Situation: I am currently stuck on understanding how I can prevent other workbooks to be opened in the same Excel instance as my personal workbook.
Reason/Attempts: The VBA code is found within my personal workbook, where I am creating a separate Excel instance xlApp and adding my workbook to that instance and removing it from the previous instance Application.
Now, whenever I open other files/workbooks, they will be assigned to Application, which is what I am looking for; however, if I close all the files I opened, except for my personal workbook, and attempt to open any file again, they will be opened in xlApp.
Goal: What the program should be doing is opening all other files in the Application instance, not the xlApp instance, regardless if Application has no workbooks open.
Is there a way I can prevent them from being opened in xlApp?
Public Sub createNewInstance()
Dim xlApp as Excel.Application
Set xlApp = New Excel.Application 'Creating new Excel instance.
xlApp.Workbooks.Add ThisWorkbook.FullName 'Adding my open workbook to that instance.
xlApp.Visible = True
Set xlApp = Nothing
ThisWorkbook.Saved = True
ThisWorkbook.Close SaveChanges:=False 'Closing the workbook of this current instance (not the new one).
End Sub
I am trying to run an excel macro from access 2016. This has a lot of examples out their however they are all old. The exact error code I receive is run-time error '1004':
cannot run the macro "TestScript()". The macro may not be available in this workbook or all macros may be displayed. I am only running something easy for the test. I have ensured that macros is enabled in excel. the excel code is as follows
Public Sub TestScript()
MsgBox "IT WORKED"
End Sub
Real simple for the test. Access is opening the excel spreadsheet however it stops there with an error code.
My Access code is very simple and is below. I have also noted where the code stops. While I am new at VBA I have done a lot of research in this. I am testing as simple code as I could figure out. Any help would be welcomed.
Option Compare Database
Function runExcelmacro()
Dim XL As Object
Set XL = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
With XL
'Turn Off warnings
.Visible = False
.displayalerts = False
'WorkBook path such as "C:\Computer\WorkBook.xlsx"
.Workbooks.Open "C:\DATABASE\BLQ-10\Import Database BLQ 10\NTIRAINSTALLTO.xlsm"
'Run the Macro in excel getworkbook
.Run TestScript 'Code stops here!
'Close Workbook
.ActiveWorkbook.Close (True)
.Quite
End With
Set XL = Nothing
End Function
Public Sub runMacroSub()
Call runExcelmacro("C:\DATABASE\BLQ-10\Import Database BLQ 10\NTIRAINSTALLTO.xlsm", "TestScript")
End Sub
I guess OP did not put the code of Testscript in an extra module. Instead the code was put into the class module of the workbook or a worksheet. In the latter case you have to add the workbook or worksheet name in front of the name of the script.
Either it is `
.Run "ThisWorkbook.TestScript"
or in case it is in Sheet1 (codename of the sheet!)
.Run "Sheet1.TestScript"
Do not forget the quotation marks!
PS The OP's code above is working if you put testscript into a module and add quotation marks.
.Run "TestScript"
Here is a description how to create a module and add code
Here try this:
Public Sub TestScript()
MsgBox "IT WORKED"
End Sub
Option Compare Database
Function runExcelmacro()
Dim XL As Object, wb as object
Set XL = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
With XL
.Visible = False
.displayalerts = False
set wb = .Workbooks.Open "C:\DATABASE\BLQ-10\Import Database BLQ 10\NTIRAINSTALLTO.xlsm"
wb.Run TestScript 'Code stops here!
.ActiveWorkbook.Close (True)
.Quite
End With
Set XL = Nothing
End Function
Public Sub runMacroSub()
Call runExcelmacro("C:\DATABASE\BLQ-10\Import Database BLQ 10\NTIRAINSTALLTO.xlsm", "TestScript")
End Sub
Here i declared wb as an object and then set wb = to the workbook.
This is of course assumin your test script is in the actual workbook being opened. Would be real funny if that wasnt a thing lol
I am using Visual basic from excel to open a different workbook and pass some things from one to another. I have the second file opening fine however I cant get the second file to read the things I need.
Sub createExcel()
Cells(1, 1).Text = "va02"
Dim objExcel
Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
objExcel.Visible = True
Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Open(filepath)
End Sub
this is my code to open the second application. I have 2 variables in 2 cells in the first workbook. How would one go about getting the variables. the problem i have encountered is; the second workbook can be called from any file, in any folder.
i would try
variable = Workbooks(firstWorkbook.xlsm).worksheets(sheet1)...
however the worksheets dont have the same names either. please help
thanks
Your code is in Workbook1, and opens Workbook2. So it's Workbook1 that does everything - so " I cant get the second file to read the things I need" is not meaningful.
Sub Demo(filepath as string)
ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1).cells(1,1).text = "This is written by initial Workook"
Dim Wb as Workbook
Set Wb = Workbooks.Open(filepath)
Wb.Sheets(1).cells(1,2) = "So is this, even though it's in a different workbook"
End Sub
I have a workbook that I open with VBA, modify said workbook, and then close said workbook. So far what I have is:
Sub OpenandModify()
application.screenupdating = false
workbooks.open Filename:="FilePath\WkbkName.xlsm"
*Modify Workbook
Workbooks("WkbkName.xlsm").close SaveChanges:=True
application.screenupdating = true
End Sub()
If I run the macro with the workbook already open, the macro works correctly and closes the workbook mentioned above. However, if the workbook is not already open, then the file remains open after the modification (Note, the modifications take place so I do not think it is an issue with the Workbook.Open). Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.
