Microsoft KB Archive/111554

Project: DDEExecute May Fail When Opening a Channel to Project

PSS ID Number: Q111554 Article last modified on 11-16-1994

3.00 3.00a

WINDOWS

= SUMMARY =

In Microsoft Project, you can execute a Microsoft Excel macro from within a Microsoft Project macro. However, if the executed Microsoft Excel macro attempts to establish a DDE channel back to Microsoft Project, you will receive the following error message:

DDEExecute failed. The command [run(“macro.xlm!macro”)]

When you choose the Cancel button in the error message dialog box, the Microsoft Project macro will stop and the Microsoft Excel macro will establish the DDE channel and proceed. However, because the Microsoft Project macro has been stopped, the Microsoft Excel macro is unable to return control to the Microsoft Project macro.

= MORE INFORMATION =

When a Microsoft Project macro executes a Microsoft Excel macro, Microsoft Project sends instructions to open a channel to Microsoft Excel and run the Microsoft Excel macro. Microsoft Project then waits for Microsoft Excel to respond with the information that the macro has completed successfully. When the Microsoft Excel macro attempts to establish a DDE channel back to Microsoft Project, Microsoft Project is busy and generates the error message mentioned above.

Canceling the “DDEExecute failed” message terminates the Microsoft Project macro and gives control to the Microsoft Excel macro, which is executed correctly. When the Microsoft Excel macro is completed, however, it does not return control to the Microsoft Project macro because the Microsoft Project macro has been prematurely terminated.

Using a timeout statement on the Command Run line of the Microsoft Project macro does not prevent the error message from being displayed; the message is still generated, it just occurs after the timeout.

= WORKAROUND =

To work around this problem, do either of the following:

  Configure the Microsoft Excel macro to run automatically when it is opened. For information about running Microsoft Excel macros automatically, refer to the appropriate User’s Guide for your version of Microsoft Excel.   Use the Object Packager, available in Windows 3.1, to embed the Microsoft Excel macro as an object in the object field of a task in Microsoft Project. You can then run the Microsoft Excel macro by double- clicking the object. For more information on using Object Packager, see page 505 of the “Windows 3.1 User’s Guide.” 

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory:

= Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a 4.00 4.00a 5.00 =

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.