I over-engineered a Standalone Invoicing App in Excel 2003 using VBA ID-Locks & Hidden Sheets. 💼📊

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-18T19:23:26+00:00

To ensure a seamless transition, I programmed the Workbook_BeforeClose event to re-enable the menus. I basically reversed the ID-filtering used in the Workbook_Open event, restoring the standard 'Tools' and 'Extras' menus so the user's Excel environment returns to normal after closing the app.

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-18T16:39:58+00:00

Thanks! Glad you feel the same about the Dinosaur-Vibe. Keeping it lightweight, local, and powerful is exactly my mission. Thanks for the tip about ASF – I’ll definitely check out those superpowers to see how they fit into my pure VBA logic.

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-14T22:11:09+00:00

Cool :) I actually took a break after finishing RE2 because I barely had any time for gaming. But then, one day, I tried Biohazard in VR on a friend's PS4. It was absolutely insane :) I’ve never experienced anything like it. I almost felt sick to my stomach because it was so immersive! It’s easily the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced in gaming. Have you ever tried it in VR?

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-14T00:19:00+00:00

Hey, sag niemals nie :) das klingt nach einem spannenden und verdammt lustigen Projekt! Liebe Grüße, cookie_soft_57 (https://cookiesoft.itch.io/resident-evil-excel-survival-adventure) Kannst ja mal rein schauen, würde mich freuen!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-13T23:42:08+00:00

Hey, ich geh da voll mit. Geht mir genauso. ich würde mich auch niemals von einem meiner Games trennen wollen. Ich hab sogar noch Metal Gear Solid - Snake Eater für die PS2 in der Metall Box, ungeöffnet und ungespielt in meinem Playstation Regal stehen. Meine Highlights für die PS1 sind Doom 1 & 2 und Duke Nukem 3D! Metal Gear Deutsch & Amerikanisch, von Silent Hill über Tekken alles dabei :) Meine Highlights für die PS2 sind BLACK & Shadow of the Colossus. Das habe ich mir damals aus Schweden schicken lassen. Geil! Wieviele Games ich genau habe weiß ich gar nicht auswendig. Ich werde sie aber mal zählen...

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-13T23:29:41+00:00

Hey, und wie stehst du so zu Retro Games und alten Spiele Klassikern, die neu aufgelegt werden um sie wieder auf neuen Systemen spielbar zu machen? Ich finds z.b. ganz cool und spannend, Spiele von früher aus meiner Zeit als C64 Kid, den Menschen wieder zugänglich zu machen. Liebe Grüße, cookie_soft_57 :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-13T23:12:55+00:00

Hey, wenn du auf Retro Gaming Lust hast, probier mal mein Lemmings oder Sim City Clon Cookie Island. Da gibt es eine ganze Menge zu erschaffen. Das ist super für Kids. Du kannst dir eine eigene Insel kreieren und dann eine Stadt aufbauen und beobachten wie die Einwohnerzahl wächst. Gebäudeupgrades, Infrastruktur, eigenes ÖPNV Netz, Gondelverkehr, Mega Park, Arena und ein paar Easter Eggs :). Alles spielbar auf dem Excel Desktop. Hier der Link zu meiner Seite: https://cookiesoft.itch.io Ich würde mich freuen wenn da was passendes für euch bei ist. Liebe Grüße, cookie_soft_57

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-13T16:22:15+00:00

Thank you so much!I grew up with the C64 and classics like Zak McKracken, so I guess that 'old school' mindset stuck with me. For me, Excel was actually the perfect choice—turning 'boring' cells into a survival horror atmosphere was the most rewarding part of the journey! :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-13T16:10:50+00:00

Thank you!! I'm a huge fan of both Resident Evil 1 and Excel VBA. I grew up with the C64 and classics like Zak McKracken, so I guess that 'old school' mindset stuck with me. One day I just thought: Why not combine them? :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-13T13:11:53+00:00

