XL: No Direct Visual Basic Equivalent for SOUND.PLAY()

 Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
Article ID: Q105202

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, to play a sound file from disk in a Visual Basic macro, use the ExecuteExcel4Macro method.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web: 

   http://www.microsoft.com/supportnet/refguide/
In a Microsoft Excel version 4.0 macro, to play a sound file directly from a disk, use the SOUND.PLAY() macro function. For example, to play a sound file called CHIMES.WAV, located in your Windows directory, you would use the following line of macro code: 

   =SOUND.PLAY(,"C:\WINDOWS\CHIMES.WAV")
In Microsoft Excel version 5.0, the nearest Visual Basic equivalent to SOUND.PLAY() is SoundNote.Play. However, this function will only play sound files that have been added to Microsoft Excel documents as sound notes.

Because of this limitation, you must use the ExecuteExcel4Macro method to play a sound file directly from disk in a Visual Basic macro. The Visual Basic equivalent of the macro code above is: 

   Sub PlaySound()
      Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro _
     "SOUND.PLAY(,""C:\WINDOWS\CHIMES.WAV"")"
   End Sub
Note the use of double quotation marks in this macro. These quotation marks are necessary because the first set of quotation marks are removed before the command is executed.

Additional query words: 5.00 7.00 97 98
Keywords : kbtlc
Version : WINDOWS: 5.0, 5.0c, 7.0, 7.0a, 97; MACINTOSH: 5.0, 98
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.