Excel VBA can't open Workbook

Question

First: I\'m using Excel 2007, but the code has to work for Excel 2003 as well.

My problem is the following: I need to access cells in a different workbook, which may

Answer 1

You can check the error in a proper way by using the following code:

filelocation = c:\whatever\file.xlsx

On Error GoTo Handler 'this is key as if the next row returns an error while opening the file it will jump to the Handler down there.
Set wkb2 = Workbooks.Open(filelocation, ReadOnly)

Handler:
MsgBox "File " & filelocation & " does not exist or cannot be reached, please review and try again"

I know that this does not answer the question (that's why I also landed in this thread, as I cannot open the file and can't understand why is that so)

Cheers, RV

Answer 2

I can reproduce this problem. It only happens to me when I attempt to paste this code into a user-defined function.

I believe this is by design (the quote is for XL 2003, but the same thing happens to me on XL 2010)

Using VBA keywords in custom functions

The number of VBA keywords you can use in custom functions is smaller than the number you can use in macros. Custom functions are not allowed to do anything other than return a value to a formula in a worksheet or to an expression used in another VBA macro or function. For example, custom functions cannot resize windows, edit a formula in a cell, or change the font, color, or pattern options for the text in a cell. If you include "action" code of this kind in a function procedure, the function returns the #VALUE! error.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/creating-custom-functions-HA001111701.aspx

The only workaround I've found is to call this kind of code via a normal macro. Something like selecting the cells to apply it to, then looping over Selection or the like.

Answer 3

You don't have to "Set" a cell, It's part of the workbook class (as far as I know). Just use the following...

foo = wbk.Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1").Value

Answer 4

You can use this (similar to what Bruno Leite proposed, but much simpler to write):

Dim excelApp As New Excel.Application
excelApp.Visible = False
Set WB = excelApp.Workbooks.Open(FileName, xlUpdateLinksNever, True)

As UDFs are called repeatedly, you should make sure to do an excelApp.Quit before exiting the function (and a WB.close(False) before) to avoid having countless Excel instances running on your box.

I spent some thoughts on it and came to the conclusion that you cannot mess around with the workbooks of the current instance of excel while executing a UDF. On the other hand, opening a second instance of excel will do the job without interference.

Answer 5

To get data from Workbook without is open, you can use this, with ADO connection.

To use in Excel 2007 change this

Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0

to

Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0

and

Extended Properties=\"Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;\

to

Extended Properties=\"Excel 12.0;HDR=Yes;\

[]'s

Answer 6

I would suggest that you open you the new workbook upon opening the calling workbook, in the worbook_open event.

You then store the new workbook reference in a global variable.

Then the function called by your cell uses the said global variable instead of trying to open a new workbook. This way you go around the limitations.

PS : Of course global variable are to be avoided, some sort of container would be better than a direct global variable.