Re: using OLE or DDE to manipulate Excel in reports

From: Sybrand Bakker <postbus_at_sybrandb.demon.nl>
Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 23:51:59 +0200
Message-ID: <uetdm24ngq8n96_at_corp.supernews.com>


"Ryan Gaffuri" <rgaffuri_at_cox.net> wrote in message news:1efdad5b.0205241025.2e26e640_at_posting.google.com...
> I can get the data for my report to go to a .xls format, but reports
> does not handle the column headers properly. Id like to get those
> placed in as well. cant use the built in packages since when reports
> generates a text file it does not append, it over-rights and Id need
> to put this in the beginning. I can do this with c++, but Id like to
> keep it in reports.
>
> I checked out the forms oleexcel demo, but when I tried to run it,
> nothing happened. Not sure what I did wrong there.
>
> Id like to be able to do the follow.
>
> 1. Add column headers to my file.
> 2. Put them in bold. Add a sort of heading file to the beginning(not
> an excel header). its a header in the report. As I said I have to turn
> my header output off to make the file properly.
> 3. Id also like to put outlines around some of the fields so they look
> just like my .pdf file.
>
> I do not want to use any tools. We dont have the budget and Im dying
> to figure out how to do this. Can someone point me in the right
> direction? I dont know much of anything about Excel or the OLE or DDE?
> I dont even know the difference between OLE and DDE? Any books out
> there that can help me?

DDE is an acronym for Dynamic Data Exchange. It communicates with a client program, in your case Excel, using a pipe. Because of it's fragile nature it has been supplanted by OLE, Object Linking and Embedding.
In that case you define Excel as an object in your application. This will allow you to call the methods and classes of Excel. The language used in Excel for Ole Automation is called Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). If you have Excel you have VBA. Using VBA you can do *anything* with your sheet. Separate VBA books exist. Also the average advanced Excel book will discuss OLE. Finally, http://technet.microsoft.com definitely should have examples.

Good luck

--
Sybrand Bakker
Senior Oracle DBA

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Received on Fri May 24 2002 - 23:51:59 CEST

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