Excel Server: Why oh why oh why...

Here is a little demo I wrote:

unit ExcellDemo01;

interface

uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs,
  Comobj,ActiveX, StdCtrls, Grids,Excel_TLB;

type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    Button1: TButton;
    Button2: TButton;
    Button3: TButton;
    Button4: TButton;
    Button5: TButton;
    OpenDialog1: TOpenDialog;
    StringGrid1: TStringGrid;
    Button6: TButton;
    procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
    procedure Button2Click(Sender: TObject);
    procedure Button3Click(Sender: TObject);
    procedure Button4Click(Sender: TObject);
    procedure Button5Click(Sender: TObject);
    procedure Button6Click(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
  public
    { Public declarations }
   Function CheckIfValidToMakeACall : Boolean;
  end;

var
  Form1: TForm1;
  ExcelApp : Variant;

implementation

{$R *.DFM}

// Open Excell
procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
(*  try
    // if Excell is already open then connect to it
    ExcelApp := GetActiveOleObject('Excel.Application');
  except
    // otherwise open up a new connection
    ExcelApp := CreateOleObject('Excel.Application');
  end;*)


  ExcelApp := CoApplication_.Create;

  // Display Excell
  ExcelApp.Visible := True;

(* ok here is how to minimize / maximize Excell
  //The VB constants are not declared in delphi so we need to use the enumerated value for
  //the constant eg xlNormal = 1 where xlNormal is a window state.
  //1 = xlNormal
  //2 = xlMinimized
  //3 = xlMaximized
  ExcelApp.WindowState := 3; // this is maximize
*)

end;


// Open an Excell file
procedure TForm1.Button2Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  if (OpenDialog1.Execute) then
  begin
    //Opens up the excel template file, file returned from the ini file
    try
      ExcelApp.WorkBooks.Open(OpenDialog1.FileName);
    except on exception do
      begin
        messagedlg('Could not open ' + OpenDialog1.FileName,mterror,[mbok],0);
        exit;
      end;
    end;
  end;
end;

// Put in some values
procedure TForm1.Button3Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  LoopCol : char;
  LoopRow : Integer;
begin
  if CheckIfValidToMakeACall = false then exit;
  For LoopCol := 'E' to 'J' do
  begin
    For LoopRow := 5 to 10 do
    begin
      ExcelApp.WorkBooks[1].ActiveSheet.range[LoopCol+IntToStr(LoopRow)].Value := LoopCol+IntToStr(LoopRow);
    end;
  end;
end;


// Open a new workbook
procedure TForm1.Button4Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  ExcelApp.WorkBooks.Add;
end;


// get some data
procedure TForm1.Button5Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  LoopCol : char;
  Col : integer;
  LoopRow : Integer;
begin

  if CheckIfValidToMakeACall = false then exit;

  Col := 5;
  For LoopCol := 'E' to 'J' do
  begin
    For LoopRow := 5 to 10 do
    begin
      StringGrid1.Cells[Col-5,LoopRow-5] :=
        ExcelApp.WorkBooks[1].ActiveSheet.range[LoopCol+IntToStr(LoopRow)].Text;
    end;
  inc(Col);
  end;
end;

procedure TForm1.Button6Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  ExcelApp.Quit;
end;



// Excell will not allow an ole call if a cell is being edited thus we need to check this
// before making a call
function TForm1.CheckIfValidToMakeACall: Boolean;
var
  CallRejectionTest : String;
begin
  result := True;
  try
    CallRejectionTest := ExcelApp.WorkBooks[1].ActiveSheet.range['A1'].Text;
  except  on exception do
    begin
      messagedlg('Please make sure you are not currently editing a cell in Excell!!',mterror,[mbok],0);
      result := False;
    end;
  end;
end;

end.


you will need to import the Excel8.olb file using project import type library.. this will convert this file into a _tlb.pas file. include that _tlb.pas file in your project.

should work
Rob;-)