fast way to read excel range into array?

[sigil]

I have a 400 x 250 Excel sheet, and I'd like to read its contents into an AutoIt array (using COM of course). But making individual _ExcelReadCell calls in nested For..Next loops, which is what _ExcelReadSheetToArray() does, is really slow. I'm hoping there's a way I can just read the whole sheet as a range "R1C1:R400C250" and give that range to AutoIt as a 2D array.

I'm having a little trouble finding what I need in VBA, though. Just calling excelObject.range("cellA:cellB") doesn't return an array, it returns a Range object. Is there a way I can return an array of cell values, or do I have to loop through them all to build that array in a way that will let me pass it to AutoIt?

[jchd]

It seems to me that _ExcelReadSheetToArray() is close to your best bet. Each value grabbed from Excel has to be instanciated in an AutoIt variant anyway and it's possible that's where cycles go. Remember that you can store anything in an AutoIt array, so variant ctor has to be called on the fly. I may be overlooking a faster way, but that's how I see things.

[dani]

If you don't want to use _ExcelReadSheetToArray() you can try using the COM model of Excel yourself in one way or another. Dig through the Excel Object Model Reference, it contains everything you need.

[PsaltyDS]

Hmm... don't have Excel here to test with, but I'm curious if something like this might return an array variant directly from Excel:

$aArray = $oExcel.Activesheet.Range("A1:B20").Resize(2,20)
If IsArray($aArray) Then _ArrayDisplay($aArray, "$aArray")

[sigil]

Hmm... don't have Excel here to test with, but I'm curious if something like this might return an array variant directly from Excel:

$aArray = $oExcel.Activesheet.Range("A1:B20").Resize(2,20)
If IsArray($aArray) Then _ArrayDisplay($aArray, "$aArray")

IsArray() returned False for this code. Resize returns a Range object, not a variant.

[PsaltyDS]

How about value of the range?

$aArray = $oExcel.Activesheet.Range("A1:B20").Value
If IsArray($aArray) Then _ArrayDisplay($aArray, "$aArray")

I found several VBA examples on Google where a variable is declared as a variant and set to the value(s) of a range, which should be an array.

(Sorry, I would answer my own question, but I'm happily living in OOo-land now and don't have Excel on this box.)

[sigil]

How about value of the range?

$aArray = $oExcel.Activesheet.Range("A1:B20").Value
If IsArray($aArray) Then _ArrayDisplay($aArray, "$aArray")

I found several VBA examples on Google where a variable is declared as a variant and set to the value(s) of a range, which should be an array.

(Sorry, I would answer my own question, but I'm happily living in OOo-land now and don't have Excel on this box.)

Wow.

Hours of coding have officially been saved.

Many thanks.

[PsaltyDS]

Wow.

Hours of coding have officially been saved.

Many thanks.

I can't tell if that's sarcastic or it worked...

Saving a big "Whoot!" only for if it worked.

[Tvern]

I can't tell if that's sarcastic or it worked...

Saving a big "Whoot!" only for if it worked.

You get a cookie! Can't believe how well that works.

[jchd]

Can you elaborate and post a small working example?

If there's a way to have the standard UDF work significantly better, that would be useful. Also, perhaps a smart solution could benefit other COM applications as well, and their correcponding UDF here.

[PsaltyDS]

You get a cookie! Can't believe how well that works.

Whoo Hoo!

When I get somewhere with Excel loaded, I'll look into using that technique to tweak _ExcelReadArray(), _ExcelWriteArray(), _ExcelReadSheetToArray() and _ExcelWriteSheetFromArray() for the performance improvement.

[Tvern]

Can you elaborate and post a small working example?

If there's a way to have the standard UDF work significantly better, that would be useful. Also, perhaps a smart solution could benefit other COM applications as well, and their correcponding UDF here.

example:

#Include <Excel.au3>
#include <Array.au3>
$oExcel = _ExcelBookOpen(@ScriptDir & "\test.xls",0)
$aArray = $oExcel.Activesheet.Range("A1:B20").Value
If IsArray($aArray) Then _ArrayDisplay($aArray, "$aArray")
_ExcelBookClose($oExcel)

Create test.xls in the same folder and put some data in it.

Note that colums are returned as rows and vice versa.

Infact the UDF might be slowed down by reformatting the array.

[PsaltyDS]

Note that colums are returned as rows and vice versa.

Infact the UDF might be slowed down by reformatting the array.

I believe there is a .Transpose method for that in the Excel scripting interface. More stuff to play with when I get a chance.

[jchd]

How nice. Could be transposed to several COM stuff as well.

[sigil]

I can't tell if that's sarcastic or it worked...

Saving a big "Whoot!" only for if it worked.

Sorry that wasn't clear. It worked very well. Thanks very much for helping me solve that problem.

[antonioj84]

here is the proper way folks if i can save someone time

#include <Excel.au3>
#include <File.au3>
#include <Array.au3>



Local $oExcel =_Excel_Open()


$datawb = _Excel_BookOpen($oExcel,@ScriptDir & "\test.xls")
$datawb.worksheets("info").select
$LastRow = $datawb.ActiveSheet.UsedRange.Rows.Count
$mydata = _Excel_RangeRead($datawb, Default, "A1:AI" & $LastRow)
If IsArray($mydata) Then _ArrayDisplay($mydata)


_Excel_BookClose($datawb)

 

[water]

Most of the participating users have been offline for years And a lot has changed in AutoIt - especially since I have rewritten the Excel UDF
Your example needs a few comment lines so that users can see that you "only" read a few columns from a spcific worksheet.

[antonioj84]

 hey Water, actually I can read everything, " I am not limited  to a few columns"my range is from column A1 to AI

Local $oExcel =_Excel_Open(false)  ; instantiate and hide excel

$datawb = _Excel_BookOpen($oExcel,@ScriptDir & "\s5315.xlsm", 0) ;assign data to $datawb
$datawb.worksheets("info").select                                 ; select info tab
$LastRow = $datawb.ActiveSheet.UsedRange.Rows.Count               ; determine last row
$mydata = _Excel_RangeRead($datawb, Default, "A1:AI" & $LastRow)   ; read range from A1 to AI
;If IsArray($mydata) Then _ArrayDisplay($mydata)                  ; display spreadsheet data in the array


_Excel_BookClose($datawb,True)

A1  to AI  until the last row

[water]

Then set the range to "Default" and the function returns all used cells.

[antonioj84]

"Then set the range to "Default" and the function returns all used cells."

Hey Water ,  excellent point actually

I change this   

$mydata = _Excel_RangeRead($datawb, Default, "A1:AI" & $LastRow)   ; read range from A1 to AI

to that

$mydata = _Excel_RangeRead($datawb,Default,Default )

 

Edited October 12, 2016 by antonioj84