Microsoft Knowledge Base

• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

SUMMARY

When you run a Microsoft Excel macro from AppleScript, you can return a result to the script.

MORE INFORMATION

Providing AppleScript with Status Information or the Result from a Macro

To provide AppleScript with status information or the result from a macro, do the following:

1. Save the value in a cell or defined name which can be interrogated later by AppleScript.

2. Include a message in the RETURN() function of the macro.

Getting Status Information Saved in Cell or Defined Name

To get status information saved in a cell or as a defined name, interrogate the cell or defined name from within the script that called the macro.

• Interrogating a cell. Assuming a value was stored in cell B1 of the active sheet, the following script segment will retrieve the value in that cell:

        set myresult to value of cell "R1C2"
  

• Interrogating a defined name. Assuming a value was stored in the defined name called "XLResult," the following script segment will retrieve the value of that defined name:

        set myresult to value of Range "XLResult"
  

Sample Macro

The macro below demonstrates how Microsoft Excel returns a message to AppleScript. The macro creates a window, sizes, and then moves the window around the screen. Upon completion, the macro then sends the message "Macro completed" to AppleScript via the RETURN() function.

   Testscript
   =NEW(1)
   =SET.NAME("window_name",GET.DOCUMENT(1))
   =WINDOW.SIZE(200,200,window_name)
   =FOR("x",1,30)
   =    WINDOW.MOVE(x*5,x*5,window_name)
   =NEXT()
   =FOR("x",31,60)
   =    WINDOW.MOVE(x*5,300-(x*5),window_name)
   =NEXT()
   =RETURN("Macro completed.")

    =RETURN("")