Opening Excel from LabView

Hey all,
I am trying to figure out how to open an Excel document from within a running LabView .vi. I have been looking around here but I can't seem to find exactly what I am looking for. What I have is a GUI running to operate some test equipment. The user needs to be able to create and load a configuration file that is created with Excel. I have added options to my Run Time Menu to make this easy for the user, but I can't figure out how to actually execute it in the code.
I plan on having the template they will use at a location like this:
C:\Program Files\Naitonal Instruments\LabView 8.2\Templates\Interrogation Setup.xls
So I am trying to figure out the best way to execute this. I was going to use the System Exec.vi but, being a DOS prompt, it can't handle the spaces in the directory. Is there a better way for me to do this?
Really appreciate it.

You can interface excel via ActiveX in LabView. Have a search through the forum with these keywords. There is also a thread containing links to excel related threads, but I've no bookmark at hand.
Felix
www.aescusoft.de
My latest community nugget on producer/consumer design
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Error -2146960888 when opening excel from labview using active x

attempting to open an instance of excel from labview using active x, I even tried using the "open excel and make visible.vi" found on this site. I get errors every time, Inserting a break right after the property node, I found that it does open excel with no active workbook. once the program runs to ompletion excel terminates. The error is on the line right after the property node executes.

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/niepd_web_display.DISPLAY_EPD4?p_guid=B45EACE3F15456A4E034080020E74861&p_node=DZ53003&p_submitted=N&p_rank=&p_answer=&p_source=External
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XL97table.zip ‏29 KB

Hello, sombody knows how to start MS Excel from LabView (version 8.2)? Thanks

Hello, sombody knows how to start MS Excel from LabView (version 8.2)? Thank you in advance.
Regards Robert

In the example finder ">Help>Find Examples >>search for Excel", you'll find a sample program called "ActiveX Event Callback for Excel".
It opens the Excel Application.. You can build on this to open/create new worksheet(s), etc.
RayR
Message Edited by JoeLabView on 06-20-2007 08:21 AM
Attachments:
OpenExcel.PNG ‏34 KB

Accessing the Solver AddIn to Excel from LabVIEW

I would like to be able to set the parameters and run the Solver AddIn in Excel from LabVIEW. I know that from LabVIEW you can install the different AddIn's but is there anyway to access the actual AddIn once it has been installed?

Hi Karin -
I believe your answer is ActiveX.
Briefly, ActiveX allows application a (e.g. LabVIEW) to control application B (e.g. Excel, Word, etc.) programmatically. The kicker is that application B must export that functionality to LabVIEW. We ship an example with LabVIEW that controls Excel via ActiveX, it will give you a head start. We do not provide extended support for ActiveX programming simply because there are literally thousands of applications we could control. Microsoft might be able to shed more light with an Excel ActiveX programmer's reference or some relted document.
good luck-
ben schulte
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Open file in excel from labview

I need a way to open an existing Excel file, that may or may not be open already. I am using the attached "Open Specific WorkBook.vi" from the examples. My LabVIEW program must be able to either open a specifc Excel workbook and worksheet even if it is already open. Is this even possible, or would it be better to close it (if open), the open it again?
Attachments:
Open Specific WorkBook.vi ‏37 KB

As you probably know, nothing "bad" happens when you open Excel if it's already open, it just doesn't come to the front of your LabVIIEW ap. To get it to the front, Minimize the Excel window then immediately Maximize it (or Normalize it) programmatically with a PN. I have tried many of the other methods (but not all of them) to no avail, this works for me. There may be a more elegant solution.
There are other known methods to bring an ap to the front, with callbacks etc, but they can be clunky, or require Userlib32, etc. Since this property node already exists in your ap, it's comes at little expense.
Of course, you may want to check that the ap was open before you do this, but even that is optional, at the expense of a little flashing on the screen.
Richard
Attachments:
windowState.gif ‏4 KB

Open documents from LabVIEW

I want to open documents from one aplication made up with LabVIEW. The documents can be Word, Pdf, Excel and so on.
Coes anybody know how do this?
Thanks

Hi Miguel
Perhaps when trying to open a word doc you will get an empty word.
If so, modifie the vi as in attached doc to change /n option for an empty string.
In this way, word will open whit your document on screen.
saludos
Alipio
"Qod natura non dat, Salmantica non praestat"
Attachments:
Worddoc.doc ‏44 KB

How to freeze and unfreeze panes in window by using Excel from LabVIEW

Hello
I am creating an Excel Report file programmatically using LabVIEW. I make the row headers for the sheet and store data using the program.
The requirement that i need is that when the user opens the Excel sheet, the row heading should remain fixed at top, as the sheet is scrolled down by the user.
This is possible in Excel, by clicking on Window in the menu bar and then select Freeze panes/Unfreeze panes. The same operation i need, to be done from LabVIEW. Please let me know how this can be done.
I use LabVIEW 2009
Thank you.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Please see this discussion. TCPlomp has an example of how to achieve this.
Cory K

Open application from labview

How is possible open a file from labview?

