Passing value to excel inputbox from VB.NET

Question

I am trying to automate data population on some excel sheets that have some macros. Now the excel is protected and I cannot get the secret key. Now I am able to run the macr

Answer 1

Currently, I employ a method where I run a thread before the macro is called by the script. The thread checks if the inputbox has been called. If it is, it picks up the value from the location and using sendkeys, submits the box.

This is a rudimentary solution but I was hoping for a more elegant solution to this problem.

My solution Code:

Public Class Form1
    Dim excelApp As New Excel.Application
    Dim excelWorkbook As Excel.Workbook
    Dim excelWorkSheet As Excel.Worksheet

    Private Sub Button4_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button4.Click
        excelWorkbook = excelApp.Workbooks.Open("D:/excelSheets/some_excel.xls")
        excelApp.Visible = True

        excelWorkSheet = excelWorkbook.Sheets("SheetName")

        With excelWorkSheet
            .Range("B7").Value = "Value"
        End With

        Dim trd = New Thread(Sub() Me.SendInputs("ValueForInputBox"))
        trd.IsBackground = True
        trd.Start()

        excelApp.Run("macroName")
        trd.Join()
        releaseObject(trd)

        excelApp.Quit()
        releaseObject(excelApp)
        releaseObject(excelWorkbook)
    End Sub
    Private Sub releaseObject(ByVal obj As Object)
       Try
           System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(obj)
           obj = Nothing
       Catch ex As Exception
           obj = Nothing
       Finally
           GC.Collect()
       End Try
    End Sub
    Private Sub SendInputs(ByVal noOfIds As String)
        Thread.Sleep(100)
        SendKeys.SendWait(noOfIds)
        SendKeys.SendWait("{ENTER}")
        SendKeys.SendWait("{ENTER}")
    End Sub