How can I open a blank MS Word Document and MS Excel Document from a template using shell function?

For Word you use the /t switch
Shell ("C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\WINWORD.EXE /tTemplateName")

Thanks Graham,

However I put the template name in and a message box is displayed saying file not found. Any suggestions?

It needs the full path of the template and it's best to put it in quotes in case there are spaces in the path string.

Cheers,

That works fine. Do you know how to make the document visible? At the moment it opens fine but is minimised.

Shell ("C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\WINWORD.EXE /tTemplateName", vbMaximizedFocus)


See this link for other options...

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vbenlr98/html/vafctShell.asp

Try Shell(...,1)

might find this useful:
http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros/reference.html

Shell ("C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\WINWORD.exe C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\(location of the template file)", vbMaximizedFocus)

Basically, to break that statement down, it is as follows:

Shell ("PATH TO APPLICATION then FILE TO OPEN", SET THE FOCUS)

I would rather suggest using OLE automation. That is more efficient and provides much greater control including using templates.

Yes, I agree Ranjeet, but this is Gareth's first question & he may not be ready for that.

Yes, I am not sure about OLE.

Does anyone know how to open an excel template. I have tried the same process as Word but have been unsuccessful. Thank for your help so far

Forgot to say that you should set a reference to the Microsoft Excel library.

Now you have written the code I know how to implement OLE automation.
I will try this and see what happens thanks

I was trying to keep it simple, because I thought you had a particular need to use the Shell function.

However, now that we're going down tha route, a bit of advice:

Apart from how you get the Application object, the code is virtually the same as in VBA, where it is called Application, and is the default object.

If you haven't written any VBA, you can get to an application's IDE by opening the application and pressing Alt-F11

Ok thanks for the advice. I am building a user interface which offers the user various templates for them to open, fill out, then save to their hard drive.

Will try OLE

Something like this would be simple enough!


public sub Sleep(byval duration as integer)
   dim x as integer
   for x = 1 to duration * 10000
        doevents
   next x
end sub

Sorry!rong thread! Please ignore my last post :)