Automating the Importing of Macros

Gary regularly receives an XLS file that is generated by someone outside his company. He then needs to import some macros into the workbook (or, bother!, copy them from a TXT file) and then save the workbook out in the XLSM format. Gary wonders if there is a way to automate this, such that he can run a macro that will import the macros he would normally add manually and then save the workbook in the proper format.

There is a way to automate it by using the VBProject object. If your external text file contains, essentially, Visual Basic modules, you can use the Import method to actually import those modules. It behaves exactly the same as if you were to use the Import capabilities of the Visual Basic Editor. Here's an example of some code you could use:

Sub AutomateImport()
    Const ModulePath As String = "C:\temp\code.txt"

    Dim thisTarget As Workbook
    Dim thisName As String

    Set thisTarget = ActiveWorkbook
    thisName = thisTarget.Name

    ' Save as XLSM file (neceassry before importing module)
    ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs thisName & ".xlsm", _
      FileFormat:=xlOpenXMLWorkbookMacroEnabled

    ' Import the VBA code required
    thisTarget.VBProject.VBComponents.Import ModulePath

    ' Save the workbook
    ActiveWorkbook.Save
End Sub

Note that the code saves the active workbook as an XLSM file before actually doing the import. This is necessary because the Import function may balk if you try to import a VBA module into a workbook that doesn't support macros. In addition, if you get an error when running the macro, you may want to check in the Visual Basic Editor that you've established a reference to the VBA Extensibility object library.

In order to use the macro, make sure you update the ModulePath constant so that it points right to the desired text file. The macro should also be stored in your Personal workbook so that it will be available whenever you are using Excel.

You might also profit by examining some code on Ron DeBruin's site which shows how to both import and export VBA code within a macro:

https://www.rondebruin.nl/win/s9/win002.htm

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