Open Excel from within Access

Hi
I would like to know how to open Excel from within Access. I don't need to
open a file - as my Auto-Open macro does that - and it quits Excel too.
An overnight scheduled task in Access creates an unformatted sheet, which I
would like my Auto_Open macro to format and I'd just like Access to
initiate the opening of Excel.
Thanks.

Create a new module and paste this code into it. I call mine
modExcelRoutines. Look at the Sub GetExcel for info on how to use this.

Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

' Declare necessary API routines:
Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias _
"FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, _
ByVal lpWindowName As Long) As Long

Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias _
"SendMessageA" (ByVal Hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, _
ByVal wParam As Long, _
ByVal lParam As Long) As Long

Sub GetExcel()
Dim MyXL As Object ' Variable to hold reference
' to Microsoft Excel.
Dim ExcelWasNotRunning As Boolean ' Flag for final release.

' Test to see if there is a copy of Microsoft Excel already running.
On Error Resume Next ' Defer error trapping.
' Getobject function called without the first argument returns a
' reference to an instance of the application. If the application isn't
' running, an error occurs.
Set MyXL = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
If Err.Number 0 Then ExcelWasNotRunning = True
Err.Clear ' Clear Err object in case error occurred.

' Check for Microsoft Excel. If Microsoft Excel is running,
' enter it into the Running Object table.
DetectExcel

' Set the object variable to reference the file you want to see.
Set MyXL = GetObject("c:\vb4\MYTEST.XLS")

' Show Microsoft Excel through its Application property. Then
' show the actual window containing the file using the Windows
' collection of the MyXL object reference.
MyXL.Application.Visible = True
MyXL.Parent.Windows(1).Visible = True
' Do manipulations of your file here.
' ...
' If this copy of Microsoft Excel was not running when you
' started, close it using the Application property's Quit method.
' Note that when you try to quit Microsoft Excel, the
' title bar blinks and a message is displayed asking if you
' want to save any loaded files.
If ExcelWasNotRunning = True Then
MyXL.Application.Quit
End If

Set MyXL = Nothing ' Release reference to the
' application and spreadsheet.
End Sub

Sub DetectExcel()
' Procedure dectects a running Excel and registers it.
Const WM_USER = 1024
Dim Hwnd As Long
' If Excel is running this API call returns its handle.
Hwnd = FindWindow("XLMAIN", 0)
If Hwnd = 0 Then ' 0 means Excel not running.
Exit Sub
Else
' Excel is running so use the SendMessage API
' function to enter it in the Running Object Table.
SendMessage Hwnd, WM_USER + 18, 0, 0
End If
End Sub


"Andy" wrote:

Hi
I would like to know how to open Excel from within Access. I don't need to
open a file - as my Auto-Open macro does that - and it quits Excel too.
An overnight scheduled task in Access creates an unformatted sheet, which I
would like my Auto_Open macro to format and I'd just like Access to
initiate the opening of Excel.
Thanks.