You can use the Open File VI in the Advanced File Functions Menu. But
if what your trying to do is to open an Application, then you will
have to make use of the ActiveX possibilities in LabVIEW. If you need
more specific information in how to do this, I'd recommend you to give
more details on what you want to do exactly.
Cheers
Mamian

Unable to open Excel from desk top running Live Office

Running Win7, Office 2007, Live Office, am unable to open excel 2007 from desk top, can only opena blank excel and then save ecel to desk top and the open. have tried the Excel options ,advanced, ignore other application but does not work
Thx//wwagner

hi Sergio,
I am also facing the same problem.
Your option worked out like a charm. It is resolved now.
Thank you.
Regards,
Vamsee

Opening excel from apex

i have a DML program that creates a report as a text file when a button is clicked and saves it onto a shared directory.i need to open this file in excel once it is created. the apex is used for a front end that allows user to select parameters to the program.
is there a way of opening these files in excel via apaex. or rather can you open an excel instance from apex that will open a file sitting on any location

If you store your files as a .csv file, you will be able to download those and open them
directly in excel. See this thread for a how to on opening BFILE:
Storing documents in FILE SYSTEM not in BLOB
Denes Kubicek
http://deneskubicek.blogspot.com/
http://www.opal-consulting.de/training
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Plotting 1st column vs 2nd column in Excel from LabVIEW

I have an excel file of 2 columns, the rows varies for each execution of the VI. How to do I get Excel to plot them in the order of 1st column(x) vs 2nd column(y).I already have an idea of how to plot column wise value in excel using activeX in LabVIEW. But it works in column wise only.

Here you go. These VIs expect you to have an Excel file open with a Worksheet reference. Use the LV example VI if you don't have one.
The three VI's will create a new chart object on the specified sheet, add the source data specifed by the range, then change the XYValues for the first series only.
Michael
Michael Munroe, ABCDEF
Certified LabVIEW Developer, MCP
Find and fix bad VI Properties with Property Inspector
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Excel_New_XY_Chart.zip ‏42 KB

Open Access from Labview

Hi, I open a Access database with the metod Opencurrentdatabase of
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What's is the right method for call a database?

Hello,
The preferred method of database communication with LabVIEW is the Database Connectivity Toolkit. Here is a link that may help you find more information about this. Also, you may want to look into some examples that have shipped with LabVIEW. They are found under "..LabVIEW\examples\comm\access.llb"
Jeremy L
National Instruments
Jeremy L.
National Instruments

Open Excel from SAP

Hi, 
got a problem. I click the Excel button after I did a query, but nothing happend. I mean the system ask me to save it as txt file, but then Excel dosn't start... More... if Im in one remote session I got this error on my status bar: 
Error -216 [86.29] 
Hope somebody can help 
Thx,Roberto

Coming back to my problem I made some test... 
Consider first my "architecture": 
I got some client that works as client pc and some other that works thru Remote Desktop. 
I thought that address the Excel path like
ServerName\Program Files\Microsof Office\bla bla could be a common path to everybody, but I discovered that seems SAP dosnt like so much it, it like more C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\bla bla 
Setting the path in this way works for them that are working with Remote Desktop, but dosn't work for the other clients, coz they maybe got installed Office in another folder or another disk.. 
Why should I do? Create a standard configuration for all the client so they got installed Microsoft Office in the same folder...??? Let say I got 200 client...I don't want neither to take in consideration... 
Why if Microsoft let you select the path where you like more to install office, SAP impose to get just one folder, that should be the same for everybody? Did they assume that everybody install office in the same folder, did they?? In this case.. sorry guys but things are different.. 
Why you SAP guys don't consider in the next release, the let the user installation, set the path he likes more fore Word Excel or whatever else? Could be appriciate... as well as a tools for copy one configuration for every clients, instead of going client to client to setup everything....but this is another chapter ...that upset me.. 
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How to control MS excel from labiew ?

I'm using Labview 5.1 and i would like to Know if is possible to totally control MS excel from Labview: to write into a specific file of MS excel wich contain already some information.

Generally you use ActiveX to control Excel from LabVIEW. The best way to understand that would be to run 'Write Table to Excel" example that ships with labview. You can access that example by going to Help>>Search Example and then under "activeX".
Also for more flexible control of excel from labview you can also use the latest "Report Genaration Toolkit" for labview that allows you to interact not only with Excel but also MS Word.
http://digital.ni.com/worldwide/bwcontent.nsf/web/all/E899E563ABE94D1D86256A1800718B6D
Hope this would help.
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I am using report generation toolkit 1.1 with Labview 7.0 and Office 2003 professional. The create new report VI opens Excel but throws error (-2147167262- from automation open VI) when I try to open MS word. please help...

I am using report generation toolkit 1.1 with Labview 7.0 and Office 2003 professional. The create new report VI opens Excel but throws error (-2147167262- from automation open VI) when I try to open MS word. please help...

Hi Leo22,
Does this error occur if you use any of the example programs that come shipped with LabVIEW? I would try opening one of the examples that write data to Word and see if those give you an error. Also, have you tried just putting down a New Report.VI and change the report type to Word? If this simple vi (that's all you need to open Word) breaks, I would check to see if there are any instances of Word still open. Check the task manager to see if any word processes are still open. There should not be a problem accessing Word 2003 from LabVIEW 7.0. If neither of these solutions work, please give some more detail about your application and we can research further. Thanks!
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National Instruments
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Opening Excel from LabView

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