In essence, each add-in is a small web application that runs on a server and behaves similarly to any other browser programme. The new add-in approach has been developed using a shared set of technologies (which would eventually become the Microsoft Graph), linking Office apps in a way that allows data from one programme to be used by another. In practice, it’s not quite that straightforward, unless it’s the same version of Office being used – more on this later. This model means the same add-in can supposedly run wherever Office is being used, without having to modify the code – on smartphones, PCs, and the web. They did this by moving developers to a new cross-platform JavaScript-based add-in model. Since the launch of Office 365, Microsoft has made it easier for devs to create new add-ins or upgrade existing ones. The second is to build an add-in that brings new features to an Office program, using the skills of a developer. Some of these will be free, others have paid upgrades. The first is to browse the list of Office Add-ins in your app, or search for one in Microsoft’s AppSource store. There are two ways to get add-ins that extend and interact with Office applications. The new Office Add-ins are much more stable and use a different approach, which we discuss next. The old COM and VSTO add-ins that were being used in earlier Office integration solutions ran code on the user’s device or in the Office client, and could be buggy, causing an app to hang. What’s made this possible was the launch of Microsoft’s Office 365 in 2011 and the new Office Add-ins platform, which brought big changes to the way Office Add-ins were developed. This means workflows can be implemented in Outlook or SharePoint, for example, to automate processes that result in streamlining tasks that would otherwise involve entering the same data again somewhere else.Īdd-ins can also improve collaboration between people on the same document in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, whilst maintaining live synchronisation so that everyone can remain on the same page. One of the big benefits of using add-ins is that there’s no need to leave the Office application you’re currently using in order to complete additional tasks in the Office Suite. ![]() For example, an add-in could reference Outlook data and display the information, or access professional looking templates designed around a corporate style, or automatically sign important documents with a digital signature – the list of what’s possible is almost endless. So, what is an Office Add-in? Basically, it’s an extension that appears in the top ribbon of an Office app, designed to extend the features of that application – making it more powerful, and potentially allowing it to interact with content in other Office documents, or other sources. This is where the new functionality offered by the Office Add-ins system opens the door for customisation – to bring line-of-business applications inside Office 365. How much of our working lives do we spend in Outlook, or going from one Office app to another to complete a multifaceted task? It might be a rhetorical question, but it goes without saying that being able to work between Office apps in a seamless and streamlined way would be nothing short of revolutionary. This is where add-ins for Office 365 can help. ![]() At the same time, there is always some feature or tool that users wished they had within the Suite to make life easier and potentially save on hours of work preparing documents. Most people never use the full range of features that are available within the Microsoft Office Suite.
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