XL97: How to Programmatically Create a Reference

This article provides sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Sub procedures (or macros) that programmatically create and remove a reference to another project.

NOTE: This functionality was not available in Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0 or earlier.

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Creating a Reference to Another Project

1. Close all open workbooks, and then create two new workbooks.
2. Save the workbooks as Book1.xls and Book2.xls in the C:\My Documents folder.
3. Start the Visual Basic Editor (press ALT+F11).
4. If the Project window is not visible, click Project Explorer on the View menu.
5. In the Project window, click "VBAProject (Book1.xls)."
6. On the Insert menu, click Module.
   
   This step adds a module in the Book1.xls project.
7. In the module, type the following code:

          Sub Create_Reference()
   
              Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject.References.AddFromFile _
                  "C:\My Documents\Book2.xls"
   
              Use_Book2_Reference
   
          End Sub
   
          Sub Use_Book2_Reference()
   
              'Make calls to Book2.xls objects here.
   
          End Sub
   						

   NOTE: You cannot make reference calls to objects that have been added to the object library programmatically in the same procedure. You must run another procedure to make the calls.
8. In the Project window, click "VBAProject (Book2.xls)."
9. If the Properties window is not visible, click Properties Window on the View menu.
10. Next to the "(Name)" property, type Project2.
    
    NOTE: If you want to create a reference to another project, that project cannot use the same value for the "(Name)" property.
    
    For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    156882  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156882/EN-US/ ) XL97 Err Msg: "Name Conflicts with Existing Module"
11. Run the Create_Reference macro you created in step 7.
    
    This step creates a reference in Book1.xls to the project in Book2.xls.
12. To verify the reference, click References on the Tools menu.
    
    In the "References - VBAProject" dialog box, the "Project2" check box should be selected.
13. Click OK.

Removing a Reference to Another Project

The following steps assume you followed all the steps in the "Creating a Reference to Another Project" section.

1. In the module in which you typed the Create_Reference macro, type the following code:

         Sub Remove_Reference()
   
             Dim x As Object
             Set x = Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject _
                .References.Item("Project2")
   
             Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject.References.Remove x
   
         End Sub
   						

2. Run the Remove_Reference macro.
   
   This step removes the reference to the project in Book2.xls.
3. To verify whether Microsoft Excel removed the reference, click References on the Tools menu.
   
   In the "References - VBAProject" dialog box, the "Project2" check box should be cleared.
4. Click OK.

For more information about the References object, create a reference to the "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Extensibility" library, and then search the Object Browser. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click References.
2. In the References dialog box, click to select the "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Extensibility" check box, and then click OK.
3. In the Object Browser, search the VBIDE library for the References class.

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: