Pass variable from PowerShell to VBA macro? - vba

Question

I have a PowerShell script that automates some report processing, and I have numerous separate macros to perform very similar autofilter functions, but on different criteria.
Is it possible to pass this criteria from PowerShell into the macro? I could then just have the 1 macro.
ColNum = Application.Match("*header", Range("A1:Z1"), 0)
If Not IsError(ColNum) Then
ActiveSheet.Range("A1").AutoFilter Field:=ColNum, Criteria1:="$criterafromPowerShell", Operator:=xlAnd
End If
I currently do a similar thing but the other way round, the output from these macros I insert to the workbook and extract back to PowerShell like so:
$counts = $workbook.worksheets.item(2)
$xRows = $counts.cells.item(1,1).Text
$yeRows = $counts.cells.item(1,2).Text
I concede I could possibly do this the other way round, and insert the text I want to use in a worksheet after the file is opened and before the macros are run, then pick it up inside the macro... but it seems messy.
Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Example:
$xlApp = New-Object -ComObject "Excel.Application"
$xlApp.Workbooks.Open("C:\Users\MacroMan\Documents\MyMacroWorkbook.xlsm")
$returnValue = $xlApp.Run("'MyMacroWorkbook.xlsm'!GenerateString", 6)
Echo $returnValue
FOOBAR
$returnValue = $xlApp.Run("'MyMacroWorkbook.xlsm'!GenerateString", 3)
Echo $returnValue
FOO
In the "MyMacroWorkbook" (VBA):
Public Function GenerateString(strLength As Integer) As String
GenerateString = Left("FOOBAR_SOMETHING", strLength)
End Function

Answer 2

I use the below code to pass two arguments from my VBscript to open a prticular workbook and launch required macro, you could pass the variable you want as a variable to the sub, i.e. Sub test(passedvariablehere) and make the sub to account for it:
'Create a WshShell to get the current directory
Dim WshShell
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
If (Wscript.Arguments.Count < 2) Then
Wscript.Quit
End If
'retrieve the arguments
Dim strWorkerWB
strWorkerWB = Wscript.Arguments(0)
Dim strMacroName
strMacroName = Wscript.Arguments(1)
' Create an Excel instance
Dim myExcelWorker
Set myExcelWorker = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
myExcelWorker.Application.Visible = True
' Open the Workbook specified on the command-line
Dim oWorkBook
Set oWorkBook = myExcelWorker.Workbooks.Open(strWorkerWB)
on error resume next
' Run the calculation macro
myExcelWorker.Run strMacroName
if err.number <> 0 Then
' Error occurred - just close it down.
oWorkBook.Close
Set oWorkBook = Nothing
myExcelWorker.Quit
Wscript.Quit
End If
err.clear
oWorkBook.Close
Set oWorkBook = Nothing
myExcelWorker.Quit
Set myExcelWorker = Nothing
Set WshShell = Nothing
on error goto 0
First argument is the fullpath/name to workbook, second argument is the sub name