Workbooks.Count doesn't work when excel cell is active

**nivanov** · 05-05-2009, 10:46 AM

I'm using IronPython (Python for C#) to access Excel via COM, but it looks like the COM interface is what's giving me trouble, so this should also apply to VBA. I notice that Application.Workbooks.Count only works sometimes. If I have a handle on Excel, I can usually go through the workbooks without any problems. However, if I double click on a cell in excel to enter the edit mode, I cannot access Workbooks.Count property. Listing all COM object properties on Workbooks, it looks like it just becomes an primitive object with no real properties. Here are all the properties of Workbooks collection when excel is not in an in-cell edit mode:

['Add', 'Application', 'CanCheckOut', 'CheckOut', 'Close', 'Count', 'CreateObjRef', 'Creator', 'Equals', 'Finalize', 'GetEnumerator', 'GetHashCode', 'GetLifetimeService', 'GetType', 'InitializeLifetimeService', 'Item', 'MakeDynamicType', 'MemberwiseClone', 'Open', 'OpenDatabase', 'OpenText', 'OpenXML', 'Parent', 'Reduce', 'ReferenceEquals', 'ToString', '_Open', '_OpenText', '_OpenXML', '__OpenText', '__class__', '__doc__', '__getitem__', '__init__', '__module__', '__new__', '__reduce__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__']

and here are all the properties when excel is in in-cell edit mode:

['CreateObjRef', 'Equals', 'Finalize', 'GetHashCode', 'GetLifetimeService', 'GetType', 'InitializeLifetimeService', 'MakeDynamicType', 'MemberwiseClone', 'Reduce', 'ReferenceEquals', 'ToString', '__class__', '__doc__', '__init__', '__module__', '__new__', '__reduce__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__']

Is there a different way to access workbooks? Or maybe there's a property on the Application object that could tell me if workbooks are accessible? Any help is appreciated, thanks!

**Leith Ross** · 05-05-2009, 11:46 AM

Hello nivanov,

IronPython is designed to work with the VB.Net framework. All COM library access is through VB.Net and not VBA. You need to post your question in a VB.Net group. The only thing VBA and VB.Net have in common is the letters VB. They are very different languages and not interchangeable.

**nivanov** · 05-05-2009, 11:49 AM

You are right in that IronPython works with .NET. However, as I mentioned above, it looks like it's a problem with Excel's COM interface, not IronPython's ability to connect to it. VBA also uses COM (as far as I know) so I figured this would be a good place to post this question. If it isn't, could you direct me to the appropriate forum section?

Thanks!

**shg** · 05-05-2009, 11:56 AM

In VBA, you can't run code when when Excel is in Edit mode.

**Leith Ross** · 05-05-2009, 11:57 AM

Hello nivanov,

Here are 2 Microsoft groups you can try. One is for .Net and the C#. Between these you should be able to find an answer.

microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb
microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.csharp

**nivanov** · 05-05-2009, 12:25 PM

to shg: Is there a way to query excel if it's in edit mode? I need to determine if excel is willing to accept COM commands. Thanks!

to Leith Ross: Thanks, I'll check them out.