Microsoft KB Archive/160647

Knowledge Base

XL97: How to Programmatically Create a Reference

Article ID: 160647

Article Last Modified on 11/23/2006

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q160647

SUMMARY

This article provides sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Sub procedures (or macros) that programmatically create and remove a reference to another project.

NOTE: This functionality was not available in Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0 or earlier.

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 professionals 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 a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

Creating a Reference to Another Project

1. Close all open workbooks, and then create two new workbooks.
2. Save the workbooks as Book1.xls and Book2.xls in the C:\My Documents folder.
3. Start the Visual Basic Editor (press ALT+F11).
4. If the Project window is not visible, click Project Explorer on the View menu.
5. In the Project window, click "VBAProject (Book1.xls)."
6. On the Insert menu, click Module.
   
   This step adds a module in the Book1.xls project.

7. In the module, type the following code:

          Sub Create_Reference()
   
              Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject.References.AddFromFile _
                  "C:\My Documents\Book2.xls"
   
              Use_Book2_Reference
   
          End Sub
   
          Sub Use_Book2_Reference()
   
              'Make calls to Book2.xls objects here.
   
          End Sub
                           

   NOTE: You cannot make reference calls to objects that have been added to the object library programmatically in the same procedure. You must run another procedure to make the calls.

8. In the Project window, click "VBAProject (Book2.xls)."
9. If the Properties window is not visible, click Properties Window on the View menu.
10. Next to the "(Name)" property, type Project2.
    
    NOTE: If you want to create a reference to another project, that project cannot use the same value for the "(Name)" property.
    
    For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    156882 XL97 Err Msg: "Name Conflicts with Existing Module"

11. Run the Create_Reference macro you created in step 7.
    
    This step creates a reference in Book1.xls to the project in Book2.xls.
12. To verify the reference, click References on the Tools menu.
    
    In the "References - VBAProject" dialog box, the "Project2" check box should be selected.
13. Click OK.

Removing a Reference to Another Project

The following steps assume you followed all the steps in the "Creating a Reference to Another Project" section.

1. In the module in which you typed the Create_Reference macro, type the following code:

         Sub Remove_Reference()
   
             Dim x As Object
             Set x = Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject _
                .References.Item("Project2")
   
             Application.VBE.ActiveVBProject.References.Remove x
   
         End Sub
                           

2. Run the Remove_Reference macro.
   
   This step removes the reference to the project in Book2.xls.
3. To verify whether Microsoft Excel removed the reference, click References on the Tools menu.
   
   In the "References - VBAProject" dialog box, the "Project2" check box should be cleared.
4. Click OK.

REFERENCES

For more information about the References object, create a reference to the "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Extensibility" library, and then search the Object Browser. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click References.
2. In the References dialog box, click to select the "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Extensibility" check box, and then click OK.
3. In the Object Browser, search the VBIDE library for the References class.

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

163435 VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Additional query words: 97 XL97 tools references vba

Keywords: kbhowto kbprogramming KB160647

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