Passing parameters from Outlook to Excel - vba

How to pass arguments to Excel VBA code called from Outlook?

By using Application.Run:
objExcel.Run "MacroName", param1, param2

You can execute a macro via the Application.Run method. This method takes the macro name as the first argument and then up to 30 parameters that are passed as arguments to the macro.
In Outlook use the following code:
Public Sub RunExcelMacro()
Dim excelApp As Object
Set excelApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
excelApp.Visible = True
' open the workbook that contains the macro
' or place the macro in a workbook in your XLSTARTUP folder
excelApp.Workbooks.Open "C:\tmp\book.xls"
' run the macro
excelApp.Run "ThisWorkbook.SayHello", "Hello World!"
excelApp.Quit
Set excelApp = Nothing
End Sub
In Excel, add the following method to the ThisWorkbook element of a spreadsheet document:
Option Explicit
Public Sub SayHello(message As String)
MsgBox message
End Sub

Related

Call a macro from ThisOutlookSession

I have a problem with my macros on outlook.
I am currently trying via a batch to call outlook and pass it as a parameter the name of a macro that I get via an environment variable I've set in my batch. However I do get the name of my macro, but the process stops at the time of the Call function. Could someone tell me the right way to proceed?
VBA ThisOutlookSession
Private Sub Application_Startup()
Dim strMacroName As String
strMacroName = CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Environment("process").Item("MacroName")
'MsgBox strMacroName
'MsgBox VarType(strMacroName)
If strMacroName <> "" Then Call strMacroName
End Sub
VBA Modules
Option Explicit
Sub macro1()
MsgBox "macro1"
End Sub
Sub macro2()
MsgBox "macro2"
End Sub
Batch
Set WorkingPath=C:\Temp\Outlook
Set MacroName=%1
start OUTLOOK.EXE
Set MacroName=
Set WorkingPath=
the result
There are several aspects here... The first point is possible security issues when dealing with the Outlook. You can read more about that in the Security Behavior of the Outlook Object Model article.
Another point is that you can call VBA macros declared in the ThisOutlookSession module in the following way (for example, from any other Office application):
Sub test()
Dim OutApp As Object
Set OutApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
OutApp.Session.Logon
OutApp.HelloWorld
End Sub
Where the HelloWorld sub is declared in the ThisOutlookSession module in following way:
Option Explicit
Public Sub HelloWorld()
MsgBox "Hello world !!"
End Sub
Note, you may call any module from the ThisOutlookSession module. There is no need to get access to other modules directly.

