Re: Why VBA is a good programing language
From: Jonathan West (jwest_at_mvps.org)
Date: 06/16/04
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Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 00:37:12 +0100
"Jezebel" <dwarves@heaven.com.kr> wrote in message
news:OzixbB$UEHA.2908@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Sadly, I think your technology people are right. VBA is a fine programming
> language, but that's probably not the issue. The challenges of deploying
and
> supporting a VBA application on a large scale are a serious. From the
> technology people's point of view, the concerns include these:
>
> 1) Distributing a template is a horrible way to make an application
> available. Jonathan W has apparently had good success with this, but that
is
> truly the exception. I have seen any number of projects like this that
> failed, and none at all that could be called a success. It was never
> anything at all to do with the power and flexibility of VBA itself.
It just needs to be done properly. There are a variety of possible ways,
from creating a self-extracting exe file that copies files to the proper
locations, through to cooperating with the IT people to push out new
templates using SMS or login scripts. The method needs to be adapted to the
individual circumstance. But an essential feature is the active cooperation
of IT in implementing the agreed solution.
>
> 2) The support implications are serious. As soon as you distribute
software
> relating to Word, your IT people will get support calls for Word issues,
> that might or might not be related to your application ("Ever since you
gave
> me that report template, I've been losing Word documents...") Even if the
> app is not to blame -- and usually it isn't -- your IT people will still
be
> fielding the calls and suffering the acrimony.
They are probably fielding calls for Word anyway, and coridally hating the
fact. Most IT depts hate dealing with Word - they like doing sexy things
like mailservers and intranets. Word is used by secretaries! Most companies
that I have worked in or with do not have a proper set or corporate
templates, and the IT department considers that its responsibility in this
area begins and ends with putting a default installation of Office onto each
desktop.
One company I dealt with a while ago, for whom I created some report
templates with underlying VBA, the head of IT told me that even though he
recognised that there was a need to fix the way the company used Word, he
was helpless to do anything about it, because his people would resign if
asked to work on anything as lowly as Word templates. So he was really happy
to have me come in and produce the templates for them.
Actually, kworthy's formfilling application might turn out to be the spur
needed to get the IT people in his organisation to take Word a bit more
seriously. Based on his description, the chances aren't all that high, but
you never know...
>
> 3) It's adding yet another policy and security issue to the network, that
> they, not you, have to deal with.
This is true, but then again, it would also be true of a separate
application that was installed and configured for the purpose.
>
> 4) Your app might work fine if it's the only Word app your users have; but
> how well does it work if the users have other apps installed also?
That is an issue, but experienced Word coders know how to make their
applications well-behaved, and how even to cope in the presence of
thoroughly badly behaved applications like the Acrobat add-in.
>
> 5) Many organisations have a policy of refusing to deploy applications
> written by 'feral programmers' -- meaning people within the organisation
who
> are not employed as programmers. For many reasons, this is a sensible
> policy. Otherwise the organisation tends to end up with an uncontrolled
> inventory of code, most of which is of dubious standard, uncontrolled,
> undocumented, etc. From your description, these reports in your
organisation
> have some official status. If you leave, who in the organisation would be
in
> a position to make a legal deposition about the nature of the software
used
> to create them?
This is the largest problem, and I referred to it in my original post. An
unqualified untrained programmer, even though he might be a subject-matter
expert, is likely to write a horrible rats-nest of an application (and I've
seen my share of them!) Such applications are ok for individual or even
workgroup productivity tools, but it can be dangerous to scale them beyond
that level, where support problems can't be dealt with by the author being
on the spot.
-- Regards Jonathan West - Word MVP www.intelligentdocuments.co.uk Please reply to the newsgroup
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