Get path of first active excel document from VB.NET

[ssabc]

Hello:

I have been reading a few documents online, and for some reason I cannot read the open excel workbook in vb.net.

What am I missing?

        xlsApp = CType(System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveObject("Excel.Application"), Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application)

        For c As Integer = 1 To xlsApp.Workbooks.Count
            MessageBox.Show(c)
            xlsApp.Workbooks(1).Activate()
            Exit For

        Next

        Dim xlsWorkBook As Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Workbook = xlsApp.ActiveWorkbook

        Dim FullName As String = xlsWorkBook.FullName
        txtFile.Text = FullName

Thanks.

[westconn1]

from my previous attempt with vb.net, many of the properties of office objects are not available in managed code, i could never understand why
while i was able to work around the issue using unmanaged code it is probably not to be recommended

someone else maybe able to shed more light on this, else possibly ask for this to moved to the vb.net forum

[Delaney]

hello,

Either you are not giving all your code or you are missing a lot. This will give you the Fullname of the workbook but you know it already as you need it to open it as it is "path"

Dim XlApp As New Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application
Dim Workbook As Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Workbook

Workbook = XlApp.Workbooks.Open("path")

Label3.Text = Workbook.FullName

Workbook.Close()
XlApp.Quit()

so what are you trying to do ? read properties of the workbook or open it to have access to it?

[ssabc]

I want to fill in the name of the open workbook, in the event it is already open. I realize there can be more than one, so I suppose the topmost one? I have no problem selecting and opening it in code, but I think at times the user will already have the file open.

[Delaney]

Ok

try that

private sub check_workbooks()
Dim OpenedWorkBooks As New List(Of Workbook)()

Dim ExcelInstances As Process() = Process.GetProcessesByName("EXCEL")
If ExcelInstances.Count() = 0 Then
   Exit Sub
End If

Dim ExcelInstance As Excel.Application = TryCast(Marshal.GetActiveObject("Excel.Application"), Excel.Application)
If ExcelInstance Is Nothing Then Exit Sub

For Each WB As Workbook In ExcelInstance.Workbooks
OpenedWorkBooks.Add(WB)
Next

If OpenedWorkBooks.Count > 0 Then
   ListBox2.Items.Add(OpenedWorkBooks(0).FullName)
End If

End sub

[Delaney]

If you want only the active one :

        Dim ExcelInstances As Process() = Process.GetProcessesByName("EXCEL")
        If ExcelInstances.Count() = 0 Then
            Exit Sub
        End If

        Dim ExcelInstance As Excel.Application = TryCast(Marshal.GetActiveObject("Excel.Application"), Excel.Application)
        If ExcelInstance Is Nothing Then Exit Sub

        For Each WB As Workbook In ExcelInstance.Workbooks
             ListBox2.Items.Add(WB.FullName)
        Next
        Dim activeWb As Workbook = ExcelInstance.ActiveWorkbook
        Label1.Text = activeWb.Name

[ssabc]

Thanks! All is well.