ACC: Sample DDE Macro Communicates with Microsoft Excel 4.0

• Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0

SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

The text below demonstrates communication between two applications through dynamic data exchange (DDE). Specifically, one example shows a macro developed for Microsoft Excel version 4.0 for Windows that starts Microsoft Access, loads a database and runs a macro. A second example shows an Access Basic function that loads Microsoft Excel and runs a macro.

MORE INFORMATION

Running a Microsoft Access Macro from Microsoft Excel

Perform the following three steps to demonstrate this behavior. These steps assume that a "MESSAGE" macro already exists in Microsoft Access.

1. In Microsoft Excel, choose New from the File menu, select Macro Sheet and choose OK.

2. Enter the following macro into the macro sheet. Substitute the appropriate location for files on your computer.

         =EXEC("c:\access\msaccess.exe c:\access\db4.mdb")
         Chan=INITIATE("MSACCESS","system")
         =APP.ACTIVATE("Microsoft Access")
         =EXECUTE(Chan,"MESSAGE")
         =TERMINATE(Chan)
         =RETURN()
   

3. To run the macro, select the first cell, select Run from the Macro menu and choose OK.

The EXECUTE function runs a macro named "MESSAGE," as follows.

   Name Summary
   --------------------------------
   Application Name: "MSACCESS"
   Window Title: "Microsoft Access"
   Topic: "System"
   Item: "Message"

Running a Microsoft Excel Macro from Microsoft Access

Perform the following two steps to demonstrate this behavior. These steps assume that a macro named "Message" already exists in a Microsoft Excel macro sheet named "MACRO1.XLM."

1. In Microsoft Access, create a new function that contains the following code. Substitute the appropriate location for files on your computer.

         Function CallExcel ()
            Dim Chan
            x = Shell("c:\excel\excel.exe c:\excel\macro1.xlm", 1)
            Chan = DDEInitiate("Excel", "System")
            DDEExecute Chan, "[Run(""macro1.xlm!Message"")]"
            DDETerminate Chan
         End Function
   
   

2. Create a new blank form and add a command button.

3. Select the button.

4. From the View menu, choose Properties.

5. Set the button's OnPush property to the following:

         = CallExcel()
   

   Note that the OnPush property is named OnClick in Microsoft Access versions 2.0 and 7.0.

6. View the form in Form view.

7. Choose the command button to start the function.

The EXECUTE function runs a macro named "Message."

   Name Summary
   -------------------------------------
   Application Name: "Excel"
   Window Title: "Microsoft Excel"
   Topic: "System"
   Item: "[Run(""macro1.xlm!Message"")]"

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