How to select Excel range in powershell - excel

Question

I have the following code in a function:
function Excel2PPT{
param ($xslx, $targetsheet, $targetrange, $pptx, $targetslide, $npath)
$Excel = New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application
$workbook = $Excel.workbooks.open($xslx)
$Excel.Visible= $true
$worksheet = $workbook.worksheets.Item($targetsheet)
$range = $worksheet.Range($targetrange)
$range.select()
$range.copy()
I am using it in another function which passes to it "A1:O12" as $targetrange
This worked in previous testing but now yields an error and unexpected behavior.
I reference it as:
Excel2PPT $IncomingABCExcel 1 'A1-O12' $testPPT2 $Targetslide $testPPT3
The error is:
Exception from HRESULT: 0x800A03EC
At C:\...\Excel2PPT.ps1:16 char:1
+ $range = $worksheet.Range($targetrange)
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : OperationStopped: (:) [], COMException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException
You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
At C:\...\Excel2PPT.ps1:17 char:1
+ $range.select()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
At C:\...\Excel2PPT.ps1:18 char:1
+ $range.copy()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
What can I do to fix it? It should be copying and pasting $targetrange to the intended PPT slide but it appears to be copying and pasting "$IncomingABCExcel" (not the variable, the variable name) onto the slide.

Answer 1

The issue you are having is that you are using 'A1-012' As the range. This should be 'A1:012':
function Excel2PPT {
param ($xslx, $targetsheet, $targetrange, $pptx, $targetslide, $npath)
$Excel = New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application
$workbook = $Excel.workbooks.open($xslx)
$Excel.Visible= $true
$worksheet = $workbook.worksheets.Item($targetsheet)
$range = $worksheet.Range($targetrange)
$range.select()
$range.copy()
}
Excel2PPT $IncomingABCExcel 1 'A1:O12' $testPPT2 $Targetslide $testPPT3