VBA Data Download From Web w/out Affecting Other Tasks? - vba

Question

Is it possible with VBA Excel to download data from a website without affecting other tasks? What I want to achieve is to be able to press a button and keep working on other tasks. Right now, when I run the code below, I can't perform other tasks or the code will break. Thanks for everyone's help/input!
Public Sub Get_File()
Dim sFiletype As String 'Fund type reference
Dim sFilename As String 'File name (fund type + date of download), if "" then default
Dim sFolder As String 'Folder name (fund type), if "" then default
Dim bReplace As Boolean 'To replace the existing file or not
Dim sURL As String 'The URL to the location to extract information
Dim pURL As String
Dim Cell, Rng As Range
Dim Sheet As Worksheet
Dim oBrowser As InternetExplorer
Set oBrowser = New InternetExplorer
Dim StartTime As Double
Dim SecondsElapsed As Double
StartTime = Timer
'Initialize variables
Set Rng = Range("I2:I15")
Set Sheet = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Macro_Button")
For Each Cell In Rng
If Cell <> "" Then
sFiletype = Cell.Value
sFilename = sFiletype & "_" & Format(Date, "mmddyyyy")
sFolder = Application.WorksheetFunction.VLookup(Cell.Value, Sheet.Range("I2:Z15"), 2, False)
bReplace = True
sURL = "www.preqin.com"
pURL = Application.WorksheetFunction.VLookup(Cell.Value, Sheet.Range("I2:Z15"), 16, False)
'Download using the desired approach, XMLHTTP / IE
If Application.WorksheetFunction.VLookup(Cell.Value, Sheet.Range("I2:Z15"), 15, False) = 1 Then
Call Download_Use_IE(oBrowser, sURL, pURL, sFilename, sFolder, bReplace)
Else
Call Download_NoLogin_Use_IE(oBrowser, pURL, sFilename, sFolder, bReplace)
End If
Else: GoTo Exit_Sub
End If
Next
Exit_Sub:
'Close IE
oBrowser.Quit
'Determine how many seconds code took to run
SecondsElapsed = Round(Timer - StartTime, 2)
MsgBox "This code ran successfully in " & SecondsElapsed & " seconds", vbInformation
End Sub
Private Sub Download_Use_IE(oBrowser As InternetExplorer, _
ByRef sURL As String, _
ByRef pURL As String, _
Optional ByRef sFilename As String = "", _
Optional ByRef sFolder As String = "", _
Optional ByRef bReplace As Boolean = True)
Dim hDoc As HTMLDocument
Dim objInputs As Object
Dim ele As Object
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
oBrowser.Visible = True
'Navigate to URL
Call oBrowser.navigate(sURL)
While oBrowser.Busy Or oBrowser.readyState <> 4: DoEvents: Wend
'Skips log in step if already signed into website
On Error GoTo LoggedIn
'Enter username
oBrowser.document.getElementById("ctl00_ctl00_cphSiteHeader_ucLoginForm_user_email").Value = "XXX"
oBrowser.document.getElementById("ctl00_ctl00_cphSiteHeader_ucLoginForm_user_password").Value = "XXX"
'Submit the sign in
oBrowser.document.getElementById("ctl00_ctl00_cphSiteHeader_ucLoginForm_btnLogin").Click
'Wait for website to load
While oBrowser.Busy Or oBrowser.readyState <> 4: DoEvents: Wend
LoggedIn:
'Initial data export
oBrowser.navigate (pURL)
'Wait for website to load
While oBrowser.Busy Or oBrowser.readyState <> 4: DoEvents: Wend
'Set the htmldocument
Set hDoc = oBrowser.document
'Loop and click the download file button
Set objInputs = oBrowser.document.getElementsbyTagName("input")
For Each ele In objInputs
If ele.Title Like "Download Data to Excel" Then
ele.Click
End If
Next
'Wait for dialogue box to load
While oBrowser.Busy Or oBrowser.readyState > 3: DoEvents: Wend
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:02"))
'IE 9+ requires to confirm save
Call Download(oBrowser, sFilename, sFolder, bReplace)
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
'Resume
Debug.Print "Sub Download_Use_IE() " & Err & ": " & Error(Err)
End Sub

Answer 1

Try the
DoEvents
As far i know, is not easy to work with background process and excel.
Cheers.

Answer 2

You cannot work on the Workbook that is running the macro. You can open another instance of Excel, or a read only copy of the workbook running the macro if you would like to work within Excel while the macro is running. This question has been asked and answered before on here
It is difficult to determine from your question whether you are talking about "other tasks" as in within Excel or just on your computer in general. My above paragraph answers whether you can do tasks within Excel while the macro is running.