How to use FileConverters?

[Josh Orfanakis]

I am trying to understand how to convert files with Excel automation. I
see the parameter in the open method but I don't know what the possible
options are.

There is a readonly property Application.FileConverters but I don't know
how to do anything with that. I am new to VB so that is part of the
problem. VB says the fileconverters is a readonly property
fileconverters[index 1 as object], [index 2 as object], as object.
What does that mean? Is it a 2 dimensional array? How do I know what the
bounds of that are? How can I see what is in each entry?

What I am trying to do is open a non-excel file in excel without any
user interaction.

TIA
JO

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

workbooks.open Filename:="C:\Myfolder\Myfile.dat"

if Excel can open it, it will.

If you can't open it manually by doing File=>Open, then you won't be able to
do it in VBA (unless you want to read it in binary using low level file io
and write code to interpret the elements of the file).

The only reason you might want to use the converter property is if Excel
tries to open it with the wrong converter. Then you would look at the array
returned by application.Fileconverters to determine the row number of the
converter you want to use. The converter property tells excel to try that
converter first.

 

[Josh Orfanakis]

I was thinking along those lines but I would like to enforce a specific
converter. In addition I need to avoid any human interaction if
possible. So I thought the more I tell it the less it will try and ask
me. The problem is I don't know how to investigate the array returned
from application.FileConverters. Could you shed some light on that for
me? As I mentioned it appears to be multidimensional array, even if it
was a single I don't know how to do this in VB.

I am actually writing a C++ app but do my prototype in VB. In the TLH
file a _variant_t [ ] [ ] [ ] is returned from the GetFileConverters.
But that is a hurdle way down the list. First things first.

Thank you for your reply.

JO

workbooks.open Filename:="C:\Myfolder\Myfile.dat"

if Excel can open it, it will.

If you can't open it manually by doing File=>Open, then you won't be able to
do it in VBA (unless you want to read it in binary using low level file io
and write code to interpret the elements of the file).

The only reason you might want to use the converter property is if Excel
tries to open it with the wrong converter. Then you would look at the array
returned by application.Fileconverters to determine the row number of the
converter you want to use. The converter property tells excel to try that
converter first.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

I am trying to understand how to convert files with Excel automation. I
see the parameter in the open method but I don't know what the possible
options are.

There is a readonly property Application.FileConverters but I don't know
how to do anything with that. I am new to VB so that is part of the
problem. VB says the fileconverters is a readonly property
fileconverters[index 1 as object], [index 2 as object], as object.
What does that mean? Is it a 2 dimensional array? How do I know what the
bounds of that are? How can I see what is in each entry?

What I am trying to do is open a non-excel file in excel without any
user interaction.

TIA
JO

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

Sub Tester2()
Dim varr As Variant
varr = Application.FileConverters
Debug.Print LBound(varr, 1), UBound(varr, 1)
Debug.Print LBound(varr, 2), UBound(varr, 2)
For i = 1 To UBound(varr, 1)
Debug.Print varr(i, 1), varr(i, 2), varr(i, 3)
Next
End Sub

did you look in Excel VBA help for the FileConverters method?

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

I was thinking along those lines but I would like to enforce a specific
converter. In addition I need to avoid any human interaction if
possible. So I thought the more I tell it the less it will try and ask
me. The problem is I don't know how to investigate the array returned
from application.FileConverters. Could you shed some light on that for
me? As I mentioned it appears to be multidimensional array, even if it
was a single I don't know how to do this in VB.

I am actually writing a C++ app but do my prototype in VB. In the TLH
file a _variant_t [ ] [ ] [ ] is returned from the GetFileConverters.
But that is a hurdle way down the list. First things first.

Thank you for your reply.

JO

workbooks.open Filename:="C:\Myfolder\Myfile.dat"

if Excel can open it, it will.

If you can't open it manually by doing File=>Open, then you won't be able to
do it in VBA (unless you want to read it in binary using low level file io
and write code to interpret the elements of the file).

The only reason you might want to use the converter property is if Excel
tries to open it with the wrong converter. Then you would look at the array
returned by application.Fileconverters to determine the row number of the
converter you want to use. The converter property tells excel to try that
converter first.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

I am trying to understand how to convert files with Excel automation. I
see the parameter in the open method but I don't know what the possible
options are.

There is a readonly property Application.FileConverters but I don't know
how to do anything with that. I am new to VB so that is part of the
problem. VB says the fileconverters is a readonly property
fileconverters[index 1 as object], [index 2 as object], as object.
What does that mean? Is it a 2 dimensional array? How do I know what the
bounds of that are? How can I see what is in each entry?

What I am trying to do is open a non-excel file in excel without any
user interaction.

TIA
JO