Applescript will not record Excel actions.

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

I am a basic Applescript user, have successfully used it in OS9 with Excel for many years. I have recently changed over to OSX and am now running 10.4.3 and Office 2004 Excel v11.2.

I cannot get Applescript (Sript Editor v2.1.1) to record anything from Excel. Actions in the finder are recorded fine, but not a thing in Excel. Applescript recognises Excel when I drag the Excel icon onto the Script Editor icon.

Do I need to install extra files for Office 2004 or more system files for Applescript?
I have no Applescript plug-ins installed either - does Office 2004 need one?

thanks in advance
kevin

Model: Powerbook 15" Titanium G4
AppleScript: Script Editor v2.1.1
Browser: Safari 416.13
Operating System: Mac OS X (10.4)

#2

Kevin:

I do not believe the latest version is recordable at all. Microsoft has assembled a rather frightening dictionary that is really not much more than converted Visual Basic. I have had some limited success with scripting Word and Excel, but only by copying and modifying their example scripts.

Good luck,

#3

Many thanks for solving the puzzle, even though it does not get me much further forward. I will try my hand at directly writing the required scripts but am unsure of my abilities in that area - never too late to learn!

Are you aware if Microsoft have any intention to improve this situation or is it case of them permanently ceasing to properly support Applescript?

Once again thanks.
Kevin

#4

No clue. This topic arises here in the forum every few weeks or so, so if you search the bbs, you may find others that have enquired, and may possibly be working on Excel scripts. Don’t be afraid of sending direct e-mail requests to those individuals; you may hit pay dirt with one or more of them. Unfortunately, no one has come forward of late proffering scripting advice for MS products, in their current versions.

#5

Hey Kevin,

One approach I’ve used (with MS Word) is to record a macro within Word. Then, in your AppleScript:

tell app “Microsoft Word”

do Visual Basic “Application.Run "NameOfRecordedVBAMacro"”

end tell

This would probably work for Excel, too.

Ted