All the routines included in this chapter have been taken out of actual Excel applications, so are themselves practical examples of API calls.
The PETRAS application files for this chapter can be found on the CD in the folder \Application\Ch09Understanding and Using Windows API Calls and now includes the following files:
PetrasTemplate.xlt The timesheet template
PetrasAddin.xla The timesheet data-entry support add-in
PetrasReporting.xla The main reporting application
PetrasConsolidation.xlt A template to use for new results workbooks
Debug.ini A dummy file that tells the application to run in debug mode
PetrasIcon.ico A new icon file, to use for Excel''s main window
Until this chapter, the location used by the Post to Network routine has used Application.GetOpenFilename to allow the user to select the directory to save the timesheet workbook to. The problem with that call is that the directory must already contain at least one file. In this chapter, we add the BrowseForFolder dialog and use that instead of GetOpenFilename, which allows empty folders to be selected.
We''ve also added a new feature to the timesheet add-in. In previous versions you were prompted to specify the consolidation location the first time you posted a timesheet workbook to the network. When you selected a location, that location was stored in the registry and from there on out the application simply read the location from the registry whenever you posted a new timesheet.
What this didn''t take into account is the possibility that the consolidation location might change. If it did, you would have no way, short of editing the application''s registry entries directly, of switching to the new location. Our new Specify Consolidation Folder feature enables you to click a button on the toolbar and use the Windows browse for folders dialog to modify the consolidation folder. The SpecifyConsolidationFolder procedure is shown in Listing 9-17 and the updated toolbar is shown in Figure 9-5.
Public Sub SpecifyConsolidationFolder() Dim sSavePath As String InitGlobals '' Get the current consolidation path. sSavePath = GetSetting(gsREG_APP, gsREG_SECTION, _ gsREG_KEY, ") '' Display the browse for folders dialog with the initial '' path display set to the current consolidation folder. sSavePath = GetDirectory(sSavePath, _ gsCAPTION_SELECT_FOLDER, gsMSG_SELECT_FOLDER) If Len(sSavePath) > 0 Then '' Save the selected path to the registry. If Right$(sSavePath, 1) <> "\" Then _ sSavePath = sSavePath & "\" SaveSetting gsREG_APP, gsREG_SECTION, _ gsREG_KEY, sSavePath End If End Sub
MEntryPoints
PostTimeEntriesToNetwork
Added call to the GetDirectory function in MBrowseForFolder
SpecifyConsolidationFolder
New feature to update the consolidation folder location
The changes made to the central reporting application for this chapter are to display a custom icon for the application and to enable the user to close all the results workbooks simultaneously, by holding down the Shift key while clicking the File > Close menu. The detailed changes are shown in Table 9-3, and Listing 9-18 shows the new MenuFileClose routine that includes the check for the Shift key.
''Handle the File > Close menu Sub MenuFileClose() Dim wkbWorkbook As Workbook ''Ch09+ ''Check for a Shift+Close If IsKeyPressed(gksKeyboardShift) Then ''Close all results workbooks For Each wkbWorkbook In Workbooks If IsResultsWorkbook(wkbWorkbook) Then CloseWorkbook wkbWorkbook End If Next Else ''Ch09- ''Close only the active workbook If IsResultsWorkbook(ActiveWorkbook) Then CloseWorkbook ActiveWorkbook End If End If End Sub
Module
Procedure
Change
MAPIWrappers (new module)
ApphWnd
Included Listing 9-4 to obtain the handle of Excel''s main window
MAPIWrappers (new module)
SetIcon
Included Listing 9-7 to display a custom icon, read from the new PetrasIcon.ico file.
MAPIWrappers
IsKeyPressed
Included Listing 9-8 to check for the Shift key held down when clicking File > Close
MGlobals
Added a constant for the icon filename
MWorkspace
ConfigureExcelEnvironment
Added a call to SetIcon
MEntryPoints
MenuFileClose
Added check for Shift key being held down, shown in Chapter 10 Userform Design and Best Practices, use more of the routines and concepts introduced in this chapter.