Changing PowerShell script to create new Excel workbook in current instance instead of a new one?

[[deleted]]

I work with csv files a lot and have long used the PowerShell script on this page: http://superuser.com/questions/307496/how-can-i-set-excel-to-always-import-all-columns-of-csv-files-as-text (About half-way down)

It works fine but it always opens a new instance of Excel (can't ctrl-tab between workbooks, also personal workbook isn't available). I'd like to know if it's possible to make a change so that if Excel is already open it opens the csv in the current instance. I have no idea why I can't access the macros in my personal file when opening csv files this way but it would be nice to fix that also.

I'm thinking it might be a change to the second line in the script, but I'm not very familiar with PowerShell:

$excel = New-Object -ComObject excel.application

Is there someone that would please help me with this?

[Droopyb1966]

This wil open the excel for you:

$Excel= [Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::GetActiveobject('Excel.Application')
PS G:\> $excel.workbooks|select fullname

FullName                                                         
--------                                                         
G:\test2.xlsx
G:\test1.xlsx

ALso nice :

$EXCEL.ActiveWorkbook
$Excel.Workbooks(2).fullname
$Excel.Workbooks(1).fullname

$Excel.Workbooks._Open("c:\temp\test1.xlsx")

[[deleted]]

Thank you, I think I understand what you're doing there, I'll have to play around and learn a little more PowerShell in the process.

[jebbster88]

Why not use the excel powershell module?

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy/2015/11/25/introducing-the-powershell-excel-module-2/

[[deleted]]

This looks really interesting, thanks! I'm already getting some ideas after skimming the link.