Microsoft KB Archive/231614

= How To Automate Excel to Create a New Workbook from Delphi =

Article ID: 231614

Article Last Modified on 1/24/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q231614



SUMMARY
This article demonstrates how to create and manipulate an Excel workbook using Automation from Delphi.



MORE INFORMATION
This article parallels other articles that describe the same process using different languages. For more information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

219151 How To Automate Microsoft Excel from Visual Basic

179706 How To Use MFC to Automate Excel and Create/Format a New Workbook

219430 How To Create and Format an Excel Workbook Using Visual J++

Building the Automation Sample
 Start Delphi. A new project should be created by default. Add a button to Form1.  Replace the contents of the code window for Unit1 with the following: unit Unit1;

interface

uses Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs, StdCtrls;

type TForm1 = class(TForm) Button1: TButton; procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject); procedure DisplayQuarterlySales(oWS : Variant); private { Private declarations } public { Public declarations } end;

var Form1: TForm1;

Const xlVAlignCenter = -4108; Const xlThin = 2; Const xlEdgeBottom = 9; Const xlDouble = -4119; Const xlThick = 4; Const xl3DColumn = -4100; Const xlColumns = 2; Const xlLocationAsObject = 2;

implementation

uses ComObj;

{$R *.DFM}

procedure TForm1.DisplayQuarterlySales(oWS : Variant); var oResizeRange, oChart, oSeries: Variant; iNumQtrs,iRet : Integer; sMsg : String; begin // Determine how many quarters to display data for for iNumQtrs := 4 downto 2 do begin sMsg := 'Enter sales data for ' + IntToStr(iNumQtrs) + ' quarter(s)?'; if MessageDlg(sMsg,mtConfirmation,[mbYes,mbNo],0) = mrYes then break; end; sMsg := 'Displaying data for ' + IntToStr(iNumQtrs) + ' quarter(s).'; MessageDlg(sMsg,mtInformation,[mbOK],0);

// Starting at E1, fill headers for the number of columns selected oResizeRange := oWS.Range['E1:' + Chr(Ord('E') + iNumQtrs - 1) + '1']; oResizeRange.Formula := '="Q" & COLUMN-4 & CHAR(10) & "Sales"';

// Change the orientation and WrapText properties for the headers oResizeRange.Orientation := 38; oResizeRange.WrapText := True;

// Fill the interior color of the headers oResizeRange.Interior.ColorIndex := 36;

// Fill the columns with a formula and apply a number format oResizeRange := oWS.Range['E2:' + Chr(Ord('E') + iNumQtrs - 1) + '6']; oResizeRange.Formula := '=RAND*100'; oResizeRange.NumberFormat := '$0.00';

// Apply borders to the Sales data and headers oResizeRange := oWS.Range['E1:' + Chr(Ord('E') + iNumQtrs - 1) + '6']; oResizeRange.Borders.Weight := xlThin;

// Add a totals formula for the sales data and apply a border oResizeRange := oWS.Range['E8:' + Chr(Ord('E') + iNumQtrs - 1) + '8']; oResizeRange.Formula := '=SUM(E2:E6)'; oResizeRange.Borders.Item[xlEdgeBottom].LineStyle := xlDouble; oResizeRange.Borders.Item[xlEdgeBottom].Weight := xlThick;

// Add a chart for the selected data oResizeRange := oWS.Range['E2:' + Chr(Ord('E') + iNumQtrs - 1) + '6']; oChart := oWS.Parent.Charts.Add; oChart.ChartWizard(oResizeRange,xl3DColumn,,xlColumns);

oResizeRange := oWS.Range['A2:A6']; oChart.SeriesCollection.Item[1].XValues := oResizeRange; iRet := oChart.SeriesCollection.Count; for iRet := 1 to iNumQtrs do begin sMsg := '="Q' + IntToStr(iRet) + '"'; oChart.SeriesCollection.Item[iRet].Name := sMsg; end; oChart.Location(xlLocationAsObject,oWS.Name);

// Move the chart so as not to cover your data oWS.Shapes.Item(1).Top := oWS.Rows.Item[10].Top; oWS.Shapes.Item(1).Left := oWS.Columns.Item[2].Left end;

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject); var oXL, oWB, oSheet, oRng, VArray : Variant; begin // Start Excel and get Application Object oXL := CreateOleObject('Excel.Application'); oXL.Visible := True;

// Get a new workbook oWB := oXL.Workbooks.Add; oSheet := oWB.ActiveSheet;

// Add table headers going cell by cell oSheet.Cells[1,1] := 'First Name'; oSheet.Cells[1,2] := 'Last Name'; oSheet.Cells[1,3] := 'Full Name'; oSheet.Cells[1,4] := 'Salary';

// Format A1:D1 as bold, vertical alignment = center oSheet.Range['A1:D1'].Font.Bold := True; oSheet.Range['A1:D1'].VerticalAlignment := xlVAlignCenter;

// Create an array to set multiple values at once VArray := VarArrayCreate([0,4,0,1],varVariant); VArray[0,0] := 'John'; VArray[0,1] := 'Smith'; VArray[1,0] := 'Tom'; VArray[1,1] := 'Brown'; VArray[2,0] := 'Sue'; VArray[2,1] := 'Thomas'; VArray[3,0] := 'Jane'; VArray[3,1] := 'Jones'; VArray[4,0] := 'Adam'; VArray[4,1] := 'Johnson';

// Fill A2:B6 with an array of values oSheet.Range['A2:B6'] := VArray;

// Fill C2:C6 with a relative formula (=A2 + ' ' + B2) oRng := oSheet.Range['C2:C6']; oRng.Formula := '=A2 & " " & B2';

// Fill D2:D6 with a formula (=RAND*100000) and apply format oRng := oSheet.Range['D2:D6']; oRng.Formula := '=RAND*100000'; oRng.NumberFormat := '$0.00';

// Autofit columns A:D oRng := oSheet.Range['A1:D1']; oRng.EntireColumn.AutoFit;

// Manipulate a variable number of columns for Quarterly Sales Data DisplayQuarterlySales(oSheet);

// Make sure Excel is visible and give the user control

// of Microsoft Excel's lifetime oXL.Visible := True; oXL.UserControl := True;

end;

end.  Press the F9 key to run the project. Click the button and Microsoft Excel should start and display a sample worksheet.NOTE: Delphi is manufactured by Borland (Inprise Corporation), a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance of reliability. Contact Inprise for any developer support regarding the Delphi language.

