Learning about .eml files

An .eml file is a plaintext version of an email which users can save to devices. 

These files can be sent and received via RFC822 compliant programs (RFC822 is formally the standard for ARPA Internet Text Messages). 

In Windows you can right-click on an .eml file and open it in Microsoft Word. 

Opening an .eml in Notepad you may see sections specifying DKIM-Signature designed to prevent email spoofing.

Handwriting and Voice Recognition Services from CTF Loader

The CTF Loader (which stands for "Collaborative Translation Framework") supports handwriting and voice recognition services and is used by Microsoft Office.

The X Factor - File Changes introduced in Microsoft Office 2007 and Preserved Henceforth

MS Office 2007 introduced new file extensions - XLSX for Excel, PPTX for Powerpoint and DOCX for Word. These are generally smaller in size than their pre-Office 2007 equivalents. These use Office XML. So, for example, a PPTX file would an XML-based Powerpoint presentation. Note that these file formats disallow macros. The corresponding macro-enabled versions all have the X replaced with an M - hence we have XLSM for a macro-enabled Excel workbook, PPTM for a macro-enabled Powerpoint presentation and DOCM for a macro-enable Word document. In theory, these XML formats allow the files to be consumed by a variety of applications, not just Word, Excel or Powerpoint and allow batch processing software to be built, for example processing automatically hundreds of Word documents.

tt2 files in Root

Downloading a new Microsoft Office could create some tt2 files in your root directory. These are created by the Office installer and can be deleted manually. They should be cleaned up on reboot.

Managing Mailbox Size in Outlook

If you are close to your maximum storage limit in Outlook, and can't think of what to delete, consider Archiving mails. Archiving basically means moving old emails to an Outlook data file (.pst file) or other storage structure.

The Ergonomics of Version Numbers - What Version of Excel am I Running?

The Perennial Navigational Challenge to Operate Microsoft Office

Finding out what version of Excel you are using is not always straightforward as the user interface changes rapidly with each release. Once upon a time, Ferdinand Magellan had to circumnavigate the world, now people must collectively circumnavigate new versions of software applications, and Office, in particular, provides particular challenges.

The Traditional Idiom for Version Numbers for Windows Applications

Traditionally, version information was always stored in the Help->About screen. How Style Guidelines have changed!

The Office 2010 "Backstage View" and Corresponding Shortcut (From Help to the File Menu)

Office 2010 introduces the "Backstage View". Here you will find your Excel version by clicking: File->Help (Alt-F-H). In 2010, you'll see the Product Version (say 2010) in the top-right and the actual Excel version in the bottom right (e.g. Version: 14) and Copyright Notice.

The  Excel 2013 Methodology

Try the same keyboard shortcut above in Excel 2013 and you will be asked to share your worksheet - Ha!  Instead you must to File -> Account -> About.

Configuration Progress Screen When Opening Word

Can happen when multiple versions of Word are installed on the same machine. There are some rules when doing installations: e.g. earliest first.
According to KB928091, the Windows Installer runs whenever the version of Word that you start is not the one that is registered.

Eliminating the Office 2007 Configuration Wizard

Details here. Involves messing with Event Viewer.

Hardcore Office: PIP files

What is the PIP file?

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12>dir *.pip

shows up ACCESS.PIP, EXCEL.PIP, INFOPATH.PIP, WORD.PIP, OIS.PIP etc. PIPs are Office Personalised Settings files.

Excel Macro-Enabled Workbooks in 2007, Worksheet Functions and Error 51

What's the game with xlms files (Excel macro-enabled workbooks)? Why do I need to save to a "macro-enabled" file to use macros?

The purported justification is added security.

Microsoft are willing to complicate programmability (the key strength of the OLE architecture) under the pretext of security.

A short-term solution is to save as Excel 1997-2003 workbook.

Ok, so why are we so bothered about this.

Let's say we want to create a new Excel worksheet function. We can create this in a module. Suppose we make a function that computes sales commission which returns 5% of whatever number the user puts in. Easy enough. If you didn't define a variable, you'll get an error "Variable not defined" (assuming Option Explicit is set, almost always a good idea).

Suppose you write a worksheet function and a message box appears: "That function is not defined". What does it mean? Usually, it means you have created a function using a reserved keyword in VBA. For example, you can't define a worksheet function called step, because step is a VBA reserved keyword e.g. For I = 1 To 10 Step 2.

Taking Square Roots

To compute a square root in VBA use the SQR function. This is the same as SQRT in an Excel worksheet. Oftentimes, you'll find the raw VBA method is somewhat different to the worksheet function.

Taking Logarithms

In VBA, log means natural logarithm. In a worksheet, log means log to base 10. Alternatively you can use log(number, base).

Other things "not defined"

We've seen the error "Function not defined" now suppose you open your workbook one day and it says "User-defined type not defined". Problem is - you can't find the location where the code is breaking. Even shoving a breakpoint in where you think the problem is doesn't help.
Why? Because it's a "Compile Error" not a run-time error! First step, identify all type definitions in your VBA modules (they start with the prelude "Public Type" or "Private Type"). Then see all usages. Next check WHERE the Type is defined. Are there functions defined before it? Try commenting out those functions.