Add userform to a different workbook at runtime

I have an addin and a workbook open. The addin is a .xlam file and in the workbook I've added a reference to it. The addin is password protected.
It is possible to run public methods of the addin from my workbook. However one method in the addin makes use of VBA.UserForms.Add to open a userform that was created at runtime like this
Let's say the workbook which holds a reference to myAddin has this:
Private Sub callAddin()
myAddin.ShowForm ThisWorkbook
End Sub
Ordinarily, the code in my addin looks like this:
Public Sub ShowForm(CallerWorkbook As Workbook)
Const vbext_ct_MSForm As Long = 3
'This is to stop screen flashing while creating form
Application.VBE.MainWindow.Visible = False
'Add to ThisWorkbook, not supplied workbook or VBE will crash - ignore CallerWorkbook
Dim myForm As Object
Set myForm = ThisWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Add(vbext_ct_MSForm)
'Create the User Form
With myForm
.Properties("Caption") = "Select"
.Properties("Width") = 300
.Properties("Height") = 270
End With
'Show the form
Dim finalForm As Object
Set finalForm = VBA.UserForms.Add(myForm.Name)
finalForm.Show
'Remove form
ThisWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Remove myForm
End Sub
Which works fine. However when my addin is password protected, trying to add a temporary userform to it is not allowed. No problem, I just add the temporary userform to the workbook that called the code instead, as this will not be password protected
Sub ShowForm(CallerWorkbook As Workbook)
Const vbext_ct_MSForm As Long = 3
'This is to stop screen flashing while creating form
Application.VBE.MainWindow.Visible = False
'Add to CallerWorkbook instead
Dim myForm As Object
Set myForm = CallerWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Add(vbext_ct_MSForm)
'Create the User Form
With myForm
.Properties("Caption") = "Select"
.Properties("Width") = 300
.Properties("Height") = 270
End With
'Show the form
Dim finalForm As Object
'Now myForm cannot be found and added
Set finalForm = VBA.UserForms.Add(myForm.Name)
finalForm.Show
'Remove form
CallerWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Remove myForm
End Sub
However VBA can't seem to see where myForm.Name points to now, so the Add method fails with "Run time error 424: Object required"
Is there any way to display a form created at runtime in another workbook?
The problem that you're encountering is that UserForms are Privately instanced by default. That means that a project cannot refer to a UserForm in another project, and if you can't refer to the form, you can't call it's Show method.
Your Set myForm = CallerWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Add(vbext_ct_MSForm) statement returns a VbComponent, not a UserForm, so that's why you can't then use VBA.UserForms.Add(myForm.Name)
There are 2 ways around this:
1 - Create a PublicNotCreatable template UserForm in your add-in
A UserForm is like a class, so it can have its Instancing property set, just like a class. However, the VBE doesn't expose the Instancing property in the Properties Window for UserForms, so to set the instancing, you need to export the form, and then edit the Attribute VB_Exposed attribute in the FRM file in a text editor, before importing the form again. Here are the steps:
Create a UserForm named TemplateForm in your add-in project
Remove TemplateForm and choose to Export the form before removing it
Open the TemplateForm.frm file in a text editor
Edit the line Attribute VB_Exposed = False so that is reads Attribute VB_Exposed = True
Save the changes to TemplateForm.frm
Import TemplateForm.frm into your add-in
Add a public function that returns a new instance of TemplateForm to your add-in. I've made this function accept a workbook reference so that the add-in can configure any workbook specific properties on the form:
Public Function GetTemplateForm(CallerWorkbook As Workbook) As TemplateForm
Dim frm As TemplateForm
Set frm = New TemplateForm
'Set early-bound properties with intellisense
frm.Caption = "Select"
frm.Width = 300
frm.Height = 270
'Configure CallerWorkbook specific form properties here
'...
Set GetTemplateForm = frm
End Function
In your user's workbook, you can then show an instance of the TemplateForm, without ever having to dynamically add a form, or deal with screen-flickering, or hard-to-debug code:
Sub ShowAddinForm()
With MyAddin.GetTemplateForm(ThisWorkbook)
'Do more workbook specific propery setting here...
'...
.Show
End With
End Sub
** Note - The Rubberduck VBA add-in will soon have the ability to add a PublicNotCreatable UserForm.
2 - Have the add-in create the UserForm component, but have the user's workbook manage it
This approach isn't nearly as elegant. There's a lot more code for the user to manage, and there's screen flickering, and hard to debug code. Here are the steps:
Add this code to the add-in:
Public Function GetTempFormName(CallerWorkbook As Workbook) As String
Const vbext_ct_MSForm As Long = 3
'This is to stop screen flashing while creating form
Application.VBE.MainWindow.Visible = False
'Add to CallerWorkbook instead
With CallerWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents.Add(vbext_ct_MSForm)
.Properties("Caption") = "Select"
.Properties("Width") = 300
.Properties("Height") = 270
GetTempFormName = .Name
End With
End Function
Public Sub RemoveTempForm(CallerWorkbook As Workbook, FormName As String)
With CallerWorkbook.VBProject.VBComponents
Dim comp As Object
Set comp = .Item(FormName)
.Remove .Item(FormName)
End With
End Sub
Then, in the user's workbook, add this code:
Sub GetAddinToCreateForm()
Dim FormName As String
FormName = MyAddin.GetTempFormName(ThisWorkbook)
With VBA.UserForms.Add(FormName)
.Show
End With
MyAddin.RemoveTempForm ThisWorkbook, FormName
End Sub

