Runtime Excel Add-In Professional Edition

Installation

If you want to distribute your spreadsheets (.xls files) to other users so they can run your rule sets and change the inputs to see the results, you need to distribute the runtime version of the ARulesXL Add-In.

Unfortunately, this add-in must have the same name as the add-in that allows you to create, edit and debug rules. Fortunately, if you want your users to see the rules, they can seamlessly upgrade to the higher edition of ARulesXL so they can modify your rules.

To install the runtime add-in you need to copy the following files to the user's Microsoft Office Library directory (name varies by version and locale):

• ARulesXL.xla from the api\excel directory
• arulesrt.dll, arulesrt.cfg, arulesrt.xpl, ar_mysqlrt.lsx and ar_osutils.lsx from the api\bin_redist directory

You also need to enable the add-in during installation with this VBScript code:

Dim oXL, oAddin

Set oXL = CreateObject("Excel.Application") 
oXL.Workbooks.Add 
Set oAddin = oXL.AddIns.Add(oXL.LibraryPath & oXL.PathSeparator & "ARulesXL.xla", True) 
oAddin.Installed = True 
oXL.Quit 
Set oXL = Nothing 

Or tell your users to select Tools | Add-Ins from the Excel menu and check the box named 'Arulesxl'.

Note — If you want your rule sets to be invisible in Excel or any other Microsoft application that supports VBA, see the VBA & VB6 Interface.

Using the Runtime Add-In

To use the Runtime Excel Add-In, you need to send a corresponding exported rule set (.axl) file with each of your spreadsheet (.xls) files. You create this file by using the ARulesXL | Export Rule Set command. Put the .axl file in the same directory as your .xls file. The add-in will load it automatically when your .xls file is opened.

You now have the choice of whether or not to allow your users to see the rules. You can delete the rules from each of the rule sets, or leave them in place. Regardless of your choice, if your user tries to change the rules, it will have no effect.

Note — You must leave all calls to RArray() and RCell() in your rule sets, in order to have your RQuery()'s work properly.

Now your user can change the inputs to the rules (in the cells referenced by RArray() and RCell()) and see the results of these changes.

If you want your users to be able to modify the rules, leave them in your rule sets in your .xls file, and have your user upgrade to the Standard Edition of ARulesXL. After they upgrade, the .axl file will no longer be loaded and your user can modify the rules directly on the spreadsheet, see errors, run traces, etc.

Copyright ©2005-7 Amzi! inc. All Rights Reserved. ARulesXL and Amzi! are trademarks or registered trademarks of Amzi! Microsoft and Excel are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.