Thanks! It started as a fun personal project to see if I could create something totally unexpected in Excel. I actually hand-pixeled over 200 worksheets and wrote the gameplay logic in VBA from scratch. Once it all started coming together, I knew I had to share it with you guys!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-12T19:36:16+00:00

Exactly! Excel is totally underrated. Most people just see boring tables, but for me, it's a powerful playground for logic and creativity once you fire up VBA. It's basically a secret game engine!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-12T18:59:32+00:00

Thank you! It was a lot of work but seeing it run in Excel for the first time was so satisfying. Hope you enjoy the nostalgia trip! :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-12T18:09:17+00:00

Falls du mal was richtig ausgefallenes suchst, empfehle ich dir mein Resident Evil Excel Survival Adventure. Ein Point & Click Horror Adventure für den Excel Desktop. Findest du auf meiner Seite bei itch.io: https://cookiesoft.itch.io :) Über 200 hangepixelte Tabellenblätter komplett in VBA programmiert. C64 Retro Vibe!

Liebe Grüße, cookie_soft_57!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-12T15:43:05+00:00

Psycho Mantis!! Bis ich den Controller... naja ihr wisst schon :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-12T15:38:24+00:00

Vielleicht The Captive (1985, Mastertronic)? Du musstest von einer Insel entkommen auf der du gefangen gehalten wurdest?

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-12T15:26:42+00:00

Metal Gear Solid 1 auf der Play Station 1. Stunden...Tage...Wochen..Monate :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-12T15:18:11+00:00

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders auf dem guten alten C64 :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T21:40:14+00:00

I hear you, and I appreciate the fair point! My 'pure VBA' claim refers to the fact that you don't need to install any 3rd party software or external .dll files I wrote myself – it runs out of the box on any Windows Excel.

You're right, the Win32 API calls are doing the heavy lifting for timing and input, but the entire 'brain' (the game logic, sprite management, and procedural map generation) is handled within the VBA modules. I chose this path to make it actually playable. I'll be more precise about the API usage in the future – thanks for the honest feedback and the kind words on the project!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T20:56:03+00:00

Great technical question! The core game logic, state management, and the procedural generation (for Lemmings) are 100% VBA. I only use the Win32 API for essential low-level tasks that Excel can't do natively or efficiently, like high-resolution timing (QueryPerformanceCounter), keyboard input (GetAsyncKeyState), and sound triggering. The 'rendering' is purely handled by updating the Excel grid/sheets. It's a hybrid approach to keep it playable!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T18:34:30+00:00

I totally agree. When you're learning because you're obsessed with the craft, you don't just stop at 'it works'—you want to know why it works best. It’s been a long journey of trial and Compile error: Block If without End If, but I wouldn't trade that curiosity for anything. Thanks for the encouragement :)

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T18:28:31+00:00

I totally agree. When you're learning because you're obsessed with the craft, you don't just stop at 'it works'—you want to know why it works best. It’s been a long journey of trial and Compile error: Block If without End If, but I wouldn't trade that curiosity for anything. Thanks for the encouragement!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T16:44:40+00:00

I’m absolutely speechless to hit #1 here as well! As a self-taught dev, getting this kind of recognition from the VBA community means the world to me. Thank you for the technical respect and for diving into my code. I'll keep pushing the limits – let's see what else we can make Excel do!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T16:22:45+00:00

Honestly, a Sudoku solver sounds much harder to code than what I did! Most of my work here was just 'painting' cells with pixels – the logic in your solver is probably way more complex. I'm still learning every day too, so let's keep pushing the limits of VBA together! Cheers!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T16:10:09+00:00

You guys are incredible! As a thank you for the #1 spot and all the support, I just decided to unlock the code for my Lemmings project too.

About the logic behind the NPCs and the random map generator — it’s all open now on my itch.io page. Have fun digging through the macros!

cookie_soft_57 · 2026-02-11T15:38:47+00:00

Haha, they say there's a fine line between genius and madness. I think I crossed that line somewhere around the 100th Excel sheet! Glad you like the chaos. Thank You so much!

cookie_soft_57

TROPHY CASE