Microsoft has released a preview version of a new development tool for developing Office add-ins in Visual Studio Code.

The add-in is described as letting you set up your environment, create Office Add-ins, and debug the code with a streamlined developer experience in Visual Studio Code when you build Office Add-ins with the XML-formatted add-in only manifest.

The kit will auto-install the necessary npm package dependencies, and comes with a gallery of samples illustrating features and scenarios of Office Add-ins. It can be installed either from Extensions in Visual Studio Code or from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace. Developers can start new projects either from templates when you choose the Office application, programming language, and starting feature, or from a set of samples, described as "more complete projects that demonstrate a realistic scenario".

The preview version lets developers create Excel, PowerPoint, and Word add-ins, with plans to extend the kit to add support for add-ins to other Office applications and platforms.

While the development kit is an encouraging addition, it won't take developers back to the halcyon days of Visual Basic for Applications and the powerful options that offered. It also doesn't offer an easy route to migrating old apps created using VBA.

This tool is based around the web, and working across the desktop, web and mobile versions of Office. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, and also requires Node.js and the node package manager (npm).

Under the covers, the kit is based on the Office JavaScript Library, which isn't as powerful as the old COM-based VBA features. So far, Microsoft hasn't included migration tools or suggestions for organizations still running the legacy VBA apps, and it would be tricky to see how they might achieve a pathway.

The Office Development Kit for VS Code is available in preview now. 

More Information

Office Add-ins Development Kit for Visual Studio Code Documentation

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