Protecting excel document

[deleted_user]

I would like to know if there is maybe a way for me to, when I export something to excel, to protect the sheet so that the data cannot be modified. Reason being, I create custom listings for data cleaning, and so for them to get the data in Excel, helps them to be able to filter, etc. in excel. But the problem with that, is that they must not be able to change the data, so protecting the sheet will be the only answer. Does anyone have ANY suggestions? Thanks!!!!

[deleted_user]

I think this really belongs in the forum dealing with Microsoft integration.

I have done as you want to, by using DDE to set cell protection on in specific areas of the sheet. It is also possible using the ExcelXp tagset, although I have not walked this path yet.

Cynical and untrusting creature that I am, no amount of long passwords, sheet and cell protection will rid me of the concern that somebody, some time will change something they shouldn't. Then I will suffer a failure in the process because the data are wrong.

So the approach sketched for a similar process recently called for the exported data to be held in a SAS table and protected using SAS table protection. Then when the edited records are read back in, the base data that should be unchanged is verified against the reference table. Discrepancies will cause the spreadsheet to be recreated and sent back to be done again. We are confident this approach will quickly cure anybody of the desire to tamper or take shortcuts.

Kind regards

David

[deleted_user]

How does the method you used (DDE), look? I will give that a try and see what happens.

[Doc_Duke]

David's right on Excel protection (at least on Excel 2003). It's so easy to break the protection we don't consider it to be protected at all.