You do the steps above and try to rerun your program (I avoid the dimunitive term macro). Now, the Type error vanishes, but the next time you use the type you see the message "Compile Error: Internal Error". Out of curiosity, click Help and you will see a description of the error: you will see it is "Internal Error (Error 51)". Sheepishly, the docs ask the developer to "make sure (the) error wasn't generated by the Error statement or Raise method". The explanation and solution is given as: "An internal malfunction has occurred in Visual Basic .. contact Microsoft Product Support Services to report the conditions under which this error appeared". This is an error in the Visual Basic symbol table caused by the order in which you define things. Visual Basic requires you to define objects in the order: Types, Functions and Functions of Functions. Messing up the order (e.g. by so-called "refactoring" - one of the most stupid terms in computing) or missing a definition that the compiler doesn't catch can result in Error 51.

Subverting the Office 2007 Keyboard Shortcut Time Lag

To access MS Office Button (the moral equivalent of the File Menu), the keyboard shortcut Alt-F takes you there. This (quite often) displays a time lag with respect to the previous versions of Excel. Part of the reason can be attribute to the more intensive graphics (for example when you hit Alt, a bunch of labels get illuminated in the Ribbon). You also need to be au fait with the Escape key to disable any menu selection (for example if you have hit a bad shortcut and want to reset your settings so you can attempt a new k/b shortcut).

One way of dealing with the time lag is to allow for it when you use keyboard shortcuts. For example you can do the following keystrokes: 1) escape, to disable any previous menu selections, 2) hit alt -> pause for 2s, 3) hit F. This is ridiculous but is one way to guarantee successful execution of a k/b shortcut.

The most useful interactions with the Button is access to the "Excel Options" page. To access type: Alt-F-I (Alt-Fixed-Income (Options)). Quick guide to the sections:

1. Formulas - allows you to set automatic calculation on or off.
2. Proofing - enables you to disable autocorrect.
3. Advanced - allows you to configure the supposed multithreaded calculation.
4. Trust Center - followed by Alt-T (Trust Center Settings) allows you to set Privacy Options on your workbook.

Cntrl-F1 allows you to minimise or restore the Ribbon (like an HUD).

VBA Annoyances

CONDITIONAL BREAKPOINTS

You CAN'T SET conditional breakpoints in Excel VBE...but you can SIMULATE one with the if statement.

PRIVACY WARNING WHEN SAVING WORKBOOKS

Privacy warning: This document contains macros, ActiveX controls, XML expansion pack information, or Web components. These may include personal information that cannot be removed by the Document Inspector.

How to I get rid of this tripe?

Excel Option > Trust Center > Trust Center Setting > Macro Settings > click Enable All Macros ....

Excel Option > Trust Center > Trust Center Setting > Active X Settings > click Enable All controls without restriction ....

EXCEL 2007 CLAIMS TO DO MULTI-CORE CALCULATION

Where is this functionality at the VBA level.

NO VOLATILE KEYWORD IN EXCEL VBA

Boo!

NO NOTION OF CLOSURES IN BUILDING WORKSHEET FUNCTIONS

Closures would be real useful when implementing mathematical models in Excel.

Microsoft Office Documents Storing Personal Data

Office docs may contain some PII (personally identifiable information). If so, you may get errors when trying to save documents (Document Inspector will complain!)

Mastering MS Word 2007: Footnotes versus Endnotes

References->Insert Footnote. (It's the big button, to the left of Insert Endnote - yes, I know it's confusing). I prefer Footnotes to Endnotes any day.

User "XYZ" is already using Sheet.xls - Open as Read Only?

Sometimes Excel crashes (2007 particularly during OLE operations). Open task manager and kill off all Excel processes then re-open the spreadsheet.

OLE is really broken in Office 2007.

To Automate or Not to Automate that is the Question

The problem with writing about technology is that anything you write becomes rapidly outdated. Not so the dilemma of automation. This dilemma is ever-present. It boils down to the following question - is it worth automating every small task? Small fiddly tasks tend to recur quite frequently e.g. a table formatting algorithm for moving data from Excel to Word. Is it worth automating? It depends on your time constraints. You are sacrificing short-term for long-term benefit. Automation requires intellectual effort. Intellectual effort that could arguably be used more productively understanding and executing the task at hand rather than automating it.

REMOVE Bayesian Computing from MS OFFICE

TO MS OFFICE: If I want a macro I'll write it myself thank you very much. STOP WASTING MY TIME trying to second-guess my actions. A word processor should be a DETERMINISTIC SYSTEM.

Prevent Truncation of Page Borders when Printing

Format->Borders and Shading->Page Border->Options. Change "Measure from edge of page" to "Measure from text".

Text Box versus Frames in Microsoft Word

Both text boxes and frames are flexible containers for text; flexible in the sense you can reposition them and resize them. Frames historically were used when you wanted to wrap text around a graphic. These days you will probably use text boxes more often than frames. Use frames in special cases if you need to insert comments, footnotes, endnotes or fields like AUTONUM.  Text boxes can be converted to frames by clicking Format->Text Box->Convert Text Box to Frame (Alt-OOF).