compiler.build.excelAddIn

Create Microsoft Excel add-in

Since R2021a

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This function is only supported on Windows® operating systems.

Syntax

compiler.build.excelAddIn(FunctionFiles)
compiler.build.excelAddIn(FunctionFiles,Name,Value)
compiler.build.excelAddIn(opts)
results = compiler.build.excelAddIn(___)

Description

compiler.build.excelAddIn(FunctionFiles) creates an Excel® add-in using MATLAB® functions specified by FunctionFiles. Before creating Excel add-ins, install a supported compiler.

example

compiler.build.excelAddIn(FunctionFiles,Name,Value) creates an Excel add-in with options specified using one or more name-value arguments. Options include the add-in name, the output directory, and whether to generate a Microsoft® Visual Basic® file.

example

compiler.build.excelAddIn(opts) creates an Excel add-in with options specified using a compiler.build.excelAddInOptions object opts. You cannot specify any other options using name-value arguments.

example

results = compiler.build.excelAddIn(___) returns build information as a compiler.build.Results object using any of the input argument combinations in previous syntaxes. The build information consists of the build type, paths to the compiled files, and build options.

example

Examples

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Create an Excel add-in on a Windows system using a function file that generates a magic square.

Ensure that you have the following installed:

In MATLAB, locate the MATLAB function that you want to deploy as an Excel add-in. For this example, use the file magicsquare.m located in matlabroot\extern\examples\compiler.

appFile = fullfile(matlabroot,'extern','examples','compiler','magicsquare.m');

Build an Excel add-in using the compiler.build.excelAddIn command.

compiler.build.excelAddIn(appFile);

The function generates the following files within a folder named magicsquareexcelAddIn in your current working directory:

  • dlldata.c

  • GettingStarted.html

  • includedSupportPackages.txt

  • magicsquare.def

  • magicsquare.bas (Only if you enable the 'GenerateVisualBasicFile' option)

  • magicsquare.rc

  • magicsquare.xla (Only if you enable the 'GenerateVisualBasicFile' option)

  • magicsquare_1_0.dll

  • magicsquare_dll.cpp

  • magicsquare_idl.h

  • magicsquare_idl.idl

  • magicsquare_idl.tlb

  • magicsquare_idl_i.c

  • magicsquare_idl_p.c

  • magicsquareClass_com.cpp

  • magicsquareClass_com.hpp

  • mccExcludedFiles.log

  • mwcomtypes.h

  • mwcomtypes_i.c

  • mwcomtypes_p.c

  • readme.txt

  • requiredMCRProducts.txt

  • unresolvedSymbols.txt

Create an Excel add-in on a Windows system and customize it using name-value arguments.

For this example, use the file magicsquare.m located in matlabroot\extern\examples\compiler.

appFile = fullfile(matlabroot,'extern','examples','compiler','magicsquare.m');

Build an Excel add-in using the compiler.build.excelAddIn command. Use name-value arguments to specify the add-in name and version, generate a Microsoft Visual Basic file, and enable verbose output.

compiler.build.excelAddIn(appFile,'AddInName','MyMagicSquare', ...
'AddInVersion','2.0', ...
'GenerateVisualBasicFile','on', ...
'Verbose','on');

The function generates the following files within a folder named MyMagicSquareexcelAddIn in your current working directory:

  • dlldata.c

  • GettingStarted.html

  • includedSupportPackages.txt

  • magicsquareClass_com.cpp

  • magicsquareClass_com.hpp

  • mccExcludedFiles.log

  • mwcomtypes.h

  • mwcomtypes_i.c

  • mwcomtypes_p.c

  • MyMagicSquare.bas

  • MyMagicSquare.def

  • MyMagicSquare.rc

  • MyMagicSquare.xla

  • MyMagicSquare_2_0.dll

  • MyMagicSquare_dll.cpp

  • MyMagicSquare_idl.h

  • MyMagicSquare_idl.idl

  • MyMagicSquare_idl.tlb

  • MyMagicSquare_idl_i.c

  • MyMagicSquare_idl_p.c

  • readme.txt

  • requiredMCRProducts.txt

  • unresolvedSymbols.txt

Create multiple Excel add-ins on a Windows system using a compiler.build.ExcelAddInOptions object.

