Open Excel File

Description

Opens an Excel file. This command can also create a new Excel file. To do it, you must reference a non-existent file path in the File path parameter, use the Set Value in Excel (excelSet) or Insert Data Table into Excel File (excelSetTable) command to set a value to the file, and use the Close Excel (excelClose) command to save and close the file.

Script syntax

IBM RPA's proprietary script language has a syntax similar to other programming languages. The script syntax defines the command's syntax in the script file. You can work with this syntax in IBM RPA Studio's Script mode.

excelOpen --file(String) [--passwordtopen(String)] [--passwordtomodify(String)] [--usetemplate(Boolean)] --template(String) [--savechanges(Boolean)] [--notcalculate(Boolean)] (Boolean)=success (String)=reason (Excel)=value

Dependencies

• This command supports only files with the .xlsx file extension. If you have an .xls file, use the Convert Excel from XLS to XLSX (excelToXlsx) command to convert the file before opening it.
• Use the Close Excel File (excelclose) command to close the Excel files that you opened using the Open Excel File command.

Input parameters

The following table displays the list of input parameters available in this command. In the table, you can see the parameter name when working in IBM RPA Studio's Script mode and its Designer mode equivalent label.

Output parameters

Example

Example 1: The following code example demonstrates how to open an Excel file.

defVar --name excelFile --type Excel
excelOpen --file "samplefile" excelFile=value
// Result: Stores the opened excel file in the excelFile variable to use it in the script.

❕ Important: To run the sample script, create the excel file.

Example 2: The following example demonstrates how the command creates a new file, while adding content and saving the file.

defVar --name excelFile --type Excel
defVar --name desktopPath --type String
defVar --name sampleFile --type String
defVar --name dataTableSample --type DataTable
// Gets the path to the Desktop folder.
getSpecialFolder --folder "Desktop" desktopPath=value
// Sets the path to the sample Excel file.
setVar --name "${sampleFile}" --value "${desktopPath}\\sample_file.xlsx "
// Adds a column called "Fruit" to the sample data table.
addColumn --dataTable ${dataTableSample} --columnname Fruit --type String
// Adds a row with the "Apple" value in the Fruit column.
addRow --valuesmapping "Fruit=Apple" --dataTable ${dataTableSample}
// Opens the Excel file based on the path in the ${sampleFile} variable. Itcreates a file called "sample_file", if it doens't exist in the file path provided.
excelOpen --file "${sampleFile}" excelFile=value
// Sets the value in the ${dataTableSample} variable to the Excel file.
excelSetTable --dataTable ${dataTableSample} --headers  --file ${excelFile} --getfirstsheet  --row 1 --column 1
// Closes and saves the Excel file.
excelClose --file ${excelFile} --save
// Check if the file was successfully created in your Desktop area.

Related links

• Assign Value to Office
• Attach Office Application
• Check If a Worksheet Exists
• Clone Excel Spreadsheet
• Close Excel
• Close Office Application
• Convert Excel from XLS to XLSX
• Create from Data Table
• Create Office File
• Excel Calculate Formula
• Excel Merge
• Export Office File As
• Get Excel Table
• Get Excel Value
• Get Office Text
• Get Office Value
• Get Text from File
• Go to Location in Office
• Insert Data Table into Excel File
• Open Office File
• Print Office File
• Protect Excel File
• Refresh Office Application
• Rename Excel Worksheet
• Run Macro in Excel
• Run Macro Office
• Save Excel As
• Save Office File
• Save Office File As
• Set Value in Excel
• Unlock Excel File