Open & Check out Excel workbook from SharePoint - excel

Question

I'm trying to write data into an Excel workbook that is hosted in our SharePoint document library.
I instantiate Excel from Microsoft Project.
I tried the following:
Check if file can be checked out
If it can be checked out, then open it
Here's the code snippet:
If ExcelApp.Workbooks.CanCheckOut (FileURL) = True Then
Set NewBook = ExcelApp.Workbooks.Open(FileName:=FileURL, ReadOnly:=False)
ExcelApp.Workbooks.CheckOut (FileURL)
Else
MsgBox "File is checked out in another session."
End If
The CanCheckOut function always returns FALSE. I'm not able to tell when a file can be checked out by the Excel instance.
Is it not working because I'm calling the VBA code from MS Project?
My app should be able to check if a file is not checked out, then check it out, update it, and save + check it back in.

Answer 1

I've found through trial and error that Workbooks.CanCheckOut (Filename:= FullName) where FullName is the URL for the SharePoint file only works for files that are not open in the current instance of Excel.
The method will always return False if you have the file open in the current instance of Excel which is obviously the case here.
Workbooks.CheckOut (ActiveWorkbook.FullName) opens the file, checks it out and then inexplicably, closes the file. So opening and checking out a SharePoint file becomes a 3 step process.
Sub CheckOutAndOpen()
Dim TestFile As String
TestFile = "http://spserver/document/Test.xlsb"
If Workbooks.CanCheckOut(TestFile) = True Then
Workbooks.CheckOut(TestFile)
Workbooks.Open (TestFile)
Else
MsgBox TestFile & " can't be checked out at this time.", vbInformation
End If
End Sub
This is all a bit counter intuitive because when working manually with SharePoint files you have to open them to see if they can be checked out and then perform the check-out operation.
Neither MSDN or Excel VBA help mention that the Workbooks.CanCheckOut (Filename:= FullName) method always returns False if you have the file open in the current instance of Excel.

Answer 2

The other methods never worked for me. This will CheckOut the file and either open it hidden and terminate (Visible = False), or you can just have it open (Visible = True) and remove the Quit, BUT while the doc is Checked out, I can't seem to target or check in that mXLApp doc further. The solution is to not leave the mXLApp doc open, but then once closed to open that same doc as normal, and then it will Check in with the Check in code line.
Sub TestCheckOut()
Dim FileName as String
FileName = "http://spserver/document/Test.xlsx"
SP_CheckOut FileName
End Sub
Sub SP_CheckOut(docCheckOut As String)
Set mXlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
' Determine if workbook can be checked out.
' CanCheckOut does not actually mean the doc is not currently checked out, but that the doc can be checked in/out.
If mXlApp.Workbooks.CanCheckOut(docCheckOut) = True Then
mXlApp.Workbooks.Open fileName:=docCheckOut
mXlApp.Workbooks.CheckOut docCheckOut
' False is hidden
mXlApp.Visible = False
mXlApp.Quit
Set mXlApp = Nothing
Workbooks.Open fileName:=docCheckOut
Else
MsgBox "Unable to check out this document at this time."
End If
End Sub
As for Checkin, can't get any methods to work except:
Workbooks(CheckName).checkin SaveChanges:=True, Comments:=""
Sub CheckIn(CheckName As String, CheckPath As String)
' Must be open to save and then checkin
Dim wb As Workbook
On Error Resume Next
Set wb = Workbooks(CheckName)
If Err = 0 Then
WorkbookIsOpen = True
Else
WorkbookIsOpen = False
Set wb = Workbooks.Open(CheckPath)
End If
wb.CheckIn SaveChanges:=True, Comments:=""
End Sub
I did try using a Query on the SharePoint browser link to determine who has the doc checked out (if anyone). This worked sometimes. If it did work, half the time it would take too long to be useful, and the other half of the time it would throw a timeout error. Not to mention the query would disrupt other processes, like saving or certain other macros. So I put together a WebScrape which quickly returns who might have the doc checked out.
Sub TestWho()
Dim SPFilePath As String
SPFilePath = "http://teams.MyCompany.com/sites/PATH/PATH/Fulfillment/Forms/AllItems.aspx"
Debug.Print CheckedByWho(SPFilePath , "YOURdocName.xlsx")
End Sub
Function CheckedByWho(ShareFilePath As String, ShareFileName As String)
Dim ie As Object
Dim CheckedWho As String
Dim ImgTag As String
Dim CheckStart, CheckEnd As Integer
Dim SplitArray() As String
Set ie = GetObject("new:{D5E8041D-920F-45e9-B8FB-B1DEB82C6E5E}")
With ie
.Visible = False
.Navigate ShareFilePath
Do Until .readyState = 4: DoEvents: Loop
Do While .Busy: DoEvents: Loop
End With
CheckedWho = "Not Check Out"
For Each objLink In ie.document.getElementsByTagName("img")
ImgTag = objLink.outerHTML
CheckedOutPos = InStr(objLink.outerHTML, ShareFileName & "
Checked Out To:")
If CheckedOutPos > 0 Then
CheckStart = InStr(objLink.outerHTML, "Checked Out To: ")
CheckedWho = Mid(objLink.outerHTML, CheckedOutPos + 41)
SplitArray = Split(CheckedWho, """")
CheckedWho = SplitArray(0)
End If
Next objLink
CheckedByWho = CheckedWho
ie.Quit
End Function