How to automate Excel from a client-side VBScript

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This article was previously published under Q198703

SUMMARY

This article illustrates Microsoft Visual Basic, Scripting Edition (VBScript) client-side code that launches and automates Microsoft Office Excel or Microsoft Excel when a user clicks a button on a Web page.

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MORE INFORMATION

Sample code

Create the following HTML file in any text editor and save the file as c:\excel.htm.

<HTML>
<BODY>

<INPUT id=button1 name=button1 type=button value=Button>

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="VBScript">

       sub button1_onclick()

          ' Launch Excel
          dim app
          set app = createobject("Excel.Application")
    
          ' Make it visible
          app.Visible = true
    
          ' Add a new workbook
          dim wb
          set wb = app.workbooks.add
    
          ' Fill array of values first...
          dim arr(19,9) ' Note: VBScript is zero-based
          for i = 1 to 20
             for j = 1 to 10
                arr(i-1,j-1) = i*j
             next
          next
    
          ' Declare a range object to hold our data
          dim rng
          set rng = wb.Activesheet.Range("A1").Resize(20,10)
    
          ' Now assign them all in one shot...
          rng.value = arr
    
          ' Add a new chart based on the data
          wb.Charts.Add
          wb.ActiveChart.ChartType = 70 'xl3dPieExploded
          wb.ActiveChart.SetSourceData rng, 2 ' xlColumns
          wb.ActiveChart.Location 2, "Sheet1" 'xlLocationAsObject
    
          ' Rotate it around...
          for i = 1 to 360 step 30
             wb.activechart.rotation = i
          next

          ' Give the user control of Excel
          app.UserControl = true

       end sub
</SCRIPT>

</BODY>
</HTML>

Start Microsoft Internet Explorer, type c:\excel.htm in the Address bar, and then press ENTER.
Click the button that is displayed on the page.

Note If you are prompted by a security warning about an ActiveX control on the page, click Yes.

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