabled for it to run. Microsoft Excel will prompt you with a run dialog box or a run button which is underneath the formula bar in Excel 2007 and above. When an Excel macro is saved in an Excel 2007 workbook and above, the workbook file must be saved out as an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook or the code will be lost when the book is closed.

An Excel Macro is not only capable of automating the Excel environment, it can also command other programs that are VBA compatible. In other words, you can be in Excel and command Word, Internet Explorer and SQL server in the same procedure. A macro can also talk to other computer languages like C, VB.NET, FORTRAN basically any language that is VBA compatible. What this brings to the table is being able to access capabilities and speed that VBA does not process. Do not underestimate the power of Excel macros, they have Excel at their command, other programs, other languages and can do the most sophisticated mathematics and analysis that you want to do. Developing macros in Microsoft Excel takes about a sixth of the time as other traditional programming environments (sometimes quicker) and can flat out do things that are impossible in other computer languages without a great deal of effort. There are many EMAGENIT projects that started as band-aids till bigger systems were developed and then took over as the main programs because the other systems could flat out not be developed.

Why Recording a Microsoft Excel Macro Does Not Accomplish Your Goal

A lot of books and consulting companies push that being able to record a macro in Excel is all you need to put together a program. In some instances, consulting companies will claim to know how to write macros for Excel and actually just switch on the recorder and edit the code a little. Plugging that all you need to know is how to use the Macro Recorder to control Excel is a very false misleading statement. The Macro Recorder is really an ineffective tool when used to try to build an Excel Macro from scratch. The biggest failure comes in the way it records the object expression (path) to what you are trying to control in Excel. Object oriented programming revolves around the single concept that you create an object expression identifying what you are trying to control then tell that object what to do. For example in the code above, the full object expression (path) would be Application.Workbooks.Item("Book1").Worksheets.Item("Sheet1").Range("A1") which drills down to the Range object (a cell) then Copy is run to accomplish the task. The recorder does not record code this way, it uses an active strategy which means it will generate code that will toggle workbook to worksheet to get you into position, then use a Selection command most of the time to identify what you want to control. The following is the way the recorder recorded the two lines of code pictured above:

Sheets("Sheet1").Select
Range("A1").Select
Selection.Copy
Sheets("Sheet3").Select
Range("E5").Select
Selection.PasteSpecial

The problem with the code is that it is not robust in execution and very vulnerable to errors. Notice it does not even identify the workbook which could be a big problem. In some instances, the recorder will not even record a task or record it only partially. In reality, the macro recorder is only really good for figuring out the command you want to carry out like Copy or PasteSpecial and how they look when typed (syntax). In recent versions of Excel it does not even do that very well either. Also the recorder does not put in place logic, loops or variables which are key to creating a functional Excel macro. In short, you are going to have to learn basic programming (loops, logic and variables) plus how to create these object expressions from scratch if you want to create a feasible Excel macro. If you do hire a firm to create a Microsoft Excel macro for you, be sure to be on the look out for a lot of Select, Selections and Actives in the computer code. If you see this, they probably used the recorder to write the macro in which case you should ask for a refund.

 

 

 

 

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