Receiving ActiveX Automation: Bad Index Error Message - excel

Question

Prelude
I am starting a new project, and basically I am using Excel as a log for another program I am using. With this being said, this is a mixture of VBA (Only when using Excel's object) and VB6 (the main "host" programming language). This is why both languages are tagged as I anticipate hateful comments from the use of tags; I am looking for a solution in either/mixture of both programming languages!!
Also, I am aware some VBA activists will say to never use ActiveSheet. I am not concerned about this and I would like to say thank you ahead of time. I have one sheet in this workbook as it's primary function is to serve as a log. The ActiveSheet will always be the one and only sheet.
I have the following code, and I am not too familiar with Setting a workbook as an object, which is likely the reason I receive the Bad Index error.
Sub Test()
' Checking if Excel is open, if not, open it.
Dim xL As Object, wBook As Object, iCloseThings As Byte
On Error Resume Next
Set xL = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
On Error GoTo 0
If xL Is Nothing Then
iCloseThings = 1 ' Set Excel to close only if it was never open
Set xL = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
End If
Set wBook = xL.Workbooks("C:\Users\<UserName>\Documents\<WorkBook>.xlsx").ActiveSheet
If iCloseThings = 1 Then xL.Quit
End sub
What I need assistance with is how would I properly set this object to point to the exact workbook I have in the above example? All I have ever known to do was something such as Set wBook = XL.Workbooks("<WorkBook>.xlsx").ActiveSheet because I knew such workbook would already be open. But with the possibility of it not being open, I need something a little more flexible.
Thanks for your assistance!

Answer 1

you need some different cases handling, mainly depending if the wanted workbook is already open or not should a running Excel session be "caught"
you may want to use some dedicated Functions not to clutter your main code and be more effective in both debugging and maintaining your code, like follows
Option Explicit
Sub Test()
' Checking if Excel is open, if not, open it.
Dim xL As Object, wBook As Object, wSheet As Object, iCloseThings As Byte
Set xL = GetExcel(iCloseThings)
Set wBook = GetExcelWorkbook(xL, "C:\Users\<UserName>\Documents\<WorkBook>.xlsx")
If wBook Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
Set wSheet = wBook.ActiveSheet
If iCloseThings = 1 Then xL.Quit
End Sub
Function GetExcel(iCloseThings As Byte) As Object
On Error Resume Next
Set GetExcel = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
On Error GoTo 0
If GetExcel Is Nothing Then
iCloseThings = 1 ' Set Excel to close only if it was never open
Set GetExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
End If
End Function
Function GetExcelWorkbook(xL As Object, wbFullName As String) As Object
Dim wbName As String
wbName = Right(wbFullName, Len(wbFullName) - InStrRev(wbFullName, "\"))
On Error Resume Next
Set GetExcelWorkbook = xL.Workbooks(wbName)
On Error GoTo 0
If GetExcelWorkbook Is Nothing Then
Set GetExcelWorkbook = xL.Workbooks.Open(wbFullName)
Else
If GetExcelWorkbook.Path & "\" & wbName <> wbFullName Then
MsgBox "A workbook with the wanted name '" & wbName & "' is already open but its path doesn't match the required one" _
& vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Close the already open workbook and run this macro again", vbCritical + vbInformation
Set GetExcelWorkbook = Nothing
Else
MsgBox "Wanted workbook is already open", vbInformation
End If
End If
End Function