Proper use of multiple xlams - New Color Template

Wulluby

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Is excel meant to be able to handle more than one xlam?

I am trying to run at least 2. One called Dev for working stuff out and at least one more that gets published out onto the network for a given team to use.

If I add 'Dev' I don't see it by it's proper name of Dev in the Developer>Addins dialouge box unless I rename the xlam in it's given location and it can't be seen. It is always named as New Color Template.

Then when I try to add in a second xlam this will also become known as New Color Template and they then share the same checkbox. I can see both in the VBE until I restart Excel at which point the Dev xlam is gone.

Am I missing a trick on the proper use of xlam files? I am using 2010.

Thanks in advance.
 
Not really sure what you are saying, but
- you can have multiple xlam files open in an Excel instance. There may be a limit, but I have no idea what that might be
- each xlam must have a unique name.
 
Hi Bob and thanks for the reply.

What I am trying to resolve is that when I add an addin in 2010 it does not show in the addin manager by it's name but by the name of New Color Template.

To create the addin I am opening excel then save as an xlam. It is saved to a network location and then added from that network location without a local copy being created.

Despite the fact that it does not show by it's correct name it works ok. Until I add a second addin which is also coming up by the name New Color Template and then when I restart Excel one of the addin's dissapears from my VB editor. I can create a custom button in the toolbar that will trigger a macro from either and it will make it re-appear again but I'm sure this shouldn't be required. I'm guessing I should be able to just load up these xlams till my computer says no.
 
Hi Wullbuy,

So if I read this right, you're working with a development version and a full version, and want to run them both at the same time?

Even though they may be saved as different file names, Excel won't be able to open them simultaneously unless they have different "names". It's the Add-in's title field that gets registered as it's name in the Add-ins list. If those aren't unique, then you won't be able to load them both at the same time.

To toggle this, open one of the addins and toggle the IsAddin property to False for a second. Then go to the workbook properties inside the Excel UI, change the title, then toggle the IsAddin property back and save it. To be safe, close Excel and re-open it to make sure the registry changes stick. At that point you should be able to open your non-dev copy.

If you're using this code to deploy your addins, (which I think you are,) you shouldn't need to do any of this. It will (should) simply take your local add-in and push it out to replace your shared copy.
 
Hi,

What I have or what I am trying to get is:

1 addin which is my 'personal' dev, it only has 1 or 2 generic buttons to run current projects I am working through.

A second addin which you are right, that is the development version of a teams addin which pushes out a read only version to the network. When I have worked out any new macros in the personal dev I will then copy the module over. I like to have that on my ribbon so that when reports come in of this behaving strange or that behaving strange I can get to it fast.

Then I would like to add a 3rd or 4th addin for perhaps a different team or for a subset of a team to automate some tasks only that subset do.

At no point do I open the teams dev copy alongside their network copy.

I know I said my copies are open opened from the network but that is because my local drive is not part of any back up jobs so I run from a personal network location.
 
Okay, give the steps that I gave you above for changing the file's title a shot. That may solve your issue. (Sorry, I tried to find a VBA method to do this easily, but can't locate one.)
 
Hi Ken,

That doesn't seem to have resolved it.

It doesn't seem to matter what I call my addins, when I go to Developer>Addin>Browse to Addin> Select Addin. What I see in the list of addins is New Color Template, for all of them and it's not a new instance of New Color Template for each one. It's just one entry for New Color Template.

I tried googling New Color Template but the net is awash with 'templates' so trying to track this one down is a tough job.

Let's say I have 2 addins called "Team1" and "Team2".

I add Team1 and I see it in my VBE, I add Team2 and despite nothing seeming to change on my Developer>Addins window I can see Team2 and Team1 in my VBE.

Restart Excel and Team1 will disappear…but…if I have a custom ribbon where I placed that macro I can make Team1 re-appear by triggering the macro from the ribbon.
 
Think I’ve cracked it.

I assumed that saving as”TEST1.xlam” was enough but I just noticed in the backstage area a properties area and in there is the title ‘New Color Template’. There’s my culprit.

Thanks for the input though.
 
...backstage area a properties area and in there is the title ‘New Color Template’. There’s my culprit...

Sorry Wulluby, I guess I wasn't clear enough in my original response. That is definitely your culprit, and what I was trying to point you to. :)

Glad you got it sorted.
 
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