Setting up dev Environment

• 1 -- Refer to the page https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/overview/learning-path-beginner
• 2 -- In step 2 choose node JS and Visual Studio Code -- 2.1 -- If you don't have Node.js and npm installed, follow the instructions from and install them https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/overview/set-up-your-dev-environment -- 2.2 -- Run the cmd command: npm install -g yo generator-office
• 3 -- Open the root folder in VS Code, click Ctrl + ` to open the terminal - inside VS Code, and run the command "npm install"
• 4 -- Run the command npm start to run your project.

Debugging

In Excel on Desktop:

• Follow the instructions of this article: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/testing/debug-add-ins-using-f12-developer-tools-on-windows-10, i.e:

Run the command Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Win32WebViewHost Copy the PackageFullName value Run the command setx JS_DEBUG with the full name you just got

• If that not works, you can try to install the Microsoft Edge Dev Tools
• To DEBUG in Visual Studio Code, install and follow the instructions of this extension: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=msoffice.microsoft-office-add-in-debugger

Troubleshooting

Error: Sorry, we can't load the add-in. Please make sure you have network and/or Internet connectivity.: That means your dev server is not started. To start it, open a new Command Prompt, point it to your folder, and run the command npm run dev-server. Keep the console opened while you are working.

Deploying

1. Validate - run npm run validate
2. Build - run npm run build. This will generate files in the \dist folder. These, and the manifest.xml, are the actual distributed files. Nothing else.

Testing the addin - for testers

Overall, we will be following the steps for windows and the web.

1. Run the validate and build steps above
2. Make a copy of the manifest.xml file and change active urls (either pointing to localhost or files.inflectra.com) so that the base URL is https://files.inflectra.com/office365/excel-staging/
3. Find a shared network location to place the manifest XML and paste the file there
4. Generate the TrustNetworkShareCatalog.reg file as described in the windows guide above. Run if on a Windows machine, then reboot.
5. then task a web admin with replacing the files in https://files.inflectra.com/office365/excel-staging/ with all the files generated at build in the dist folder
6. follow the steps to load the addin into Excel via Windows or the web