Visual basic with excel automation - excel

Question

I have been unsuccessful in setting the row height and column widths of an excel spreadsheet from within a visual basic application.
I have a visual basic application where I have data in my clipboard. I copy that code to an instance of excel and then have excel save the resulting spreadsheet and then excel closes. I am trying to programmatically set the row heights and cell widths prior to saving the spreadsheet but have been unable to do so. This is the code that I am executing:
If SaveFileDialog1.ShowDialog = Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
Dim oXL As Excel.Application
Dim oWB As Excel.Workbook
Dim oSheet As Excel.Worksheet
oXL = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
oXL.Visible = True
oWB = oXL.Workbooks.Add
oSheet = oWB.ActiveSheet
oSheet.Paste()
oSheet.Cells.Select()
oSheet.Selection.RowHeight = 11.4
oSheet.Cells.EntireColumn.AutoFit()
oSheet = Nothing
oWB.Close(True, SaveFileDialog1.FileName)
oWB = Nothing
oXL.Quit()
oXL = Nothing
MsgBox("Finished!")
End If
The application runs without the oSheet.Cells.Select(), oSheet.Selection.RowHeight = 11.4, and oSheet.Cells.EntireColumn.AutoFit()
lines. With these lines, I get this error dialog message:
Public member 'Selection' on type 'Worksheet' not found.
When I trace the program in Visual Studio, the oSheet.Paste() command executes and the oSheet.Cells.Select() command executes. The exception is generated when I try to execute the oSheet.Selection.RowHeight = 11.4 command.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Jonathan

Answer 1

The following is not late binding, it's early binding but the pattern should work with minor code changes.
Option Strict On
Imports Excel = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports System.IO
Public Class Operations
Public HasError As Boolean
Public ErrorMessage As String
''' <summary>
'''
''' </summary>
''' <param name="FileName">Path and file name for Excel file</param>
''' <param name="SheetName">Sheet name to work on</param>
''' <param name="RowHeight">Used to set row height in SheetName</param>
''' <returns></returns>
Public Function SetWidthHeight(
ByVal FileName As String,
ByVal SheetName As String,
ByVal RowHeight As Integer) As Boolean
If File.Exists(FileName) Then
Dim Proceed As Boolean = False
Dim xlApp As Excel.Application = Nothing
Dim xlWorkBooks As Excel.Workbooks = Nothing
Dim xlWorkBook As Excel.Workbook = Nothing
Dim xlWorkSheet As Excel.Worksheet = Nothing
Dim xlWorkSheets As Excel.Sheets = Nothing
Dim xlCells As Excel.Range = Nothing
xlApp = New Excel.Application
xlApp.DisplayAlerts = False
xlWorkBooks = xlApp.Workbooks
xlWorkBook = xlWorkBooks.Open(FileName)
xlApp.Visible = False
xlWorkSheets = xlWorkBook.Sheets
For x As Integer = 1 To xlWorkSheets.Count
xlWorkSheet = CType(xlWorkSheets(x), Excel.Worksheet)
If xlWorkSheet.Name = SheetName Then
Proceed = True
Exit For
End If
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(xlWorkSheet)
xlWorkSheet = Nothing
Next
If Proceed Then
xlCells = xlWorkSheet.Cells
xlCells.PasteSpecial()
Dim EntireRow As Excel.Range = xlCells.EntireRow
'
' Set row height
'
EntireRow.RowHeight = RowHeight
Dim ColRange = xlCells.EntireColumn
'
' Auto fit all columns
'
ColRange.AutoFit()
ReleaseComObject(ColRange)
ReleaseComObject(xlCells)
ReleaseComObject(EntireRow)
Else
HasError = True
ErrorMessage = SheetName & " not found."
End If
xlWorkSheet.SaveAs(FileName)
xlWorkBook.Close()
xlApp.UserControl = True
xlApp.Quit()
ReleaseComObject(xlWorkSheets)
ReleaseComObject(xlWorkSheet)
ReleaseComObject(xlWorkBook)
ReleaseComObject(xlWorkBooks)
ReleaseComObject(xlApp)
Else
HasError = True
ErrorMessage = "'" & FileName &
"' not located. Try one of the write examples first."
End If
Return HasError
End Function
Private Sub ReleaseComObject(ByVal excelObject As Object)
Try
If excelObject IsNot Nothing Then
Marshal.ReleaseComObject(excelObject)
excelObject = Nothing
End If
Catch ex As Exception
excelObject = Nothing
End Try
End Sub
End Class