For this example, use the file magicsquare.m located in matlabroot\extern\examples\compiler.

appFile = fullfile(matlabroot,'extern','examples','compiler','magicsquare.m');

Create an ExcelAddInOptions object using appFile. Use name-value arguments to specify a common output directory, generate a Visual Basic file, and enable verbose output.

opts = compiler.build.excelAddInOptions(appFile, ...
'OutputDir','D:\Documents\MATLAB\work\ExcelAddInBatch', ...
'GenerateVisualBasicFile','on', ...
'Verbose','on');

Build the add-in using the ExcelAddInOptions object.

compiler.build.excelAddIn(opts);

To create a new add-in using the function file myMagic2.m with the same options, use dot notation to modify the FunctionFiles argument of the existing ExcelAddInOptions object before running the build function again.

opts.FunctionFiles = 'myMagic2.m';
compiler.build.excelAddIn(opts);

By modifying the FunctionFiles argument and recompiling, you can create multiple add-ins using the same options object.

Create an Excel add-in and save information about the build type, generated files, included support packages, and build options to a compiler.build.Results object.

Compile using the file magicsquare.m.

results = compiler.build.excelAddIn('magicsquare.m')
results = 

  Results with properties:

              BuildType: 'excelAddIn'
                  Files: {2×1 cell}
IncludedSupportPackages: {}
                Options: [1×1 compiler.build.ExcelAddInOptions]
    RuntimeDependencies: [1×1 compiler.runtime.Dependencies]

The Files property contains the paths to the following compiled files:

  • magicsquare_1_0.dll

  • GettingStarted.html

Note

The files magicsquare.bas and magicsquare.xla are included in Files only if you enable the 'GenerateVisualBasicFile' option in the build command.

Input Arguments

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Files implementing MATLAB functions, specified as a character vector, a string scalar, a string array, or a cell array of character vectors. File paths can be relative to the current working directory or absolute. Files must have one of the following extensions: .m, .p, .mlx, or .mexa64.

Example: ["myfunc1.m","myfunc2.m"]

Data Types: char | string | cell

Excel add-in build options, specified as a compiler.build.ExcelAddInOptions object.

Name-Value Arguments

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Specify optional pairs of arguments as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN, where Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name-value arguments must appear after other arguments, but the order of the pairs does not matter.

Before R2021a, use commas to separate each name and value, and enclose Name in quotes.

Example: 'Verbose','on'

Name of the Excel add-in, specified as a character vector or string scalar. The default name of the generated add-in is the first entry of the FunctionFiles argument. The name must begin with a letter and contain only alphabetic characters and underscores.

Example: 'AddInName','myAddIn'

Data Types: char | string

Add-in version, specified as a character vector or a string scalar.

Example: 'AddInVersion','4.0'

Data Types: char | string

Additional files and folders to include in the Excel add-in, specified as a character vector, a string scalar, a string array, or a cell array of character vectors. Paths can be relative to the current working directory or absolute.

Example: 'AdditionalFiles',["myvars.mat","data.txt"]

Data Types: char | string | cell

Flag to automatically include data files, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • If you set this property to 'on', then data files that you provide as inputs to certain functions (such as load and fopen) are automatically included in the add-in.

  • If you set this property to 'off', then you must add data files to the add-in using the AdditionalFiles property.

Example: 'AutoDetectDataFiles','Off'

Data Types: logical

Name of the class, specified as a character vector or a string scalar. Class names must match Excel add-in class name requirements.

The default value is the name of the first file listed in the FunctionFiles argument appended with Class.

Example: 'ClassName','magicsquareClass'

Data Types: char | string

Flag to enable debug symbols, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • If you set this property to 'on', then debugging symbol information is included in the compiled artifact. This option also causes mbuild to pass appropriate debugging flags to the system compiler. The debug option lets you back trace up to the point where you can identify if the failure occurred in the initialization of MATLAB Runtime, the function call, or the termination routine. This option does not let you debug your MATLAB files with an external debugger.

  • If you set this property to 'off', then debug symbols are not included. This is the default option.

Example: 'DebugSymbols','on'

Data Types: logical

Flag to embed the deployable archive, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • If you set this property to 'on', then the function embeds the deployable archive in the Excel add-in.

  • If you set this property to 'off', then the function generates the deployable archive as a separate file.

Example: 'EmbedArchive','Off'

Data Types: logical

Since R2024b

Paths to the external AES encryption key and MEX key loader files, specified as a scalar struct with exactly two row char vector or string scalar fields named EncryptionKeyFile and RuntimeKeyLoaderFile, respectively. Both struct fields are required. File paths can be relative to the current working directory or absolute.

For example, specify the encryption key as encrypt.key and loader file as loader.mexw64 using struct keyValueStruct.

keyValueStruct.EncryptionKeyFile='encrypt.key'; keyValueStruct.RuntimeKeyLoaderFile='loader.mexw64'

The encryption key file must be in one of the following supported formats:

  • Binary 256-bit AES key, with a 32 byte file size

  • Hex encoded AES key, with a 64 byte file size

The MEX file loader retrieves the decryption key at runtime and must be an interface with the following arguments:

  • prhs[0] — Input, char array specified as the static value 'get'

  • prhs[1] — Input, char array specified as the CTF component UUID

  • plhs[0] — Output, 32 byte UINT8 numeric array or 64 byte hex encoded char array, depending on the key format

Avoid sharing the same key across multiple CTFs.

