Automated Forms issue

[Ken McLennan]

G'day there One & All,

Please forgive my indiscretion if I've contravened polite usage
of crossposting. I've not needed to send to more than one group before
so I'm unsure of the protocols or accepted practices.

I'm currently working on an automation project in which I have a
report in Word that refers to data in various Excel worksheets which are
of different layouts. The layouts are preset (by higher powers than my
humble position) in the database report builder and I have no ability to
influence the layouts or formats. To select which cells are referred to
for data I have a form in my Word document which is used to select &
open the appropriate Excel document - fortunately there is only a single
worksheet in each workbook - and then allow my users to simply click on
a cell to select the appropriate heading or list.

I don't want to hijack my user's systems and prevent them from
opening or using other applications (although a few of them are absolute
gumbys and that wouldn't be a bad idea) but I want to keep my automation
windows layered so that I have the Word document on the bottom, Excel
window next, then my userform. I don't care if anyone wants to check
their email while it's open, but when they come back to work on it I
want it to have my windows in that order.

At the moment, the form appears; I select & open the desired
workbook; I click the control to select the worksheet cell and when I
click the worksheet cell the Excel application is brought to the front
of the screen - which is exactly what I expected, but I want my modeless
form to remain on top as I switch Office applications.

Is it possible in some way to switch the parent of the form in
mid run? I've not found such a procedure and doubt it's possible but
more knowledgeable minds may be able to think of somehow to do it.

I don't know if it's possible to do any the above, but the only
alternative I can think of is to write code in Word to insert code in
Excel and its VBE that builds a userform with its code to run in the XL
app. Something I may spend weeks writing only to find it doesn't work
anyway.

Thanks for listening,

Ken McLennan
Qld, Australia

 

[JRF]

G'day there One & All,

        Please forgive my indiscretion if I've contravened polite usage
of crossposting. I've not needed to send to more than one group before
so I'm unsure of the protocols or accepted practices.

        I'm currently working on an automation project in which I have a
report in Word that refers to data in various Excel worksheets which are
of different layouts. The layouts are preset (by higher powers than my
humble position) in the database report builder and I have no ability to
influence the layouts or formats. To select which cells are referred to
for data I have a form in my Word document which is used to select &
open the appropriate Excel document - fortunately there is only a single
worksheet in each workbook - and then allow my users to simply click on
a cell to select the appropriate heading or list.

        I don't want to hijack my user's systems and prevent them from
opening or using other applications (although a few of them are absolute
gumbys and that wouldn't be a bad idea) but I want to keep my automation
windows layered so that I have the Word document on the bottom, Excel
window next, then my userform. I don't care if anyone wants to check
their email while it's open, but when they come back to work on it I
want it to have my windows in that order.

        At the moment, the form appears; I select & open the desired
workbook; I click the control to select the worksheet cell and when I
click the worksheet cell the Excel application is brought to the front
of the screen - which is exactly what I expected, but I want my modeless
form to remain on top as I switch Office applications.

        Is it possible in some way to switch the parent of the form in
mid run? I've not found such a procedure and doubt it's possible but
more knowledgeable minds may be able to think of somehow to do it.

        I don't know if it's possible to do any the above, but theonly
alternative I can think of is to write code in Word to insert code in
Excel and its VBE that builds a userform with its code to run in the XL
app. Something I may spend weeks writing only to find it doesn't work
anyway.

Thanks for listening,

Ken McLennan
Qld, Australia

It sounds like you have a fun project to work on. I'm not sure my
suggestions will help but I think I've had to do something similar in
the past. The way I would do this is to not display the word document
until the users were done selecting whatever value(s) they needed in
Excel. I would then instantiate an instance of word within Excel VBA,
use bookmarks to insert the values that were selected in excel, then
finally open the word document for display. I've not ever tried
anything like this while the word document was visible.

I know this is not exactly what you want to do but perhaps by reducing
the scope a bit you can get it done and move on rather than fight it
for the rest of your career.

Good Luck!

 

[JLGWhiz]

Check out ZOrder property and method in VBA help files. You could probably
use that to maintain the window order.

 

[JLGWhiz]

This might provide information more in the line you are looking for:

http://allapi.mentalis.org/tips/tip4.shtml

 

[Ken McLennan]

G'day there Jack,

It sounds like you have a fun project to work on. I'm not sure my
suggestions will help but I think I've had to do something similar in
the past.

You're right, it IS fun, but I'm certainly practising my
vocabulary of swear words It might be quite a bit easier if I had a

The way I would do this is to not display the word document
until the users were done selecting whatever value(s) they needed in
Excel. I would then instantiate an instance of word within Excel VBA,
use bookmarks to insert the values that were selected in excel, then
finally open the word document for display. I've not ever tried
anything like this while the word document was visible.

Nodnodnod. I can understand your thinking. I much prefer to work
in Excel's object model. Also, since the reports are exported as XL
workbooks it's just plain common sense to use it. Usually I'm bound by
what other people have designed and I'm stuck with trying adapt their
documents. Maybe this time I can have a win!!

If I can get it going properly I may be able to convince the
powers that be to use what I come up with. I know it will be adopted at
a local level since the people I work with will be pleased to have their
job simplified. Those higher up tend to want their own name attached to
any projects... especially successful ones.

I may be stuck with Word eventually, but I'll have a go at trying
to adapt the form to Excel. The main problem there will be trying to fit
various arbitrary table formats into something consistent. I can easily
write code for the formats I already know about, but I have to write
something that non pooter-literate staff can use to suit any report
formats that don't yet exist. Not impossible, but might be awkward. I'll
have a look at it anyway and see what I can do while continuing with
what I've started.

I know this is not exactly what you want to do but perhaps by reducing
the scope a bit you can get it done and move on rather than fight it
for the rest of your career.

Heeheechuckle!! My career is non existent. I program applications
for personal satisfaction and to assist my co-workers

...sometimes people even say "Thankyou!!"


Thanks for your suggestion,
Take care,
Ken McLennan
Qld, Australia

 

[Ken McLennan]

G'day there JLGWhiz,

Check out ZOrder property and method in VBA help files. You could probably
use that to maintain the window order.

That's what I thought might work but I can't find it in my Help
files. Well, perhaps I should qualify that...

According to my help files, ZOrder belongs to Word, Excel &
Forms. The Word files relate to drawing objects, the Excel to the order
of series, and the Forms to grouping controls.

I tried to use it with the Forms object, but it doesn't appear in
the autolist that pops up and when I ran it with "me.ZOrder" it spat the
dummy at me and causd a loud explosion with flames and debris all over
the screen. Well, to qualify once again it actually just stopped and
told me the method or data member wasn't found. Hence I'm assuming that
it's not a part of what I have to work with.

I'm guessing that it's probably in stand alone VB but not in
Excel or Word .

Thanks for helping
See ya
Ken McLennan
Qld, Australia

 

[Ken McLennan]

G'day there JLGWhiz,

This might provide information more in the line you are looking for:

http://allapi.mentalis.org/tips/tip4.shtml

You're right, that might just be what I'm looking for! I might
have to fiddle with where it's called, but it certainly looks workable.
I'll take that code to work and play with it there. Just 'cause it works
here at home doesn't mean that it will work at work <g>.

Thanks for helping,

Ken McLennan
Qld, Australia