4 Install Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel
To install Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel, download and run one of the two available installers. You can download these installers from the Oracle Downloads page.
There are two available installers for the add-in: a "Current User" installer and an "All Users" installer. Use the Current User installer to install the add-in on your local desktop for your own use. The All Users installer is intended for IT administrators.
The add-in runs in Excel on a Windows environment and requires some additional Microsoft components. Check out the Software Dependencies topic for details before you begin your installation.
Installer Types
The Current User installer installs the add-in for the current user’s Windows profile only. If there are other people using this computer, they will need to install the add-in for their own Windows profile.
When you use the All Users installer, the add-in is available for all users on the target Windows machine.
Refer to this table for a full comparison of the two installers:
| Comparison | Current User | All Users |
|---|---|---|
| File name | vbafe-installer.exe |
vbafe-installer-all-users.msi |
| Installation Location | Current Windows user profile | Program Files |
| Target Audience | Excel users | IT administrators |
| Prerequisite Installer | Included | Not included |
| Installer File Type | Executable (EXE) | Windows Installer Package (MSI) |
| Windows Registry Entries | HKEY_CURRENT_USER | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE |
| Elevated Privileges | Not required | Required |
Software Dependencies
Make sure your system has all required software dependencies before you begin your installation. You may also choose to install optional software depending on your requirements.
Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel is an Excel add-in that runs in Excel on a Windows environment. For a list of supported Excel and Windows versions, see Supported Platforms.
In addition to the supported platforms, you also require some additional Microsoft components.
Required Software
| Components | Notes |
|---|---|
| Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7 or later | The .NET Framework 4.8 is included with the May 2019 update of Windows 10 |
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office (VSTO) Runtime | The VSTO runtime is included with most recent versions of Excel |
The Current User installer checks your environment for these components and will launch the required Microsoft installers for .NET Framework and VSTO runtime. These installers require elevated privileges and, in some cases, a reboot.
Note:
If you are running recent versions of Windows and Excel, you may already have these components.The All Users installer does not check your system for required software. Run the Health Check tool to ensure you have all required software and versions. If you are missing these required components, follow the instructions in the Health Check tool to install the required software.
Optional Software
The add-in supports the use of Microsoft Edge WebView2 as an embedded browser for displaying log-in pages. This software is optional: If this component is not installed, the add-in uses Internet Explorer components instead.
To take advantage of the WebView2 embedded browser, download one of the "evergreen" installers and run it. You can download the software from the Microsoft Edge WebView2 page here: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/#download-section.
See Embedded Browsers.
Install Using the Current User Installer
To install Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel for the current user’s profile, download the Current User installer (vbafe-installer.exe) from the Oracle Downloads page and run the installer.
You don’t need elevated privileges to install the add-in for a current user. However, if your system is missing required software, the installer launches the required Microsoft Installers to install the missing components. These installers require elevated privileges. Contact your network administrator for assistance if required.
Make sure that the proxy settings for Internet Explorer are configured to allow access to "*.microsoft.com". The required Microsoft installers may need access to Microsoft's website to download missing components.
The add-in includes designer tools for developing workbooks. These tools are included by default. If you are an application developer, make sure to install the designer tools with the add-in. If you need these tools but don’t have them, simply rerun the installer and enable the designer tools.
This installation is specific to the current Windows user profile. If multiple users on a Windows machine need the add-in, consider using the All Users installer instead. See Install Using the All Users Installer.
- Click Install.
- Start Excel and open a new workbook.
A new Oracle Visual Builder ribbon tab appears, with commands to integrate the Excel spreadsheet with a REST service. If you disabled the design tools during installation, you won't see the Design options in the first pane on the ribbon.
Description of the illustration ribbontab.pngWhen you first run Excel after the current-user installation, you may be prompted to confirm the installation of the "Office customization". This prompt generally appears the first time for each profile and whenever the digital certificate (used to sign the add-in) is changed.
Run the Current User Installer from the Command Line
If you want to install Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel from the command prompt, you can use command-line switches with the vbafe-installer.exe file to control or customize your installation.
- Open a command prompt and change to the directory where you saved the installer.
- Type vbafe-installer.exe followed by any required switches. For example, to perform a “silent” install in the local application data folder:
vbafe-installer.exe /quiet /roaming 0
Table 3-1 Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel Installer Command-Line Switches
| Switch | Description |
|---|---|
/help |
Displays a list of supported switches with description. |
/quiet |
Suppresses the interactive mode of the installer and does not install any missing prerequisite software. You can combine this switch with others to customize your silent installation. |
/designer 0 | 1 |
Use this switch as follows:
|
/log path |
Runs the installer and directs the log output to the specified log file. The default log file location is %TEMP%\vbafe\vbafe-installer-log.txt.
|
/roaming 0 | 1 |
Use this switch as follows:
|
Install Using the All Users Installer
To install Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel for all users, download the All Users installer from the Oracle Downloads page and run the installer.
Before you begin, make sure your system has all the required software and versions. If any required software is missing, the installation terminates without installing the add-in. Refer to Software Dependencies for details including information on how to check for and install required components.
You must have elevated privileges for this installation.
The add-in includes designer tools for developing workbooks by default. If the user doesn't need these tools, you can disable them when you install the add-in. If these tools are needed later on, simply rerun the installer and enable them.
