How to get an object reference to an existing instance of Excel?

[jbarrett5g]

Hello, our AUT allows users to open a spreadsheet by clicking on a button/link.

I'm trying to automate the validation of this function.  So after the button is selected, I want to get an object reference to the Excel instance (that should be created) and validate that the correct ActiveWorkbook and ActiveSheet have, in fact, been loaded.

The problem I'm having is that when I establish the object reference to Excel, it creates another Excel instance (that I can see in Task Manager), instead of referencing the already existing instance.  The script validation fails at this point since the expected workbook and sheet are not loaded into the new (second) instance.

I'm running on a Win7 64 bit OS with Excel 2016 (32 bit).  TestComplete is 12.0.122.7.

Here's the VBscript code I'm trying to use...

Function WorkSheetActive2(sWorkBookName, sWorkSheetName, bCloseWorkBook)

bSheetActive = True

sMsg = "Expected Workbook and Worksheet [" &sWorkBookName& " : " &sWorkSheetName& "] are active."　

'None of the following capture the existing Excel instance...

Set Excel = Sys.OleObject("Excel.Application")

'Set Excel = GetObject("","Excel.Application")

'Set Excel = GetObject("Excel.Application")

'Set Excel = GetObject("C:\Temp\TestFile1.xls","Excel.Application")　

If (Excel.Workbooks.Count > 0) Then

    If (Ucase(Excel.ActiveWorkbook.Name) = Ucase(sWorkBookName)) then

        If (Ucase(Excel.ActiveSheet.Name) <> Ucase(sWorkSheetName)) then

            bSheetActive = False

        End If

    Else

        bSheetActive = False

    End If

Else

    bSheetActive = False

End If　

Call LogAction (bSheetActive, sMsg)　

If (bSheetActive = True) and (bCloseWorkBook = True) Then

    Call LogAction (bSheetActive, "Closing active workbook.")

    Excel.ActiveWorkbook.Close

End If　

WorkSheetActive = bSheetActive

End Function

[AlexKaras · Accepted solution]

Hi,

If I got your question right... Some time ago I had exactly the same question and the great link provided by Support helped: https://smartbear-cc.force.com/portal/KbArticleViewer?name=Get-COM-reference-for-a-running-Excel-ins...

[Manfred_F]

Thanks so far.

Now, I  tried to quit the Windows Task, but it didn't work correctly:

The application window disappeared, but in the Task list, the Excel Task remained there.

The same is Happening, when I send Alt-F4 keys to the window.

It seems to be a common Problem to terminate Excel via vbScript.

How could I kill the Excel Task f´rom the Windows tasklist?

[AlexKaras]

Hi,

Use .Terminate() to kill the task.

However, if you are working with Excel through UI and OLE simultaneously, then I would recommend:

-- Set all COM references to Excel/workbooks/sheets/etc. to null in your code (syntax depends on used script language);

-- With JScript/JavaScript you may also call GC.Collect(); to force garbage collection;

-- Try to close Excel UI via ExcelProcess.Close(); call

-- Wait for some time to give Excel a chance to exit.

[jbarrett5g]

Hello Alex,

Thank you for the link to https://smartbear-cc.force.com/portal/KbArticleViewer?name=Get-COM-reference-for-a-running-Excel-ins... .

This is exactly what I was looking for!

After following the instructions to add the "EXCEL7" window class name to my TestComplete project MSAA settings, I was then able to view the NativeObject property that allowed me to access the COM reference to the Excel instance.  I could then check if the appropriate workbook and sheet had been loaded...

Here's the function that I'm using...

'Verifies that the expected Excel workbook and worksheet are active.
'Input: sWorkBookName = Expected workbook name that is active (e.g. "TestFile1.xls")
'       sWorkSheetName = Expected worksheet name that is active (e.g. "Execution")
'       bCloseWorkBook = True to close the workbook after validation of active book/sheet.
'                       False to leave the workbook open after validation.
'Returns TRUE if the expected workbook sheet is active. Otherwise returns false.
Function WorkSheetActive(sWorkBookName, sWorkSheetName, bCloseWorkBook)
  Dim objExcel, objWin, objApp
  dim arrPropNames(2)
  dim arrPropValues(2)
  bSheetActive = False

  If sys.Process("EXCEL").Exists Then

    set objExcel = sys.Process("EXCEL")

    arrPropNames(0) = "ObjectType"
    arrPropValues(0) = "Panel"  
    arrPropNames(1) = "WndClass"
    arrPropValues(1) = "EXCEL7"  
    arrPropNames(2) = "WndCaption"   
    arrPropValues(2) = sWorkBookName& "*"
    Set objWin = objExcel.FindChild(arrPropNames,arrPropValues,100)

    If objWin.Exists = True Then  
      If objWin.Focused = True Then

        Set objApp = objWin.NativeObject.Application
     
        If (objApp.Workbooks.Count > 0) Then
          If (Ucase(objApp.ActiveWorkbook.Name) = Ucase(sWorkBookName)) then
            If (Ucase(objApp.ActiveSheet.Name) = Ucase(sWorkSheetName)) then
              bSheetActive = True
              sMsg = "Expected Workbook and Worksheet [" &sWorkBookName& " : " &sWorkSheetName& "] are active."
            Else
              sMsg = "Expected Worksheet [" &sWorkSheetName& "] is NOT active!"
            End If        
          Else
            sMsg = "Expected WorkBook [" &sWorkBookName& "] is NOT active!"
          End If
        Else
          sMsg = "No workbooks are open in Excel!"
        End If
       
      Else
        sMsg = "Excel is not the active window!  (It should be after running the open spreadsheet task!)"
      End If
    Else
      sMsg = "Excel workbook [" &sWorkBookName& "] not found!"
    End If   
  Else
    sMsg = "Excel process not found!"
  End If
 
  Call LogAction (bSheetActive, sMsg)

  If (bSheetActive = True) and (bCloseWorkBook = True) Then
    Call LogAction (bSheetActive, "Closing active workbook.")
    objApp.ActiveWorkbook.Close
  End If

  set objApp = Nothing
  set objWin = Nothing
  set objExcel = Nothing
  WorkSheetActive = bSheetActive
End Function