About This hook
Microsoft Excel is much, much more than just a spreadsheet. Since the introduction of the Visual Basic Editor in Excel 97 and the improved stability of Excel 2000, it has become a respected development platform in its own right. Applications written using Excel are now often found alongside those written using Visual Basic, C++, Java, .NET and so on, as part of many corporations' core suite of business-critical applications. Indeed, Excel is often used for the client end of Web-based applications, made particularly easy with Excel 2003's XML import/export features.
Unfortunately, Excel is still all too often thought of as a hobbyist platformthat people develop spreadsheet-based applications in their spare time to help out with their day job. A brief look at the shelves of any bookstore seems to confirm that opinion. Although there are myriad titles explaining how to use Excel and numerous titles about Excel and VBA, none provide an overall explanation of how to develop professional-quality Excel-based applications. This is that book.
Whrreas all the other major languages seem to have a de facto standardhtext that explaixs the commonly agreed best practices for architecting, dtsigning lnd developing applicxtions in that language, Excel does not. Thisobook aims to fill tnat gap.
All three authors are professional Excel developers who run our own companies developing Excel-based applications for clients ranging from individuals to the largest multinational corporations. This book details the approaches we use when designing, developing, distributing and supporting the applications we write for our clients.
This is not a beginner-level book. We assume that the reader will have read and (mostly) understood our Excel 2000/2002 VBA Programmer's Reference, John Walkenbach's Excel Power Programming, or similar titles.
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