Autoit program using Excel

[Malkavian99]

Here is what I have done and I'm not sure how to correct it or stop it.

I have a program that searches drives for particular files and puts them into an Excel spreadsheet. The program starts, opens excel in the background, basically Excel is running as a process but I don't see it on the screen. The program does it's scanning and writes the data to the excel spreadsheet after scanning each drive. Once all drives are scanned it closes the excel file, saves it and kills the Excel process.

If during the scan someone opens the Excel program by double clicking the program icon and a blank sheet appears it actually opens a second Excel process under task manager. This is fine. The program is writing to the one you cannot see and you can see the second one. You can then open an excel file and it still doesn't disturb the first Excel program running.

BUT, you know there always is one..

If during the scan someone opens an Excel file, by double clicking the Excel file itself, it opens the file within the first Excel process in another window/book. This disrupts the program. I know this is a feature of Excel and I'm wondering if there is a way to basically lock the Excel session Autoit opens so that if someone were to double click a file it would not use the first Excel Session and open a second Excel session?

I'm using Excel.au3 to get my excel functions.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

Michael

[czardas]

Don't write to the spread sheet until you have collected all the data, or don't write to Excel, but write to a csv file which will open in Excel: so you can still use the program while the script is running. Just a suggestion.

Edited February 3, 2012 by czardas

[DicatoroftheUSA]

It sounds like you really need to get a server database running.

[Malkavian99]

Thanks for the information. Here is the problem with holding the information until the end. I have approximately 200 drives to scan and holding the data in an array could get really large.

Michael

[jchd]

Have a look at SQLite functions in AutoIt helpfile. SQLite is a database engine which will hold as much data you need safely and with convenient SQL interface. The DB can be temporary (memory) or permanent (storage-based) and can be accessed by any number of processes.

[Malkavian99]

I have found the answer or at least the answer that works for my situation.

After opening Excel with with the following line (referencing the Excel.au3 module):

$FF_Excel = _ExcelBookNew(0)

The Excel Object reference is returned to the $FF_Excel variable and the Excel spreadsheet is not viewable by the user, basically running as a hidden process.

I added the following line in my code:

$FF_Excel.Application.IgnoreRemoteRequests = True

This actually changes a parameter in the Excel program. When I double clicked an Excel file to open it a new Excel process was started and that process closed when the second file was closed. My program's Excel process was untouched.

If left as true and the program closes, the user is unable to open Excel files by double clicking the file itself. So I added the following line after the _ExcelBookClose($FF_Excel, 0, 0) line.

$FF_Excel.Application.IgnoreRemoteRequests = False

This set the parameter back in Excel so the user can open Excel file by double clicking the file.

I originally thought I was going to need to modify the Excel.au3 functions, but found that I was able to reference the Excel object directly from my code.

This would be a nice parameter to add in the Excel.au3 function when opening. Default as false, but sometimes you want a little more control over your users and you can set it to true. If anyone knows how to contact to possibly have this added I would like to know.

Thanks

Michael

Edited February 4, 2012 by Malkavian99

[Juvigy]

I think there was a setting in excel of opening every new file by double clicking as a separate process.Here it is:

My Computer

Tools

Folder Options

File Types

Choose XLS

Go to Advanced

Uncheck "browse in same window" in advanced window.

Then highlight Open

Edit

Make sure in the Action box it says &Open

Make sure in the application used to perform action it says:

"C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE11EXCEL.EXE" "%1"

Check the box next to use DDE

Remove anything that is in DDE Message box and DDE Application Not Running box.

Make sure the application box says: EXCEL

And in the Topic box it says: System

Although the .IgnoreRemoteRequests seems better solution.

[Malkavian99]

Since I would not have access to everyone's workstation the .IgnoreRemoteRequests is the best option for me in my situation. You just have to remember to set it back to False before closing the Excel Object. If you don't and they try to open an Excel file by double clicking it, they will receive an error.

Michael