Opening a PDF document from within an Excel file

[Wessie]

Hi all

I have a quick question that is puzzling me.

I want to attach a PDF help file on an Excel file / sheet / workbook that is fully portable. I want to program a button on a userform that will open this PDF document, and if possible, make the PDF file accessible if you press the F1 help button. Can anyone help me with the coding and implementation in this regard?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Kind regards
R

 

[humdingaling]

can you not just have it as a hyperlink?

 

[Wessie]

The file must be fully portable as one file. Otherwise the path must always be specified or the PDF file always in a specific location. Therefore it cannot be sent via email at all.

 

[RedBeard]

This macro could be included in your Personal workbook file, as a part of the Open event, so that it runs every time that Excel is started. The macro should contain a single command:

Application.OnKey "{F1}", ""

The OnKey method is only triggered, in this case, when the F1 key is pressed. This usage results in the F1 key being ignored. If you wanted the F1 key to run some different procedure, you could use it as follows:

Application.OnKey "{F1}", "MyProcedure"

As for opening the pdf, something like this should work.

Dim myShell As ObjectSet myShell =  CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
myShell.Run "K:\PDF\mypdf.pdf"

 

[humdingaling]

not quite sure i understand fully portable
does it come with the workbook?

if so

Sub openPDf()
    
    Dim myShell As Object
    Set myShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
    
    myShell.Open (ThisWorkbook.Path & "\Help.pdf")
    
End Sub

 

[Wessie]

Thanks Humdingaling. It should be part of the workbook already (as an object for instance). Then I want to execute the object from within the file.

I just want to send one document (the excel) and it should include the PDF already.

 

[Alan_P]

Hi Wessie,

This worked for me... Click "Insert" -> "Object" -> "Create From File" -> "Browse" (Select PDF) -> tick "Display Icon" -> "OK"

then the code to open it is;

Worksheets("Sheet1").OLEObjects(1).Verb

Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Alan.

 

[Wessie]

I found the answer:

You first have to attach the PDF as an object in the worksheet and display it as an icon. After you attached in on file via an object, you insert a button using the following code:

ActiveSheet.Shapes.Range(Array("Object 1")).Select
Selection.Verb Verb:=xlPrimary

When you click on the button the PDF will open.

Thank you for your help.
Kind regards,
R

 

[Wessie]

Hi Wessie,

This worked for me... Click "Insert" -> "Object" -> "Create From File" -> "Browse" (Select PDF) -> tick "Display Icon" -> "OK"

then the code to open it is;

Worksheets("Sheet1").OLEObjects(1).Verb

Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Alan.

Thank you Alan. That was my resolve as well.