Office Add-in (web app) can be completely offline (without web server)?

Question

I want to create an Office Add-In with some HTML + JavaScript for sell in Office Store. And this add-in no need using any server side facilities. But if I understood https://dev.office.com/getting-started/addins the source files of Add-in must hosted on some Web server.

So main question: can I somehow pack all sources and all resources of Add-in to the output DLL file and push to Office Store only the Manifest and DLL files without any web servers?

I need this for allow users from Office Store, install this Add-in to his Office and let work with it even offline (without internet connection).

Also such configuration a little complicate for reverse Add-in, if someone decide steal my sources and create duplicate of Add-in.

Lisette

Answer 1

No, it is not possible because office add-in have to be located somewhere. When the user "installs" a web based office addin, in reality he just subscribes to a server where the addin is hosted. Microsoft doesn't host the dlls, (i.e they don't provide a server to run your dll), they just establish a link between the final user and your server via the office store and provide an API to ease interaction.

If you want to build an add-in that can be completely offline, you should look VSTO addins, XLA addin , XLL addins or COM addins. However none of these addins can be published on the office store.

Lafreniere

Thank you for unfolded answer. – Lisette

Answer 2

It has been possible to use appcache to make offline webapp add-ins for office 2013 (https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/office/Apps-for-Office-Enable-bdcb7a2f).

Its unclear whether this works with newer versions of Office.

Headlong

Answer 3

Yes this is possible in Office Store, leveraging local storage. See this example, by Microsoft.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/samples/officedev/pnp-officeaddins/use-storage-techniques-to-access-data-from-an-office-add-in-when-offline/

Larrainelarrie

Answer 4

This is definitely not possible via the Office Store.

Ousley