PRB: Error Passing Recordset to Excel Using Automation From VB

Last reviewed: September 29, 1997
Article ID: Q172268
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you try to pass a Recordset object to Microsoft Excel using Automation from Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0, it fails with one of the following errors:

   Run-time error '1004': Cannot find macro '<procedure name>'.
   (If you are using Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0)

-or-

   Run-time error '13': Type Mismatch
   (If you are using Microsoft Excel 97)

This article describes how you can work around this limitation and successfully pass a Recordset to Microsoft Excel.

RESOLUTION

One workaround is to pass the database and Recordset names as string arguments to an Excel procedure using Automation. The Excel procedure then creates the Database and Recordset objects and can therefore use CopyFromRecordset using its own Recordset object.

Another workaround is to copy the Recordset into an array and pass the array to Excel using Automation. Following is a step-by-step example on how to do this:

  1. Start Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.

  2. Add a command button to Form1.

  3. Add a data control and set its properties as follows:

          DatabaseName       biblio.mdb
          RecordSource      Authors
    
    

  4. Add the following code to the General Declarations section of Form1:

          ' User defined type to help determine the
          ' starting cell in the range receiving the recordset
    

          Option Explicit
    

          Private Type ExlCell
    
             row As Long
             col As Long
          End Type
    
          Private Sub CopyRecords(rs As Recordset, ws As Object, _
            StartingCell As ExlCell)
             Dim SomeArray() As Variant
             Dim row As Long, col As Long
    
             ' You might want to check if rs is not empty
             ' before re-dimensioning the array
             rs.MoveLast
             ReDim SomeArray(rs.RecordCount - 1, rs.Fields.Count - 1)
    
             ' Copy rs to some array
             rs.MoveFirst
             For row = 0 To rs.RecordCount - 1
                For col = 0 To rs.Fields.Count - 1
                   SomeArray(row, col) = rs.Fields(col).Value
                   ' Excel will be offended if you try setting one
                   ' of its cells to a NULL
                   If IsNull(SomeArray(row, col)) Then _
                     SomeArray(row, col) = ""
                Next
                rs.MoveNext
             Next
    
             ' The range should have the same number of
             ' rows and cols as in the recordset
             ws.Range(ws.Cells(StartingCell.row, StartingCell.col), _
               ws.Cells(StartingCell.row + rs.RecordCount - 1, _
               StartingCell.col + rs.Fields.Count - 1)).Value = SomeArray
          End Sub
    
          Private Sub Command1_Click()
             Dim stcell As ExlCell
             Dim objExlApp As Object
    
             ' Get an Excel app object reference
             On Error Resume Next
             Set objExlApp = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
             ' If Excel is not launched start it
             If Err = 429 Then
                Err = 0
                Set objExlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
                ' Can't create object
                If Err = 429 Then
                   MsgBox Err & ": " & Error
                   Exit Sub
                End If
             End If
             On Error GoTo 0
    
             ' Add a new Workbook
             objExlApp.Workbooks.Add
    
             ' Select the first sheet
             objExlApp.Worksheets("sheet1").Select
    
             ' Start fill range at A1
             stcell.row = 1
             stcell.col = 1
    
             ' Call CopyRecords procedure to populate sheet with array
             CopyRecords Data1.Recordset, objExlApp.ActiveSheet, stcell
    
             ' Show Excel and kill reference
             objExlApp.Visible = True
             objExlApp.Interactive = True
             Set objExlApp = Nothing
          End Sub
    
    

  5. Start the project and click the command button. Excel should start (if it is not already started) and fill the first sheet of a new workbook with the rows from the Authors table in the biblio.mdb database.

MORE INFORMATION

When you program in Excel using VBA, the most efficient way to fill a sheet's range from a Recordset is by using the CopyFromRecordset method. However, when you try to call the CopyFromRecordset method using Automation from Visual Basic 4.0, it fails with a run-time error. A workaround would seem to pass the Recordset object to a procedure in Excel to allow the Excel procedure to issue the CopyFromRecordset method. However, when you try to pass the Recordset object to the Excel procedure, it also fails with a run-time error.

These limitations do not apply when you use Automation between Visual Basic 5.0 and Microsoft Excel 97.


Additional query words: Excel
Keywords : APrgDataAcc IAPOLE VB4ALL VB4WIN vbwin xlDAO GnrlVb kbprg
Technology : kbole kbvba
Version : WINDOWS:4.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


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Last reviewed: September 29, 1997
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