You can access the VBA environment in Excel 2011 for Mac by opening the Visual Basic editor. First, be sure that the Developer tab is visible in the toolbar in Excel. The Developer tab is the toolbar that has the buttons to open the VBA editor and create Form Controls like buttons, checkboxes, etc. This tutorial is for beginners only. For Loop, Nested For Loop. Example has been given on Mac, but applies on Windows PC as well.
Mac users can now use Analytic Solver Cloud with Excel for Mac.
(for Excel 2008 Click Here)
Below are answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Solver for Excel 2011 for Mac.
How is Solver for Excel 2011 different from Solver for Excel 2008?
IMPORTANT: Starting with Excel 2011 Service Pack 1 (Version 14.1.0), Solver is once again bundled with Microsoft Excel for Mac. You do not have to download and install Solver from this site -- simply ensure that you have the latest update of Excel 2011 (use Help - Check for Updates on the Excel menu).
Solver is substantially improved in Excel 2011, compared to Solver for Excel 2008. Its new features include an Evolutionary Solver, based on genetic algorithms, new multistart methods for global optimization using the GRG Nonlinear Solver, a new type of constraint called 'alldifferent,' and new reports. Its performance is greatly improved, especially on linear problems with integer constraints.
Excel For Mac 2011 Training
Solver for Excel 2011 for Mac matches the functionality and user interface of Solver for Excel 2010 for Windows. Excel workbooks containing Solver models and VBA macros controlling Solver can be created in Windows and used on the Mac, and vice versa.
How does this new Solver work with Excel 2011?
Solver's user interface is now written in VBA. Solver uses Apple's new Scripting Bridge technology to 'talk to' Excel when you are solving a problem. The Solver computational engine runs as a separate application outside Excel, rather than as an add-in inside Excel.
Who do I contact if I need technical support for Solver?
You can contact Frontline Systems at support@solver.com, or by phone at 775-831-0300 during normal business hours, Pacific time (GMT-7). Since this Solver is a free download, please understand that we're here to help, but our commercial (paying) customers come first.
What about my Solver models created in Excel 2008 or earlier -- will they work?
Yes, they should work without any changes. If you open a workbook with a Solver model that you created in Excel 2008 or Excel 2004, your model should automatically appear in the Solver Parameters dialog -- you can just click Solve.
I need to use Solver in a course, or with a textbook that uses Solver -- will I be OK?
Yes -- you can open course or textbook example Excel workbooks containing Solver models and use them as-is, whether they were created in Excel 2003 or 2004, Excel 2007 or 2008, or Excel 2010 or 2011.
Only the newest editions of certain textbooks include screen shots of the Solver dialogs as seen in Excel 2010 and Excel 2011. But if your textbook has screen shots of the older Solver dialogs, you should be able to relate them to the new dialogs fairly easily.
What is Premium Solver for Education? Is it available for Excel 2011?
Premium Solver for Education is a compatible upgrade for the standard Excel Solver for Windows that has been bundled with more than 35 textbooks, often used in MBA programs. It is not available for the Mac, but you can use Solver for Excel 2011 for Mac to open and solve models in workbooks created with Premium Solver for Education.
Does Frontline Systems offer any other software products for the Macintosh?
Microsoft Excel For Mac 2011
We've been working throughout 2009-2010 to bring you new and more powerful products for optimization and simulation on the Mac. If you'd like to know more, contact us or watch Solver.com for some near-term exciting news!
Of course, you can use Frontline's software for Windows on your Mac if you have Parallels, VMWare Fusion, or a dual-boot setup and you have Windows installed (XP, Vista and Win7 are all fine).
Solver as a Separate Application
If Solver uses VBA, why does it run as a separate application?
VBA is back in Excel 2011, and Solver uses VBA for its user interface -- the Solver Parameters dialog, Solver Options dialog, Solver Results and other dialogs. But the C API not available in Excel 2011. So the Solver computational engine (which is written in C++) runs as a separate application.
How does the Solver engine talk to Excel, if it runs as a separate application?
Solver uses Apple's new Scripting Bridge technology to 'talk to' Excel. Excel 2011 exposes an object model through Scripting Bridge, that Solver can access. Scripting Bridge is generally faster than AppleScript. But since it crosses process boundaries, it cannot be as fast as a computational add-in running inside the Excel process.
What are the consequences of Solver running as a separate application?
The most important consequence is that it's possible -- but certainly not advisable -- to make changes in Excel or your workbook while the Solver engine is solving your problem. Because Solver is trying to talk to Excel at the same time, the results will be unpredictable -- including crashes in Solver or Excel.
The important message is: Don't make changes yourself in Excel or your workbook while Solver is solving.
Problem: In Mac Excel 2011, you try to run a VBA add-in (TreePlan, SensIt, or SimVoi) and receive an error message like “Error in loading DLL,” “Excel could not open (the XLAM add-in file name) because some content is unreadable …,” or “Excel repaired or removed unreadable content from this workbook …”
Possible cause: Mac Excel 2011 was installed using the Apple Migration Assistant (which can be used to transfer Mac Excel 2011 from another computer to the current computer). There have been reports (and it is our experience) that the Migration Assistant is not successful when it is used to transfer Mac Office 2011 from one computer to another. Specifically, the Migration Assistant may not transfer the Mac Excel 2011 VBA features reliably.
To verify VBA problems: (A) Can you record a macro? To check, choose Tools > Macro > Record New Macro… If the Record Macro dialog box appears, it’s working. Click the Cancel button.
(B) Is VBA installed and working? To check, choose Tools > Macro > Visual Basic Editor. On the new topmost menu, choose Insert > Module. If you get this far, then VBA is likely fine. On the topmost menu, choose Excel > Close and Return to Microsoft Excel.
Solution for VBA problems: Completely remove the Mac Office 2011 suite and then reinstall the whole suite without using the Migration Assistant. This solution was recommended by XinXin Liu, Test Lead for Mac Excel, Macintosh Business Unit, Microsoft. To completely remove Mac Office 2011, follow these instructions: “How to completely remove Office for Mac 2011” at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2398768
More information: (A) If you have the 25-character product key that came with your Office for Mac 2011 purchase, you can download the software at http://www.microsoft.com/mac/office-2011-digital-download
(B) In Mac OS X 10.10.5 and earlier, after reinstalling Mac Office 2011 and after installing updates, we recommend running the Disk Utility to repair permissions. To do so, choose Finder > Go > Utilities > Disk Utility > (select disk) > Repair Disk Permissions.
(C) You can search for questions, answers, and discussion regarding Mac Excel 2011 on the Microsoft Community forum at http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macoffice2011-macexcel
Excel 2011 Download
To provide comments and suggestions or for additional information about TreePlan, SensIt, and SimVoi, please send e-mail to Mike Middleton <Mike@TreePlan.com>.