Opening Other Programmes?

[Ste_Moore01]

Is it possible to open other programmes using a macro in excel?

For example...
I was hoping to open Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word using a macro in Excel.

Is this possible?

 

[Cbrine]

Ste_mooore01,
Since both MSAccess and MSWord have VBA, you can access them directly from Excel. Any program without VBA and without API's you would have trouble with.

Here's an example of opening a word doc from excel.

    Dim WordApp As Object
    Set WordApp = GetObject("C:\test.doc")
    Word.Application.Visible = True

You will still need to learn the how to utilize these objects for each of the different programs. Using access will be pretty well be pretty well the same ot setup the connection.

HTH
Cal

 

[DominicB]

Good afternoon SteMoore01

This would do the trick:

Sub Test()
Dim OpenExe
OpenExe = Shell("c:\program files\microsoft office\office\winword.exe", 1)
End Sub

HTH

DominicB

 

[Ste_Moore01]

Thanks guys!

DominicB your code works well but I was hoping to open a specific word document. Is there any way of doing this as I'm hoping to copy data from Excel and paste it in a word document that is already saved. It is the same with the Access problem.

 

[Norie]

Ste_Moore01

Cal's code shows you how to open a specific document.

It also shows how you can create a reference to the Word application object.

You would need this reference to do what you want.

 

[Ste_Moore01]

I'm quite new to the coding side of things.. I've only been doing it a few months and most of it still befuddles me.

I tried Cals code and it brings up a Run-time error 424 and says "Object Required"

Dominics code opens word but doesn't open a particular document.

 

[Norie]

I think the error is just a typo.

Instead of this

Word.Application.Visible = True

It should be this.

WordApp.Application.Visible = True

In fact I don't think Cal's code quite works.

Try this.

Dim WordApp As Object
    Set WordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
    
    WordApp.Documents.Open "C:\test.doc"
    WordApp.Application.Visible = True

 

[Ste_Moore01]

That's perfect!

Thanks very much, Norie!

 

[DominicB]

Hi guys

As an aside, this piece of code will open a Word document (in this case c:\wordy.doc) using the users standard registered software for .doc files. Therefore if a user doesn't use microsoft but one of the alternative office suites using the .doc extension, it will open the relevant piece of software.

Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long
Sub Test()
ShellExecute 0, vbNullString, "wordy.doc", vbNullString, "c:\", 1
End Sub

HTH

DominicB

 

[Ste_Moore01]

That's brilliant Dominic!

It allows me to open any file in the programme I've got set to open it.

That's helped my a lot because now I can add buttons that open other files.

Thanks again!