Reference C# object from within Excel

[frankplank]

Hi *,
I'm wondering if it is possible to create a C# object, and reference it
*explicitly* in an excel document. I imagine this will be more
possible if I programmatically populate the excel sheet cells, but I
would like to avoid this. I'm thinking something like this:

object1:
DataArray[][] ...;
GetValue(StringVal) ; // get value of data array, based on string

then within excel, I have cell references:
=object1.GetValue(StringValA)

----------------------------------

Also, if this is possible, I wonder how I trigger the creation of the
object's data values, which would be read from a delimited file.

Thanks very much,
Frank

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

Frank,

Do you mean you want to connect to a running instance of a .NET object,
or you want to create a .NET object in Excel? If the answer is the latter,
then you can access most .NET objects through COM interop. Check out the
section of the .NET documentation titled "Exposing .NET Framework Components
to COM", located at (watch for line wrap):

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...cominterop.asp

If the answer is the former, you might want to use a web service (a bit
of overkill), or a serviced component (COM+).

Hope this helps.
--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com

"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...

Hi *,
I'm wondering if it is possible to create a C# object, and reference it
*explicitly* in an excel document. I imagine this will be more
possible if I programmatically populate the excel sheet cells, but I
would like to avoid this. I'm thinking something like this:

object1:
DataArray[][] ...;
GetValue(StringVal) ; // get value of data array, based on string

then within excel, I have cell references:
=object1.GetValue(StringValA)

----------------------------------

Also, if this is possible, I wonder how I trigger the creation of the
object's data values, which would be read from a delimited file.

Thanks very much,
Frank

[frankplank]

Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for your response. I would say I am interested more in the
latter. To put it briefly, I'm in a situation where I have an existing
automated reporting (excel based) system that pulls it's source data
from a delimited file into a worksheet. The references (for
calculations, charts, etc.) within the worksheet are all dependent on
the cell position in excel, which is all dependent on the format of the
delimited file. So, when the file format changes, all the references
need to be shifted by 1 (or more)manually.

My idea is to put a middle layer (.net object) that reads the delimited
file, internally maps the values by a more useful type, and then
exposes the data structure to a callable function to the worksheet. So
instead of referencing (for example) =C1, I would use
=GetVal("TotalRevenuesWeek2").

Originally, I was hoping to programmatically populate the whole excel
workbook through C#, but specifying the chart looked rather ghastly.

Thanks, Frank

Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP] wrote:

Frank,

Do you mean you want to connect to a running instance of a .NET object, or you want to create a .NET object in Excel? If the answer is the latter, then you can access most .NET objects through COM interop. Check out the section of the .NET documentation titled "Exposing .NET Framework Components to COM", located at (watch for line wrap):

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...cominterop.asp
If the answer is the former, you might want to use a web service (a bit of overkill), or a serviced component (COM+).

Hope this helps.
--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com

"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...

Hi *,
I'm wondering if it is possible to create a C# object, and reference it *explicitly* in an excel document. I imagine this will be more
possible if I programmatically populate the excel sheet cells, but I would like to avoid this. I'm thinking something like this:

object1:
DataArray[][] ...;
GetValue(StringVal) ; // get value of data array, based on string
then within excel, I have cell references:
=object1.GetValue(StringValA)

----------------------------------

Also, if this is possible, I wonder how I trigger the creation of the object's data values, which would be read from a delimited file.

Thanks very much,
Frank

[Fredrik Wahlgren]

Hi

I think you want to know about Automation Add-ins.
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/excelnetauto.asp

Best Regards,
Fredrik
"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for your response. I would say I am interested more in the
latter. To put it briefly, I'm in a situation where I have an existing
automated reporting (excel based) system that pulls it's source data
from a delimited file into a worksheet. The references (for
calculations, charts, etc.) within the worksheet are all dependent on
the cell position in excel, which is all dependent on the format of the
delimited file. So, when the file format changes, all the references
need to be shifted by 1 (or more)manually.

My idea is to put a middle layer (.net object) that reads the delimited
file, internally maps the values by a more useful type, and then
exposes the data structure to a callable function to the worksheet. So
instead of referencing (for example) =C1, I would use
=GetVal("TotalRevenuesWeek2").

Originally, I was hoping to programmatically populate the whole excel
workbook through C#, but specifying the chart looked rather ghastly.

Thanks, Frank

Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP] wrote:

Frank,

Do you mean you want to connect to a running instance of a .NET

object,

or you want to create a .NET object in Excel? If the answer is the

latter,

then you can access most .NET objects through COM interop. Check out

the

section of the .NET documentation titled "Exposing .NET Framework

Components

to COM", located at (watch for line wrap):

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...cominterop.asp

If the answer is the former, you might want to use a web service

(a bit

of overkill), or a serviced component (COM+).

Hope this helps.
--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com

"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...

Hi *,
I'm wondering if it is possible to create a C# object, and reference it *explicitly* in an excel document. I imagine this will be more
possible if I programmatically populate the excel sheet cells, but I would like to avoid this. I'm thinking something like this:

object1:
DataArray[][] ...;
GetValue(StringVal) ; // get value of data array, based on string
then within excel, I have cell references:
=object1.GetValue(StringValA)

----------------------------------

Also, if this is possible, I wonder how I trigger the creation of the object's data values, which would be read from a delimited file.