This installation is available to all users on the Windows machine. You do not need to install the add-in separately for each user profile.
- Start Excel and open a new workbook.
A new Oracle Visual Builder ribbon tab appears, with commands to integrate the Excel spreadsheet with a REST service. If you disabled the design tools during installation, you won't see the Design options in the first pane on the ribbon.
Description of the illustration ribbontab.png
Run the All Users Installer from the Command Line
Since the All Users installer is a standard Windows Installer Package (MSI), you can run msiexec on the command line to install Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel.
msiexec includes a number of options that let you control or customize your installation. See Standard Installer Command-Line Options on the Microsoft web site.
Examples
The following example shows a silent installation with logging enabled:
msiexec /package vbafe-installer-all-users.msi /quiet /log vbafe-install-log.txt
The following example shows a silent uninstall:
msiexec /uninstall vbafe-installer-all-users.msi /quiet
Unsupported Options
Not all msiexec options are relevant or supported for Add-in installation. Unsupported options include /j and /a.
Enable Designer Tools
The All-Users installer defines a public property, “DESIGNER”, that can be used to enable or disable designer tools during command-line installation. To disable designer tools from the command-line, set DESIGNER=0. Refer to the msiexec documentation for details on how to set public properties during installation.
When performing an upgrade or repair, the installer uses the previously set value if this property is omitted.
Upgrade to the Latest Version
To take advantage of all the latest Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel features, make sure you are running an up-to-date version of the add-in. To upgrade to a new version, simply download and run the installer.
To check for new versions, select Check for Updates from the Advanced drop-down on the Oracle Visual Builder ribbon. If a newer version is available, you’ll be prompted to open the Oracle Downloads page in your browser.
You do not need to uninstall the previous version unless the installer instructs you to do so.
If you want to upgrade from one installation type to the other, uninstall the existing instance of the add-in first.
To determine which type of installation you have, run a diagnostic report and check the "Code Base" property under Properties. If the path is under the current user profile, the add-in was installed using the Current User installer. If the path is under Program Files, the add-in was installed using the All Users installer.
To run the diagnostic report, select Diagnostic Report from the Advanced drop-down on the Oracle Visual Builder ribbon.
To ensure a clean upgrade, follow these instructions when upgrading your installation.
- Before you upgrade the add-in:
- Upload any pending changes using the current add-in version.
- Save changes in open workbooks, then close Excel.
- Run the installer for the new version and follow the instructions in the wizard. The installer automatically replaces the previous version with the new version.
- After you upgrade:
- Launch Excel to complete any final installation steps.
- Open your integrated workbook.
- Clear any layouts of old data and download data again as required.
Uninstall the Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel
Uninstall the add-in from the Windows Settings app.
If you're uninstalling the Current User version, sign in to the Windows user profile where the add-in is installed.
Supported Platforms
Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel runs in Excel on Windows. This section provides details on which versions are supported. Review this topic carefully to make sure your configuration is supported.
Microsoft Excel
| Version | Support Expires |
|---|---|
| Excel 2016 | 2025 |
| Excel 2019 | 2025 |
| Excel for Microsoft 365 (desktop installation only) | Refer to Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy. |
Note:
Oracle recommends the 32-bit version of Excel whenever possible, as the 64-bit editions have been found to be less stable. Refer to the Microsoft article, 64-bit editions of Office 2013.The following editions of Excel don't support VSTO/COM add-ins and are, therefore, not supported:
- Excel Online
- Excel for Microsoft 365 installed from the Microsoft Store
Microsoft 365 "Beta" and "Preview" update channels provide experimental versions of Excel. Oracle cannot provide support for software from these channels.
Microsoft Windows
The add-in is supported on Windows 10.
Note:
Please ensure that your version (or "feature update") of Windows 10 is still in service according to the Microsoft policy. Oracle cannot provide support for versions beyond Microsoft's end of servicing date. See Windows 10 Lifecycle Policy.The add-in isn't supported on:
- Windows server editions
- MacOS, iOS, Linux, or any other operating system
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
The Visual Builder Add-in for Excel was designed and tested to work on regular Windows desktop and laptop computers. A number of vendors offer virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions to provide virtual machines that mimic a standard Windows desktop environment. Some VDI implementations reproduce the standard desktop very closely whereas others are significantly different. Refer to Desktop Virtualization for an overview of this technology.
Oracle does not test the add-in with VDI products formally. VDI products are not supported on an official basis.
Even though it may be possible to run the add-in on some virtual machines successfully, doing so is strictly at your own risk. If you run into problems, you’ll have to reproduce the problem on a standard desktop computer before Oracle Support can assist you. If the problem appears to be a VDI issue, contact your VDI vendor for help.
Microsoft Application Virtualization
Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) is not supported in any version at this time.
Notes
- If a software application or version isn't listed here, it is not supported.
- Later versions of Excel and Windows are not automatically supported when they become available. Support can only be added through an enhancement request.
- Oracle doesn't support the add-in on unsupported software. If a vendor drops support for a given software version, Oracle support ends at the same time. This is true even if the software is listed here.
- Microsoft may not support all possible combinations of their software and operating systems listed here. If Microsoft doesn't support a given combination, we don't either. If you're unsure if your versions of Excel and Windows are compatible, consult your software or operating system documentation.
- Support expiration dates are determined by Microsoft support policies. See Microsoft Lifecycle Policy.