Run VBA macro in Excel sheet using external c# console application

Question

I am trying to invoke one macro which is in Excel file. Below is the code which I got, but on running below it throws exception, with below message.

Code:

// Define your Excel Objects
Excel.Application xlApp = new Excel.Application();
Excel.Workbook xlWorkBook = null;

try
{
    //Start Excel and open the workbook.
    xlWorkBook = xlApp.Workbooks.Open(@"C:\MyFolder\Junk\macro\xxxxxReport.xlsm");

    //Run the macros by supplying the necessary arguments
    xlApp.Run("LookupHLink");

    //xlWorkBook.Save();
    //Clean-up: Close the workbook
    xlWorkBook.Close(false);

    //Quit the Excel Application
    xlApp.Quit();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
}
finally
{
    //~~> Clean Up
    releaseObject(xlApp);
    releaseObject(xlWorkBook);
}

There is no parameter for the macro.

Public Sub LookupHLink()

Error message:

Cannot run the macro 'LookupHLink'. The macro may not be available in this workbook or all macros may be disabled.

Please let me know if I am doing anything wrong.

Answer 1

As far as I can tell the possible causes of this error are:

• The system located the file but could not load it.
• The file was loaded but it has no macros.
• The file was loaded but the macros are disabled.
• The file was loaded, macros exists... but you misspelled the name.

Given the available information, it seems to be that the more likely cause is disabled macros.

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You may try moving your file to a trusted location:

You can see the trusted locations by doing Click File > Options then Click Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted Locations.

See Change macro security settings in Excel [2010].

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You may also try changing the security settings:

In Excel 2007

• Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options.
• Click Trust Center.
• Click Trust Center Settings.
• Click Macro Settings.
• Click to select the Trust access to the VBA project object model check box.
• Click OK to close the Excel Options dialog box.

Source: You may receive an run-time error when you programmatically allow access to a Visual Basic project in Excel 2003 and in Excel 2007 - at Microsoft Knowledge base .

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Note: optional parameters in C# are a relatively new feature... you may try the old way and use Type.Missing to fill the infamous 30 args of the Run method . Something like this:

xlApp.Run('macro', Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing);