Q114258

• Microsoft Visual Basic, version 3.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0

SUMMARY

This article discusses how you can use Microsoft Excel version 5.0, Visual Basic version 3.0, and OLE automation to transfer the contents of an array from a Visual Basic application to a Microsoft Excel worksheet.

MORE INFORMATION

OLE Automation allows you use a Visual Basic application to control another application, such as Microsoft Excel. In order to manipulate the object of another application, you need to identify it with a programmatic identifier. Programmatic identifiers are registered in your system when you install an application. The programmatic identifiers for Microsoft Excel 5.0 are listed in the following table:

                              Represents this
   This identifier            Microsoft Excel 5.0 object
   -----------------------------------------------------

   Excel.Application.5        Application
   Excel.Sheet.5              Sheet
   Excel.Chart.5              Chart 

Example

1. Start Visual Basic version 3.0.



2. Enter the following code for the Click event for Form1:


'***** VISUAL BASIC 3.0 EXAMPLE PROCEDURE ********

        Sub Form_Click ()

        Dim XLApp As object
        Dim WBook As object
        Dim WSheet As object
        Dim TestArray() As Integer
        Dim i As Integer

           'Assuming Excel 5.0 is currently running, set XLApp to the
           'Excel 5.0 Application
           Set XLApp = GetObject(, "Excel.application.5")

           'Set WBook to the Activeworkbok in Excel
           Set WBook = XLApp.Activeworkbook

           'Set WSheet to the Activesheet in Excel
           Set WSheet = XLApp.Activesheet

           'Create a two dimensional array containing random values
           ReDim TestArray(1 To 10, 1 To 2) As Integer
           For i = 1 To 10
              TestArray(i, 1) = Rnd * 10
              TestArray(i, 2) = Rnd * 1000
           Next i

           'Transfer the values in TestArray to the range A1:B10 on the
           ' ActiveSheet in Excel
           For i = 1 To UBound(TestArray)
              WSheet.Range("A" & i).Value = TestArray(i, 1)
              WSheet.Range("B" & i).Value = TestArray(i, 2)
           Next i

            'Display the message that the transfer was complete and to
        close
            ' the form
            MsgBox "TestArray has been transferred to [" & WBook.Name & "]"
        & _
            WSheet.Name  "."

            Unload Form1
        End Sub 

3. From the File menu, choose Make EXE File to compile the code.



4. Quit Visual Basic.



5. Start Microsoft Excel 5.0.



6. From the File menu, choose New.



7. From the Insert menu, choose Macro, and then choose Module.



8. Enter the following code on the Visual Basic module (Note this example assumes the .EXE file created in step 3 above is located on C:\VB\TEST.EXE):


'*****EXCEL 5.0 VISUAL BASIC MACRO EXAMPLE******

        Sub TransferArrayFromVBApp()

          'Start the VB application Test.Exe in a normal window with focus
           Shell "C:\vb\test.exe", 1

        End Sub 

9. Select "Sheet1" in the active workbook.



10. From the Tools menu, choose Macro.



11. Select the TransferArrayFromVBApp macro, and then choose the Run button.



12. Form1 will appear. Click the form to start the transfer of the array to the active worksheet ("Sheet1"). When the transfer is complete, a message box stating that the transfer is complete will appear. Choose OK.


There will be a random sequence of numbers in the range A1:B10 on Sheet1; these numbers were transferred by the Visual Basic program.

REFERENCES

"Visual Basic User's Guide," version 5.0, Chapter 10 "Microsoft Visual Basic Programmer's Guide," version 3.0, Chapter 23

Additional query words: xl5 Excel W_Excel

Keywords : kbinterop kbprg kbExcel kbVBp300 kbWord kbDSupport kbhowto
Issue type : kbhowto
Technology :