Adding rows and deleting rows in an Excel File

[#1]

We have a QV document that handles Expenses vs Budget. We want the user to be able to add comments to an excel file through a QV button. Also, the user needs to be able to remove a comment (meaning deleting a specific row in the file). Any suggestion/code on how to handle this?

I have done this with a Microsoft Access database in 8.2 (32 bit version), but there is no 64 bit drivers and we are on 8.5.

Thanks,

Stephen

[#2]

I think this should be possible, but it could probably get complicated by the end.

First, you will probably need some sort of key field in the Excel file to identify records individually. This would allow you to delete specific record based on the key. The insert would be easy enough, just pull the highest key in the load and increment this value for each new record.

The hard part is obviously the external Excel automation. I'm guessing you already have the code from when you were using the Access database.

Have you checked out the QlikView Maven blog? He has an article which uses the Excel Object Model to create an open file dialog. The first line in his code creates an Excel Object using: Set oXL=CreateObject("Excel.Application").

This is where my knowledge of the Object Model is a little hazy. I think you then need to create an Excel Document object and set your Excel file to that object. From there, you should be able to use Excel macro code to add and delete lines.

I'm sorry I couldn't give a more precise answer. I'll try to dig out my notes and put together a sample application if needed.

[#3]

If you have an example that would be great!

[#4]

Here is a quick subroutine which will open an Excel file and change one field before saving and closing the file.

Sub Excel_OLE_Automation

Set oXL=CreateObject("Excel.Application")

f_name=oXL.GetOpenFilename("All Files (*.*),*.*",,"Select file",False)

If f_name="False" then
'user cancelled out of dialog box
Set oXL=nothing
Exit sub
End If

Set oWB=oXL.Workbooks.Open(f_name)
Set oSH=oWB.Worksheets.Item(1)

oSH.Range("A2") = "12345"

oWB.Save
oWB.Close

Set oSH=nothing
Set oWB=nothing
Set oXL=nothing
End Sub

The actions you need to take on the Excel file will depend on your actual file. Could you give me a little more info on your Excel file format? Is it just one comment per row? Is there any other data?

[#5]

There are 5 columns, the first four act as an index (no duplicates) and they are "Year", "Month", Account Number" and "Cost Center Number". The fifth column holds the comments text.

I have a button that is enable if only "one" item is selected in each of the 4 "indexed" items. An input box would also be visible to add the text. The button, when clicked would then add the information to the excel file.

Oh ya, thanks for the code.

Stephen

[#6 · Accepted solution]

Well, it sounds like you have the key portion under control. I put together the following subroutine to add a record to the bottom of an Excel file. I seemed to be fighting with the Object Model a bit when it comes to using the Excel macro object Select. You may find an easier (or just more elegant) method for that portion.

Here's the code:

Sub Excel_AddRecord

NewKey = CLng(ActiveDocument.Variables("vMaxKey").GetContent.String) + 1
NewComment = ActiveDocument.Variables("vNewComment").GetContent.String

Set oXL=CreateObject("Excel.Application")

f_name="C:\Comments.xls"

Set oWB=oXL.Workbooks.Open(f_name)
Set oSH=oWB.Worksheets.Item(1)

oSH.Range("A65536").End(-4162).Offset(1, 0).FormulaR1C1 = NewKey
oSH.Range("A65536").End(-4162).Offset(0, 1).FormulaR1C1 = NewComment

ActiveDocument.Variables("vMaxKey").SetContent NewKey, true

oWB.Save
oWB.Close

Set oSH=nothing
Set oWB=nothing
Set oXL=nothing
End Sub

This was enjoyable to figure out. It seems like we could gain some additional power within QlikView applications by using specialized Excel files. I hope it helps solve your problem.

[#7]

Works perfectly.

OK, now that I can add comments, the user may add one and decide that they want to delete it.

Column A of the Excel file holds the unique index number (YearMonthCostCenterAccount for example: 20093US012334999).

Based on the selections in the QV document I know what the unique index is, but how do I find that index in column a of the excel file and then delete that specific row?

[#8]

Here you go:

Sub Excel_DeleteRow
MatchKey = CLng(ActiveDocument.Variables("vMatchKey").GetContent.String)

Set oXL=CreateObject("Excel.Application")

f_name="C:\Comments.xls"

Set oWB=oXL.Workbooks.Open(f_name)
Set oSH=oWB.Worksheets.Item(1)

oSH.Cells.Find(MatchKey, , , , 1, 2).EntireRow.Delete

oWB.Save
oWB.Close

Set oSH=nothing
Set oWB=nothing
Set oXL=nothing
END SUB

I'm not sure about the exact options you would want to use with the Cells.Find( command. This was lifted from another project, but it worked on my sample Excel file.

[#9]

Not sure what is going, but the "oSH.Cells.Find(MatchKey, , , , 1, 2).EntireRow.Delete" doesn't seem to want to delete anything. Have verified that the MatchKey is correct and it is and is in column A. No error messages appear either

Will work on it tomorrow.

[#10]

It could be caused by the parameters of the Find function. I have an Excel macro that uses Find and here is what it calls each parameter:

Find(What To Find, Search After, Look In, Look At, Search Order, Search Direction, Match Case)

It looks like mine might not have included the Match Case parameter. My keys were numeric, so it didn't matter in testing. In order to ignore case and to search for any match, I should change it to:

oSH.Cells.Find(MatchKey, , , 2, 1, 2, 0).EntireRow.Delete

You could try to open your Excel doc and then record a macro of you manually searching for a key. Then look at the macro code and it should give you the options that made it work. All of my samples are too simple to expose the limitations of the Find function.