Running vba code whenever a workbook is opened

I'm writing vba which manipulates data within a worksheet however I'm trying to make it run whenever a workbook is opened.
The problem I'm having is that due to the workbook (that the code needs to run on) is different/new every time, I need the auto_open code to be within a personal macro workbook.
Sub Auto_Open()
Dim bookname As String
Dim checkbook As String
Dim Workbook As Workbook
For Each Workbook In Application.Workbooks
bookname = Workbook.Name
checkbook = Left(bookname, 3)
If checkbook = "EDN" Then
Data_generator
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
ThisWorkbook.Save
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Application.Quit
Else
End If
Next Workbook
End Sub
When this code runs it checks all open workbooks and sees if the first 3 letters of it are 'EDN', if it is then run the public sub called 'Data_generator', save it and quit. If it isn't check the next open workbook, etc.
When a file is opened from windows explorer, excel launches (with both the desired workbook and the personal macro workbook) however because excel opens the personal macro workbook first and runs the code before opening the desired workbook it doesn't find a workbook called 'EDN'.
If the above code is ran after both workbooks have opened then the code works as intended and cycles through each open workbook to see if there's one called 'EDN' (this was proved by putting a messagebox after the 'then' and running the code), if so run the sub.
I've proved this by putting a messagebox after the 'else', when this is done it displays the messagebox with the workbook I want, not open. After the message box is cleared, the workbook then opens.
Is there any way to make the desired workbook open first or any other work around for this?
You can create an Add-in that runs whenever a workbook is open
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/gg597509(v=office.14).aspx
this tool may help to create the Add in http://www.andypope.info/vba/ribboneditor.htm
You should be able to use the Application.OnWindow event to trigger a macro when a file is opened or closed.
In ThisWorkbook
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Call StartTracking
End Sub
Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
Call StopTracking
End Sub
In a Module
Function StartTracking()
Application.OnWindow = "AutoRunOnWindowChange"
End Function
Function StopTracking()
Application.OnWindow = ""
End Function
Function AutoRunOnWindowChange()
If Left(ActiveWorkbook.Name, 3) = "EDN" Then
Call Data_generator
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
ThisWorkbook.Save
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Application.Quit
End If
End Function

Share variables between excel and visual basic

I recently started programming with .NET visual basic using visual basic studio. I am also using excel VBA to make some macros. I would be very appreciative if someone could answer a question I have, apologies if the answer is obvious, I'm just getting started:
Basically, if I have set a variable in excel VBA, for example:
dim text as string
text = "hello world"
Would it be possible for me to use that variable when programming in visual basic and have it retain its value from when it was set in the excel VBA macro.
Please comment if you need clarification.
Many thanks.
SOLUTION:
Okay I managed to figure it out with the help of the solutions, the code that works in VB is as follows:
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop
Imports Microsoft.Office.Core
Public Class Form1
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim oxl As excel.application
Dim owb As excel.workbook
Dim osheet As Excel.worksheet
Dim orng As excel.Range
Dim strtext As String
oxl = CreateObject("Excel.application")
owb = oxl.Workbooks.Open(Filename:="C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\Variable Passing Test.xlsm")
oxl.Run("dosomethingtostrtext")
strtext = oxl.Run("getstrtext")
MsgBox(strtext)
End Sub
End Class
One way to access variables in another workbook's VBA code is to create functions that return those values to you. Then call those functions from your other app.
For example, let this be code in a module in your Excel file with the macro:
Option Explicit
Private strText As String
' Say you have a routine that manipulates strText (or not, even!)
Public Sub doSomethingToSTRTEXT()
strText = "Hello World!"
End Sub
' This is the function to call to retrieve strText
Public Function getSTRTEXT() As String
getSTRTEXT = strText
End Function
And this is code in a VBA project elsewhere (not running .Net on this machine, just microsoft office sad) where you have this:
Option Explicit
Sub Test()
' Declare
Dim WBK As Workbook
' Open the workbook in question
Set WBK = Workbooks.Open(Filename:="C:\Path\To\File\With\VBA.xls")
' This code's own variable
Dim strText As String
' Call the routine (or not) that does something to that workbook's vba's strText
Application.Run (WBK.Name & "!doSomethingToSTRTEXT")
' Now let's retrieve that value via function!
strText = Application.Run(WBK.Name & "!getSTRTEXT")
' Show it to me
MsgBox strText
End Sub
I would like to leave the conversion of the code right above ^ into VB.Net to you (or do a search here on SO for .Net code to handle Excel objects) and try it out

Error with ActiveWorkbook Path VBA macro Excel 2013?

i want to create a vba macro for excel 2013. this vba macro must be available for all excel files, i make a search in the internet and i found that i must put the code in Excel add-in, so i try to make a code for event opening of excel; the code is the following:
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
If (ActiveWorkbook.Path = "C:\GED\TEMP") Then
MsgBox "Hello"
End If
End Sub
the problem is that when i open excel file, vba dont know the active workbook because it opens the file in XLSTART first then my current file, so i have the following error:Run-time error '91 ': Object variable or With block variable not set. So any idea please; i should check the path of the workbook at the opening
You'll need Application-level events to trap the opening of any workbook. Replace your code with this:
Option Explicit
Private WithEvents app As Excel.Application
Private Sub app_WorkbookOpen(ByVal Wb As Workbook)
If UCase$(Wb.Path) = "C:\GED\TEMP" Then MsgBox "Hello"
End Sub
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Set app = Application
End Sub