How do you develop an Add-in using Excel JavaScript API from an existing spreadsheet? Whenever I run npm start, a blank workbook is created. Manifest.xml seems to be the appropriate place, since npm start executes office-addin-debugging start manifest.xml, but not sure what to change. Don't need a visual studio solution.
This seems like a basic question, but I haven't found anything in the api documentation or tutorials on learn.microsoft.com. Links to point me in the right direction are welcomed.
For context, I'm developing an add-in for a payroll workbook that will pull data from specific cells and reformat it in a new workbook. So I need to be able to develop the add-in within the workbook I've already created.
Here is my manifest.xml file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<OfficeApp xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/appforoffice/1.1" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:bt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/officeappbasictypes/1.0" xmlns:ov="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/taskpaneappversionoverrides" xsi:type="TaskPaneApp">
<Id>3b1c4cad-3081-4941-9176-4ba875ffa3b5</Id>
<Version>1.0.0.0</Version>
<ProviderName>Contoso</ProviderName>
<DefaultLocale>en-US</DefaultLocale>
<DisplayName DefaultValue="Convert"/>
<Description DefaultValue="A template to get started."/>
<IconUrl DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-32.png"/>
<HighResolutionIconUrl DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-64.png"/>
<SupportUrl DefaultValue="https://www.contoso.com/help"/>
<AppDomains>
<AppDomain>https://www.contoso.com</AppDomain>
</AppDomains>
<Hosts>
<Host Name="Workbook"/>
</Hosts>
<DefaultSettings>
<SourceLocation DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/taskpane.html"/>
</DefaultSettings>
<Permissions>ReadWriteDocument</Permissions>
<VersionOverrides xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/taskpaneappversionoverrides" xsi:type="VersionOverridesV1_0">
<Hosts>
<Host xsi:type="Workbook">
<DesktopFormFactor>
<GetStarted>
<Title resid="GetStarted.Title"/>
<Description resid="GetStarted.Description"/>
<LearnMoreUrl resid="GetStarted.LearnMoreUrl"/>
</GetStarted>
<FunctionFile resid="Commands.Url"/>
<ExtensionPoint xsi:type="PrimaryCommandSurface">
<OfficeTab id="TabHome">
<Group id="CommandsGroup">
<Label resid="CommandsGroup.Label"/>
<Icon>
<bt:Image size="16" resid="Icon.16x16"/>
<bt:Image size="32" resid="Icon.32x32"/>
<bt:Image size="80" resid="Icon.80x80"/>
</Icon>
<Control xsi:type="Button" id="TaskpaneButton">
<Label resid="TaskpaneButton.Label"/>
<Supertip>
<Title resid="TaskpaneButton.Label"/>
<Description resid="TaskpaneButton.Tooltip"/>
</Supertip>
<Icon>
<bt:Image size="16" resid="Icon.16x16"/>
<bt:Image size="32" resid="Icon.32x32"/>
<bt:Image size="80" resid="Icon.80x80"/>
</Icon>
<Action xsi:type="ShowTaskpane">
<TaskpaneId>ButtonId1</TaskpaneId>
<SourceLocation resid="Taskpane.Url"/>
</Action>
</Control>
<Control xsi:type="Button" id="ToggleProtection">
<Label resid="ProtectionButtonLabel" />
<Supertip>
<Title resid="ProtectionButtonLabel" />
<Description resid="ProtectionButtonToolTip" />
</Supertip>
<Icon>
<bt:Image size="16" resid="Icon.16x16"/>
<bt:Image size="32" resid="Icon.32x32"/>
<bt:Image size="80" resid="Icon.80x80"/>
</Icon>
<Action xsi:type="ExecuteFunction">
<FunctionName>toggleProtection</FunctionName>
</Action>
</Control>
</Group>
</OfficeTab>
</ExtensionPoint>
</DesktopFormFactor>
</Host>
</Hosts>
<Resources>
<bt:Images>
<bt:Image id="Icon.16x16" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-16.png"/>
<bt:Image id="Icon.32x32" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-32.png"/>
<bt:Image id="Icon.80x80" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-80.png"/>
</bt:Images>
<bt:Urls>
<bt:Url id="GetStarted.LearnMoreUrl" DefaultValue="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=276812"/>
<bt:Url id="Commands.Url" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/commands.html"/>
<bt:Url id="Taskpane.Url" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/taskpane.html"/>
</bt:Urls>
<bt:ShortStrings>
<bt:String id="GetStarted.Title" DefaultValue="Get started with your sample add-in!"/>
<bt:String id="CommandsGroup.Label" DefaultValue="Commands Group"/>
<bt:String id="TaskpaneButton.Label" DefaultValue="Show Taskpane"/>
<bt:String id="ProtectionButtonLabel" DefaultValue="Toggle Worksheet Protection" />
</bt:ShortStrings>
<bt:LongStrings>
<bt:String id="GetStarted.Description" DefaultValue="Your sample add-in loaded succesfully. Go to the HOME tab and click the 'Show Taskpane' button to get started."/>
<bt:String id="TaskpaneButton.Tooltip" DefaultValue="Click to Show a Taskpane"/>
<bt:String id="ProtectionButtonToolTip" DefaultValue="Click to protect or unprotect the current worksheet." />
</bt:LongStrings>
</Resources>
</VersionOverrides>
</OfficeApp>
I think you best bet is to open your workbook after Excel launches with the blank workbook. Then click the ribbon button of your add-in to start debugging using your workbook. It is a drag, but so far the only way I found you can use.