After playing around more with my workbook. I seem to have found the issue. In the modify code portion, I have another subroutine that adds a worksheet from a workbook different than WkbkName.xlsm. If the sheet already exists it gets added as Sheet(2) and the workbook will not close. If the worksheet does not exist then the workbook opens and modifies correctly and shuts. I still do not understand why it acts like this so if anyone has any ideas it would be greatly appreciated.
For now, I just plan to add a check for duplicate worksheets and exit the sub if it happens.
Some of the problems you've encountered may be due to the code getting confused with which workbook it's working on.
Use a variable to hold a reference to your workbook and use only that throughout the code:
Sub OpenandModify()
Dim wrkBk As Workbook
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
'Open the workbook and assign it to wrkBk variable.
Set wrkBk = Workbooks.Open(Filename:="FilePath\WkbkName.xlsm")
'Modify Workbook
With wrkBk
.Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1") = "Modified!"
End With
wrkBk.Close SaveChanges:=True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
I want to search through existing Excel files with a macro, but I don't want to display those files when they're opened by the code. Is there a way to have them open "in the background", so to speak?
Not sure if you can open them invisibly in the current excel instance
You can open a new instance of excel though, hide it and then open the workbooks
Dim app as New Excel.Application
app.Visible = False 'Visible is False by default, so this isn't necessary
Dim book As Excel.Workbook
Set book = app.Workbooks.Add(fileName)
'
' Do what you have to do
'
book.Close SaveChanges:=False
app.Quit
Set app = Nothing
As others have posted, make sure you clean up after you are finished with any opened workbooks
If that suits your needs, I would simply use
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
with the added benefit of accelerating your code, instead of slowing it down by using a second instance of Excel.
To open a workbook as hidden in the existing instance of Excel, use following:
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Workbooks.Open Filename:=FilePath, UpdateLinks:=True, ReadOnly:=True
ActiveWindow.Visible = False
ThisWorkbook.Activate
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Using ADO (AnonJr already explained) and utilizing SQL is possibly the best option for fetching data from a closed workbook without opening that in conventional way. Please watch this VIDEO.
OTHERWISE, possibly GetObject(<filename with path>) is the most CONCISE way. Worksheets remain invisible, however will appear in project explorer window in VBE just like any other workbook opened in conventional ways.
Dim wb As Workbook
Set wb = GetObject("C:\MyData.xlsx") 'Worksheets will remain invisible, no new window appears in the screen
' your codes here
wb.Close SaveChanges:=False
If you want to read a particular sheet, need not even define a Workbook variable
Dim sh As Worksheet
Set sh = GetObject("C:\MyData.xlsx").Worksheets("MySheet")
' your codes here
sh.Parent.Close SaveChanges:=False 'Closes the associated workbook
A much simpler approach that doesn't involve manipulating active windows:
Dim wb As Workbook
Set wb = Workbooks.Open("workbook.xlsx")
wb.Windows(1).Visible = False
From what I can tell the Windows index on the workbook should always be 1. If anyone knows of any race conditions that would make this untrue please let me know.
Even though you've got your answer, for those that find this question, it is also possible to open an Excel spreadsheet as a JET data store. Borrowing the connection string from a project I've used it on, it will look kinda like this:
strExcelConn = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & objFile.Path & ";Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes"""
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM [RegistrationList$] ORDER BY DateToRegister DESC"
Note that "RegistrationList" is the name of the tab in the workbook. There are a few tutorials floating around on the web with the particulars of what you can and can't do accessing a sheet this way.
Just thought I'd add. :)
The problem with both iDevlop's and Ashok's answers is that the fundamental problem is an Excel design flaw (apparently) in which the Open method fails to respect the Application.ScreenUpdating setting of False. Consequently, setting it to False is of no benefit to this problem.
If Patrick McDonald's solution is too burdensome due to the overhead of starting a second instance of Excel, then the best solution I've found is to minimize the time that the opened workbook is visible by re-activating the original window as quickly as possible:
Dim TempWkBk As Workbook
Dim CurrentWin As Window
Set CurrentWin = ActiveWindow
Set TempWkBk = Workbooks.Open(SomeFilePath)
CurrentWin.Activate 'Allows only a VERY brief flash of the opened workbook
TempWkBk.Windows(1).Visible = False 'Only necessary if you also need to prevent
'the user from manually accessing the opened
'workbook before it is closed.
'Operate on the new workbook, which is not visible to the user, then close it...
Open the workbook as hidden and then set it as "saved" so that users are not prompted when they close out.
Dim w As Workbooks
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Set w = Workbooks
w.Open Filename:="\\server\PriceList.xlsx", UpdateLinks:=False, ReadOnly:=True 'this is the data file were going to be opening
ActiveWindow.Visible = False
ThisWorkbook.Activate
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
w.Item(2).Saved = True 'this will suppress the safe prompt for the data file only
End Sub
This is somewhat derivative of the answer posted by Ashok.
By doing it this way though you will not get prompted to save changes back to the Excel file your reading from. This is great if the Excel file your reading from is intended as a data source for validation. For example if the workbook contains product names and price data it can be hidden and you can show an Excel file that represents an invoice with drop downs for product that validates from that price list.
You can then store the price list on a shared location on a network somewhere and make it read-only.
Open them from a new instance of Excel.
Sub Test()
Dim xl As Excel.Application
Set xl = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
Dim w As Workbook
Set w = xl.Workbooks.Add()
MsgBox "Not visible yet..."
xl.Visible = True
w.Close False
Set xl = Nothing
End Sub
You need to remember to clean up after you're done.
In excel, hide the workbooks, and save them as hidden. When your app loads them they will not be shown.
Edit: upon re-reading, it became clear that these workbooks are not part of your application. Such a solution would be inappropriate for user workbooks.