Thinking that to solve a problem I've got this is the fastest solution:
Generate a custom CSV file on the file (this is already done via Perl).
Have a XLS document opened via commandline via a scripting language (clients already got a few Perl scripts running in this pipeline.)
Write VBA or record a macro that executes the following OnLoad:
Imports a the data from the CSV file into the report template,
Print the file via PDF driver to fixed location using data in the CSV to name the file.
Closes the XLS file.
So, is this possible via Excel macros, if not is it possible via VBA -- thanks!
NOTE: Appears I've got to have a copy of MS Office anyway, so this is much faster to get going than using Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO). The report template is going to be on a server, and this way the end user can build as many reports as they like, "test" by printing a PDF using a demo CSV file, and import/embed the marco or VBA when they're done. I'd looked in Jasper Reports, but the end user is putting ad-hoc static text and groupings all over the report and I figure this way they can build reports how ever they want and then automate them. Both of these questions by me and the resulting comments/feedback are related to this question:
In Excel, is it possible to automate reading of CSV data into a template and printing it to PDF from the commandline?
Is it possible to deploy a VB application made in Excel as a stand alone app?
FOCUS OF QUESTION: Again, focus of the question is if this is possible via Excel marcos, if not macros VBA, and if there's any huge issue with this approach; for example, I know this is going to be "slow" since Excel would be loaded per job, but there's 16GB of ram on the server and it's not used at all. Figure since I've got to have a copy of office on the server anyway, this is a much faster approach.
If you've got any questions, let me know via comments.
I suppose you could launch the report file from perl and then have a macro inside the report file automatically look for the newest csv file to import. Then you could process and output. So you just need to launch the proper excel file with the embedded macros from perl and then let excel and VBA take over.
Related
I've been trying to search for similar questions but wasn't able to find much for precisely what I'm looking for. I could have missed it in my search - if any of you can find a previous thread for this, please link it for me :)
Essentially what I'm trying to achieve is to fully automate an Excel report, which involves running a macro that I have a .BAS file for. I've seen tutorials for how to create a .VBS and .BAT script to automate the running of macros, but I wan't to also automate the importing of the macros. For example:
- I have my base dataset that I want to run the macro on, which comes in a standard Excel file (xlsx), which I save in a consistent location
- I have my .BAS file which contains the macro I want to use every time, saved in a different location from my reports
- What I am seeking: to have a .BAT file on my desktop that will automate: 1) Opening my standard xlsx file, 2) Saving it as an xlsm, 3) Importing my .BAS file with my macro, 4) Executing the macro, and 5) Closing Excel.
The key part I am missing is how to have the .BAT script automatically import the .BAS module into my Excel file. If I have to manually open Excel and import the module, I might as well just manually run the macro as well, thus eliminating the purpose of trying to create a .BAT file to automate :)
If anyone can provide guidance, that would be much appreciated. I hope my post was clear - if any questions, I can clarify in comments.
I have an excel file containing around 100K rows in onedrive. This file contains some macros. I want to run these macros using api.I want to pass these macro functions as parameters.
For example
https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/me/drive/root:/book1.xlsx:/workbook/tables/{id|name}
Here, I want to call macros function in place tables/{id|name}
Any way to do this?
Thanks
To be able to run an Excel macro, you need a running Excel instance that opens the file containing the macro and runs the code. There is no way around this I'm afraid.
So you need a machine - physical or virtual - where Excel is installed. Then you can have a script open the Excel file there and run the macros.
If you are working in a cloud environment or on a web server for example, you would be better off rewriting the code in another language, independent of Excel. (Trust me, I've been there, done that.)
Our application exports snippets of databases in XLSX format. We wrote our own code on top of System.Packaging as it is many (many!) times faster than using the Excel objects.
Right now we save these files with a .xlsx format, and that works OK. However, it would be much nicer if double-clicking one of these opened our app instead, but failed back to Excel on machines without it.
I know that SpreadsheetML has a feature to do this. If you insert this near the top of the file:
<?mso-application progid=""Excel.Sheet""?>
some sort of magic occurs that causes Excel to open on Win machines. While this might work in SML files, it does not appear to work in "real" xlsx files - I tried adding this line to various parts of the workbook structure but it remained unrecognized.
So is there a similar mechanism we can use in "true" XLSX files generated by System.Packaging? Or some other Windows mechanism we should use in these situations?
is there a way how to make Matlab open excel files directly in MS Excel? I do not mean just read data, but physically open MS Excel.
I have a script that processes some data and saves it into .xlsm. This .xlsm contains auto_open macro which generates a report and saves it into another .xls.
I want the process to be as automatic as possible. So far, when the matlab script ends, .xlsm file needs to be open manually. Is it possible to do it via Matlab? (The .m file and .xlsm are in the same folder.)
The simplest way to open (but not close) an Excel file is to use WINOPEN:
winopen('myFile.xlsx')
Excel has a powerful COM interface that lets you control it from another application.
Look here for the matlab side of things
http://www.mathworks.co.uk/help/techdoc/ref/actxserver.html
And here for an example of putting it all together . . .
https://www.quantnet.com/forum/threads/interface-between-matlab-vba-excel.2090/
or here is another example
http://www.mathworks.co.uk/support/solutions/en/data/1-716EAM/index.html?solution=1-716EAM
Yes, it is possible. Matlab can use Excel's Automation interface to do this and similar tasks. The following code loads Excel and then loads a workbook:
try
w = actxserver('Excel.Application'); % Fails if Excel not installed
catch
w = [];
end
if ~isempty(w)
w.Workbooks.Open('D:\Documents\MATLAB\file.xlsx');
% Your code here;
w.Quit;
end
delete(w);
You will need to look at Microsoft's documentation for the Excel automation interface to figure out exactly what commands you need to send. Try starting here.
I have used this technique to drive Word from Matlab in order to produce a report document, but I have never used Excel this way, so unfortunately I can't help you with the gory details!
we use an application that has an "export to excel" feature that doesn't work on PC's that done have outlook express installed.
i know, you're thinking "WTF does outlook express have to do with excel files?"
i asked the same thing, and here's what i found:
the file being generated is actually one of those Microsoft Single File Web Pages (.mht) and NOT an excel file
you need to have outlook express installed to actually view a .mht file.
i've explained to their support people that just because you can slap a .xls on a file and excel will open it does not mean its an excel file, and does not mean that this is the right way to do it.
how would you explain that this is not proper?
Many people (especially managers) confuse Excel files with reporting files. In my opinion, a file is only qualified as an Excel file if it meets all of these conditions:
Is a spreadsheet formatted in one of the many Microsoft Excel formats.
Can be opened in the most recent version of Microsoft Excel.
Is editable in Microsoft Excel.
In your case, I'm guessing only condition #3 is met, so it's no Excel file. But your support people may still call it a reporting file.
If a clean Windows image with only Excel installed can't open it, then it isn't in Excel format. Period.
If a Windows machine with Outlook Express, but without Excel can open it (if you change the extension) then it can't be an Excel file. I'd combine that with Ignacio's suggestion for a slam-dunk.
Plus, surely if it's MHT, then you can't actually do spreadsheet operations on it? Or am I misunderstanding how it works?
I don't think your statements are correct. Excel (2007) has import and export filters for single-file HTML documents (.mht) even if there is no Outlook Express installed. However, this is not a native format and worksheet features such as formulas cannot be retained (see http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP100141051033.aspx#7)
So what you should make clear to your customers is that there is a difference between an applications native file format and a format which isn't designed to contain spreadsheet functionality and that is only supported via an import/export filter.