Welcome to the XLL+ User Guide.
This is an on-line guide to building Excel add-ins with the XLL+ toolkit. Through the use of tutorial examples, it shows each of the steps for creating an Excel add-in library.
| Quick start | |||
| Quick start | A very short introduction to using XLL+ | ||
| Basic features | |||
| Installing XLL+ | A step by step guide to installing the XLL+ toolkit | ||
| Creating an add-in project | How to create a new MS Developer Studio project for an Excel add-in library | ||
| Writing an add-in function | How to use the XLL+ Function Wizard to create an Excel add-in function | ||
| Testing your add-in function | How to run and debug your add-in function in Excel | ||
| Variable return types | How to return a different data type from a function, depending on whether the function succeeded or failed. | ||
| Intermediate features | |||
| Vector arguments | How to read one-dimensional arguments | ||
| Modifying an add-in function | How to use the XLL+ Function Wizard to modify an Excel add-in function, and regenerate the code | ||
| Optional arguments | How to test for a missing argument, and use a default if it is omitted | ||
| Matrix arguments | How to read two-dimensional arguments | ||
| Array results | How to return one- and two-dimensional results to Excel | ||
| Advanced features | |||
| Handling events | How to write event handlers that will automatically run code when the library is opened and closed | ||
| Excel Formula Wizard | How to prevent a function from being called in the Excel Formula Wizard | ||
| Sized result arrays | How to return an array result that exactly fits the range from which it was called | ||
| Macro functions | How to write add-in functions that make changes to workbooks | ||
| Menus and toolbars | How to add new menus and toolbars to Excel so that users can invoke your add-in functions | ||
| Using MFC | How to use the Microsoft Foundation Classes from within an XLL | ||
| Writing safe code | How to bomb-proof your code by catching C exceptions | ||
| Object handles | How to expose objects in spreadsheets, using "handles" | ||
| Groups | How to reduce the number of arguments to a function, by grouping arguments together | ||
| International support | How to support users who prefer languages other than your own | ||
| Multi-threaded add-ins using RTD | How to do work in background threads, and have Excel update when you are ready to supply it with new data | ||
Note: In the tutorial steps, you are guided in building an add-in called Tutorial1. You can find all the code for this project, and all the other tutorial projects, under the Samples sub-directory of your XLL+ installation.