Error getting excel to open a file

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
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#1

I’ve learned that nothing in Apple script is simple. My script:

set docpath to ((path to documents folder) as text) & "blockedemail.xls"
tell application "Microsoft Excel"
	Open docpath
end tell

gets this error:

Microsoft Excel got an error: “Users-home:dennisputnam:Documents:blockedemail.xls” doesn’t understand the Open message.

I don’t have a clue what the error message is telling me. Can someone help? TIA.

#2

You need to coerce your string to an alias, file reference, etc. Just passing a string will not work.

set docpath to ((path to documents folder) as Unicode text) & "blockedemail.xls"
tell application "Microsoft Excel"
	Open (docpath as alias)
end tell

Jon

#3

Thanks but that doesn’t work either. Same error. I copy and pasted your script to make sure I didn’t get any typos.

#4

Huh, oddly enough, your first script works for me. for some reason (and this is wrong) Excel is accepting the path as string but not as an alias. If the first script you posted doesn’t work, then most likely, the file isn’t in your Documents folder or its name is not what you think it is.

Jon

#5

I copied and pasted the file path into the excel chooser and it opened fine. That eliminates any possibility of my eyes missing a typo in the file name. So the file exists but I still get that dumb error. I also tried several other excel files and they all do the same thing. I think I’ll try opening Word instead to see if that works. That may tell me if it is a problem with Office or just Excel.

#6

Isn’t this interesting. Not only does Word work but it can even open the suspect file. Just change ‘Excel’ to ‘Word’ in your script and bingo! That must mean there is a problem with Excel but what could it be.

#7

Sorry guy’s But your code doesn’t work on my 10.4.7 system with Office 2004 and AppleScript 1.10.6.

I don’t know what really go wrong but I don’t get an error. I’m trying to op an csv file but nothing happens.

I made an solution, not an regular way to open an file for an application but it works, and that’s what we’re looking for aren’t we?

Only problem here is that the open command doesn’t wait till the document is fully opened but returns directly. So the script is going further while the document isn’t open. that’s why I put the repeat in this function to get the name of document 1. As long the document isn’t fully opened then excel will return missing value. WIth the repeat we will know when document 1 is fully opened and continue the script.

on openExcelFile(theFile)
	tell application "Microsoft Excel"
		activate
		close every document without saving
	end tell
	do shell script "open -a '/Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Microsoft Excel' " & quoted form of theFile
	set theDoc to missing value
	repeat while theDoc is missing value
		set theDoc to loadDocName()
		delay 0.5
	end repeat
	return theDoc
end openExcelFile

on loadDocName()
	tell application "Microsoft Excel"
		set theDoc to name of document 1
	end tell
end loadDocName