How to protect your VBA code? #

Project is Unviewable #

When working with VBA add-ins, you might sometimes see a message that says “Project is unviewable.” This means that you won’t be able to access or review the code inside certain files. It can be a bit puzzling at first, but it usually happens because the project has been locked or restricted by the developer.

EvilClippy #

At first, I thought this was something that could only be done with paid software. But while searching on Google, I came across a tool called EvilClippy. With this program, it looks like you can not only apply protection but also add code obfuscation, making the VBA project harder to read.

How to use #

As described in the readme file, you can download the C# source code and compile it using Visual Studio:

mcs /reference:OpenMcdf.dll,System.IO.Compression.FileSystem.dll /out:EvilClippy.exe *.cs

This will generate the EvilClippy.exe file. You can then use this executable to transform your VBA file:

EvilClippy.exe -u yourmacrofile.XXX

Result #

Whether the original purpose of this tool was for hacking or something else, I intend to use it while respecting the requirements set by the creators who generously shared it.
I just feel a bit limited by my own understanding of it.

Thanks, Stan.