Detect and list all open PDF files from excel VBA - excel

Question

Is it possible to detect and list all open PDF files from excel Vba? I know I can check for a specific known PDF file and path, however in this case the file name and path will not be known.
Thanks

Answer 1

I was reminded in the comment by Ryan Wildry that I can use AHK for things like this. Here is the code I ended up using:
First I set up a regex pattern in VBA so for how the PDF windows titles appear. Used a couple functions I pulled from the web for previous applications.
Main VBA:
Private Sub Get_PDFs()
Dim pattern As String
Dim ahkParamColl As Collection
Dim windowArr() As String
'regex pattern to match with open Adobe PDF Files
pattern = "^(.+)\.pdf - Adobe Reader$"
'add pattern to AHK parameter collection
Set ahkParamColl = Nothing
Set ahkParamColl = New Collection
ahkParamColl.Add (pattern)
'run window detection AHK Script
Call Functions.Run_AHK("Detect All Open Windows.ahk", ahkParamColl)
'send list to array
windowArr = Split(GetClipBoardText, Chr(10))
End Sub
Function to call AHK:
'these are for AHK scripts to run from Excel
Public Const ahk_ScriptsLoc = """C:\Location of Scripts\" 'starts w/a quote
Public Const ahk_PgmLoc = "C:\Location of AHK Pogram\AHK.exe"
Function Run_AHK(AHK_Script_Name As String, Optional Parameters As Collection)
'Call AHK script from VBA
Dim i As Integer
Dim waitOnReturn As Boolean: waitOnReturn = True
Dim windowStyle As Integer: windowStyle = 1
Dim AHKscript As String
Dim wsh As Object
Set wsh = VBA.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
'set the ahk script string to call
AHKscript = ahk_PgmLoc & " " & ahk_ScriptsLoc & AHK_Script_Name & """ """
'add parameters to script string
If Not Parameters Is Nothing Then
For Each s In Parameters
AHKscript = AHKscript & s & """ """
Next s
End If
'run ahk script
wsh.Run AHKscript, windowStyle, waitOnReturn
End Function
Function to get clipboard text:
Public Function GetClipBoardText()
Dim DataObj As MsForms.DataObject
Set DataObj = New MsForms.DataObject
On Error GoTo Whoa
'~~> Get data from the clipboard.
DataObj.GetFromClipboard
'~~> Get clipboard contents
myString = DataObj.GetText(1)
GetClipBoardText = myString
Exit Function
Whoa:
If Err <> 0 Then MsgBox "Data on clipboard is not text or is empty"
End Function
Main AHK (snagged from Here):
;regex pattern sent from calling application
pattern = %1%
;get all window names and loop through
WinGet windows, List
Loop %windows%
{
id := windows%A_Index%
WinGetTitle wt, ahk_id %id%
;if window matches pattern, add to list
IF (RegexMatch(wt,pattern)>0) then
{
s .= wt . "`n"
}
}
;send list to clipboard
Clipboard := s
So the VBA macro will set up the regex pattern to be sent to the AHK script. I can use this for other document types or naming patterns later if need be. AHK will then be called which loops through each open window, checks if it matches the defined pattern, then appends it to a string. This string is sent to the clipboard, which VBA then reads and splits into an Array for me to use.
I'm sure there is probably a more efficient way out there, but this was a fun way and the only way I could put together.