Thanks very much,
Frank

[frankplank]

Hello,
Thanks for your response. Can automation add-ins be used on Excel
2002, for Windows 2000 ? This article suggests it is only available
for 2002 on XP. Thanks, Frank
Fredrik Wahlgren wrote:

Hi

I think you want to know about Automation Add-ins.
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/excelnetauto.asp

Best Regards,
Fredrik
"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for your response. I would say I am interested more in the
latter. To put it briefly, I'm in a situation where I have an existing automated reporting (excel based) system that pulls it's source data from a delimited file into a worksheet. The references (for
calculations, charts, etc.) within the worksheet are all dependent on the cell position in excel, which is all dependent on the format of the delimited file. So, when the file format changes, all the references need to be shifted by 1 (or more)manually.

My idea is to put a middle layer (.net object) that reads the delimited file, internally maps the values by a more useful type, and then
exposes the data structure to a callable function to the worksheet. So instead of referencing (for example) =C1, I would use
=GetVal("TotalRevenuesWeek2").

Originally, I was hoping to programmatically populate the whole excel workbook through C#, but specifying the chart looked rather ghastly.
Thanks, Frank

Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP] wrote:

Frank,

Do you mean you want to connect to a running instance of a ..NET

object,

or you want to create a .NET object in Excel? If the answer is

the latter,

then you can access most .NET objects through COM interop. Check

out the

section of the .NET documentation titled "Exposing .NET Framework

Components

to COM", located at (watch for line wrap):

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...cominterop.asp
If the answer is the former, you might want to use a web service

(a bit

of overkill), or a serviced component (COM+).

Hope this helps.
--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com

"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
> Hi *,
> I'm wondering if it is possible to create a C# object, and

reference it

> *explicitly* in an excel document. I imagine this will be more
> possible if I programmatically populate the excel sheet cells,

but I

> would like to avoid this. I'm thinking something like this:
>
> object1:
> DataArray[][] ...;
> GetValue(StringVal) ; // get value of data array, based on

string

>
> then within excel, I have cell references:
> =object1.GetValue(StringValA)
>
> ----------------------------------
>
> Also, if this is possible, I wonder how I trigger the creation

of the

> object's data values, which would be read from a delimited

file. >
> Thanks very much,
> Frank
>

[Fredrik Wahlgren]

Yes. Only the version of Excel matters.

/Fredrik

"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...

Hello,
Thanks for your response. Can automation add-ins be used on Excel
2002, for Windows 2000 ? This article suggests it is only available
for 2002 on XP. Thanks, Frank
Fredrik Wahlgren wrote:

Hi

I think you want to know about Automation Add-ins.
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/excelnetauto.asp

Best Regards,
Fredrik
"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for your response. I would say I am interested more in the
latter. To put it briefly, I'm in a situation where I have an existing automated reporting (excel based) system that pulls it's source data from a delimited file into a worksheet. The references (for
calculations, charts, etc.) within the worksheet are all dependent on the cell position in excel, which is all dependent on the format of the delimited file. So, when the file format changes, all the references need to be shifted by 1 (or more)manually.

My idea is to put a middle layer (.net object) that reads the delimited file, internally maps the values by a more useful type, and then
exposes the data structure to a callable function to the worksheet. So instead of referencing (for example) =C1, I would use
=GetVal("TotalRevenuesWeek2").

Originally, I was hoping to programmatically populate the whole excel workbook through C#, but specifying the chart looked rather ghastly.
Thanks, Frank

Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP] wrote:
> Frank,
>
> Do you mean you want to connect to a running instance of a .NET object,
> or you want to create a .NET object in Excel? If the answer is the latter,
> then you can access most .NET objects through COM interop. Check out the
> section of the .NET documentation titled "Exposing .NET Framework
Components
> to COM", located at (watch for line wrap):
>
>

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...cominterop.asp

>
> If the answer is the former, you might want to use a web service (a bit
> of overkill), or a serviced component (COM+).
>
> Hope this helps.
>
>
> --
> - Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
> - mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com
>
> "frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:11*********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
> > Hi *,
> > I'm wondering if it is possible to create a C# object, and
reference it
> > *explicitly* in an excel document. I imagine this will be more
> > possible if I programmatically populate the excel sheet cells, but I
> > would like to avoid this. I'm thinking something like this:
> >
> > object1:
> > DataArray[][] ...;
> > GetValue(StringVal) ; // get value of data array, based on
string
> >
> > then within excel, I have cell references:
> > =object1.GetValue(StringValA)
> >
> > ----------------------------------
> >
> > Also, if this is possible, I wonder how I trigger the creation of the
> > object's data values, which would be read from a delimited file. > >
> > Thanks very much,
> > Frank
> >

[Jens Thiel]

Hello Frank,

have a look at this:

http://www.managedxll.net/excel/net/...s.example.html

Best regards,
Jens.

--
http://ManagedXLL.net/
Replace MSDN with my first name when replying to my email address!

"frankplank" <fr**********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...

Hi *,
I'm wondering if it is possible to create a C# object, and reference it
*explicitly* in an excel document. I imagine this will be more
possible if I programmatically populate the excel sheet cells, but I
would like to avoid this. I'm thinking something like this:

object1:
DataArray[][] ...;
GetValue(StringVal) ; // get value of data array, based on string

then within excel, I have cell references:
=object1.GetValue(StringValA)

----------------------------------

Also, if this is possible, I wonder how I trigger the creation of the
object's data values, which would be read from a delimited file.

Thanks very much,
Frank