Example: 'ExternalEncryptionKey',keyValueStruct

Data Types: struct

Flag to generate a Visual Basic file (.bas) and an Excel add-in file (.xla), specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • If you set this property to 'on', then the function generates an Excel add-in XLA file and a Visual Basic BAS file containing the Microsoft Excel Formula Function interface to the add-in.

  • If you set this property to 'off', then the function does not generate a Visual Basic file or an Excel add-in file.

Note

To generate the Excel add-in file (.xla), you must enable "Trust access to the VBA project object model" in your Excel settings.

Example: 'GenerateVisualBasicFile','on'

Data Types: logical

Flag to obfuscate the deployable archive, specified as 'on'/1/true or 'off'/0/false. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.onoffSwitchState.

If you set this property to 'on', then folder structures and file names in the deployable archive are obfuscated from the end user, and user code and data contained in .m, .mlapp, .p, .mat, MLX, SFX, and MEX files are placed into a user package within the archive. Additionally, all .m files are converted to P-files before packaging.

During runtime, MATLAB code and data is decrypted and loaded directly from the user package rather than extracted to the file system. MEX files are temporarily extracted from the user package before being loaded.

To manually include additional file types in the user package, add each file type in a separate extension tag to the file matlabroot/toolbox/compiler/advanced_package_supported_files.xml.

The following are not supported:

  • ver function

  • Calling external libraries such as DLLs

  • Out-of-process MATLAB Runtime (C++ shared library for MATLAB Data Array)

  • Out-of-process MEX file execution (mexhost, feval, matlab.mex.MexHost)

  • Before R2023b: .mat files other than v7.3

Enabling this option is equivalent to using mcc with -j and -s specified.

If you set this property to 'off', then the deployable archive is not obfuscated. This is the default behavior.

Example: 'ObfuscateArchive','on'

Data Types: logical

Path to the output directory where the build files are saved, specified as a character vector or a string scalar. The path can be relative to the current working directory or absolute.

The default name of the build folder is the add-in name appended with excelAddIn.

Example: 'OutputDir','D:\Documents\MATLAB\work\mymagicexcelAddIn'

Data Types: char | string

Since R2024b

Path to a secret manifest JSON file that specifies the secret keys to be embedded in the deployable archive, specified as a character vector or a string scalar. The path can be relative to the current working directory or absolute.

If your MATLAB code calls the getSecret, getSecretMetadata, or isSecret function, you must specify the secret keys to embed in the deployable archive in a JSON secret manifest file. If your code calls getSecret and you do not specify the SecretsManifest option, MATLAB Compiler™ issues a warning and generates a template JSON file in the output folder named <component_name>_secrets_manifest.json. Modify this file by specifying the secret key names in the Embedded field.

The setSecret function is not deployable. To embed secret keys in a deployable archive, you must call setSecret in MATLAB before you build the archive.

For more information on deployment using secrets, see Handle Sensitive Information in Deployed Applications.

Example: 'SecretsManifest','D:\Documents\MATLAB\work\mycomponent\mycomponent_secrets_manifest.json'

Data Types: char | string

Support packages to include, specified as one of the following options:

  • 'autodetect' (default) — The dependency analysis process detects and includes the required support packages automatically.

  • 'none' — No support packages are included. Using this option can cause runtime errors.

  • A string scalar, character vector, or cell array of character vectors — Only the specified support packages are included. To list installed support packages or those used by a specific file, see compiler.codetools.deployableSupportPackages.

Example: 'SupportPackages',{'Deep Learning Toolbox Converter for TensorFlow Models','Deep Learning Toolbox Model for Places365-GoogLeNet Network'}

Data Types: char | string | cell

Flag to control build verbosity, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • If you set this property to 'on', then the MATLAB command window displays progress information indicating compiler output during the build process.

  • If you set this property to 'off', then the command window does not display progress information.

Example: 'Verbose','on'

Data Types: logical

Output Arguments

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Build results, returned as a compiler.build.Results object. The Results object contains:

  • The build type, which is 'excelAddIn'

  • Paths to the following files:

    • GettingStarted.html

    • AddInName_AddInVersion.dll

    • AddInName.bas (if you enable the 'GenerateVisualBasicFile' option)

    • AddInName.xla (if you enable the 'GenerateVisualBasicFile' option)

  • A list of included support packages

  • Build options, specified as an ExcelAddInOptions object

  • A list of required and optional dependencies, specified as a Dependencies object

Version History

Introduced in R2021a

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See Also

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