Project Format Reference

Every VBA Padlock project is stored as a directory next to your Office file. Understanding this layout makes backup, version control, CI builds, and troubleshooting much easier.

At a Glance

Project folder

<OfficeFileName>.vbapadlock next to your .xlsm, .docm, .accdb, or .pptm file.

Core source

Main.bas + additional .bas modules are your protected script source files.

Build output

Final binaries are generated into a sibling bin/ directory.

How VBA Padlock Resolves a Project

When you open an Office file, VBA Padlock automatically looks for a folder with the same base name and .vbapadlock suffix.

Open MyWorkbook.xlsm in VBA Padlock Studio.
VBA Padlock checks for MyWorkbook.vbapadlock/ in the same folder.
If missing, it creates the folder and initializes project files.

Office File	Expected Project Directory
`MyWorkbook.xlsm`	`MyWorkbook.vbapadlock\`
`Report.docm`	`Report.vbapadlock\`
`Database.accdb`	`Database.vbapadlock\`
`Presentation.pptm`	`Presentation.vbapadlock\`

Standard Project Directory Content

DirectoryMyWorkbook.vbapadlock/
- project.xml Project settings and per-module metadata
- Main.bas Default entry module (may be an empty stub)
- Greetings.bas Module extracted from the workbook
- PriceEngine.cls Class module (extracted or hand-written)
- Greetings.bas.bak Divergence backup (created before an overwrite)
- mainicon.ico Custom DLL icon (optional)

Project information panel where project metadata and icon are configured

`project.xml`

project.xml is the central settings file for your project (managed internally by VBA Padlock Studio). It stores:

Application metadata (title, version, company, description)
Compilation and publishing settings
Licensing configuration (activation/deactivation/trial/EULA/online validation)
Hardware ID and key generator parameters
Per-module metadata for the automatic workflow: each module’s origin (auto-extracted from the Office file vs hand-authored), its source host module, its last compile verdict (pass/partial/fail), and its Lock from Re-analyze flag
The References selection (which Library\ constant modules compile into the DLL)
One-shot flags such as the first-open auto-analyze marker

Script modules (`.bas` and `.cls`)

Each .bas file is a standard VBA module, and each .cls file a class module, compiled into your protected DLL. In the automatic workflow most of them are extracted from your Office file during analysis and kept in sync by Re-analyze; you can add hand-written modules alongside them.

File	Role	Description
`Main.bas`	`main`	Default entry module. Functions called without a module prefix are searched here. Created automatically; often stays an empty stub in automatic projects.
`*.bas`	custom	Standard modules (extracted or hand-written).
`*.cls`	class	Class modules, compiled into the DLL and removed from the protected document.
`*.bak`	backup	Created by the divergence guard before a stored module is overwritten.

Code editor with VBA script modules ready for compilation

Recommended format:

Encoding: UTF-8
Line endings: CRLF or LF (both supported)
Content: Standard VBA + built-ins from script functions

Example Main.bas:

' Main module - entry point for the compiled application
Public Function Initialize() As String
    Initialize = "Application initialized successfully"
End Function

Public Function CalculatePrice(quantity As Long, unitPrice As Double, taxRate As Double) As Double
    CalculatePrice = quantity * unitPrice * (1 + taxRate)
End Function

`mainicon.ico` (optional)

If present, mainicon.ico is embedded into generated DLL resources.

Format: Windows ICO
Recommended multi-size icon: 16, 32, 48, 256 px

Project Format Variants

Format	Storage	Status
External (current)	Individual `.bas` files in `.vbapadlock`	Recommended for all new projects
Legacy	Inline scripts in `.vbaplproj`	Supported for backward compatibility

Build Output Layout (`bin/`)

Produce writes the protected copy next to your source and the runtime artifacts into bin/:

MyWorkbook.xlsm Source file (never modified)
MyWorkbook_protected.xlsm Protected copy (wrappers + VBA Bridge)
Directorybin/
- MyWorkbookrun32.dll 32-bit runtime (for 32-bit Office)
- MyWorkbookrun64.dll 64-bit runtime (for 64-bit Office)
- MyWorkbook.dll Satellite DLL (compiled bytecode)

Compilation result showing generated protected artifacts

File	Description	Required for deployment
`MyWorkbookrun32.dll`	32-bit runtime loader	Yes
`MyWorkbookrun64.dll`	64-bit runtime loader	Yes
`MyWorkbook.dll`	Satellite DLL containing protected bytecode	Yes

Complete Example Layout

DirectoryC:\Projects\MyApp\
- MyWorkbook.xlsm Office source file
- MyWorkbook_protected.xlsm Protected copy produced by VBA Padlock
- DirectoryMyWorkbook.vbapadlock/
  - project.xml All project settings + module metadata
  - Main.bas Default entry module
  - Utilities.bas Helper functions module
  - PriceEngine.cls Protected class module
  - mainicon.ico Custom DLL icon
- Directorybin/
  - MyWorkbookrun32.dll 32-bit runtime
  - MyWorkbookrun64.dll 64-bit runtime
  - MyWorkbook.dll Satellite DLL

Supported Office File Types

Extension	Application	Description
`.xlsm`	Excel	Macro-enabled workbook
`.xlsb`	Excel	Binary workbook (macro-enabled)
`.xla` / `.xlam`	Excel	Add-in
`.docm`	Word	Macro-enabled document
`.dotm`	Word	Macro-enabled template
`.accdb`	Access	Database
`.accde`	Access	Execute-only database
`.pptm`	PowerPoint	Macro-enabled presentation
`.ppam`	PowerPoint	Add-in

Version Control Guidelines

Track source and configuration, ignore generated artifacts.

Include in repository:

Office file (.xlsm, .docm, etc.)
.vbapadlock/ directory (project.xml, .bas/.cls modules, optional mainicon.ico)

Exclude from repository:

bin/ output folder
The produced *_protected.* copies
.bak divergence backups

# VBA Padlock build output
bin/
*_protected.*
*.bak