Edit Excel files to automatically update into MATLAB

I am trying to figure out how to edit an excel file and have those changes automatically update into MATLAB. Currently I am stuck copy and pasting the data into MATLAB to keep those updated numbers. Finally, this excel is in a shared folder on Microsoft Teams. I am unable to download to my drive or import directly to MATLAB because anyone can make that update to change the values.

I've tried "actxserver('excel.application')" but received an error that it's not supported.

Thanks!

[Torsten]

How did you use the Excel data in MATLAB before changes were made to the Excel files ?

[Julia]

I use the Excel to create a variable with a vector of all the data information I need as an imput for MATLAB. For example "Lane = [3 1 4 3 3]". But if I want to change the values in the vector or add more values to that vector I do that in Excel. The issue is I need to copy that over to MATLAB with every change I or someone else makes.

Ultimately I am asking if I can get that to automatically update into MATLAB. For clarification I only want MATLAB to read one chosen cell in Excel to carry over, not the entire array.

[Torsten]

I use the Excel to create a variable with a vector of all the data information I need as an imput for MATLAB. For example "Lane = [3 1 4 3 3]".

But to make "Lane" available in MATLAB, you have to read the Excel File or parts of it from MATLAB, don't you ? And if changes were made to this vector, these changes would automatically taken over to MATLAB. And this is no longer possible now ?

[dpb]

You would need to have your MATLAB code read the Excel spreadsheet each time it needs a new value or integrate the two in one way or another. See <Using MATLAB with Excel>.

""actxserver('excel.application')" but received an error that it's not supported."

Which OS are you running under? COM is only available on Windows.

[Julia]

Torsten,

I was manually copy and pasting when changes were made. Currently I don't have any code (like readtable) that reads the file because that means I have to download and import into MATLAB which won't make changes to the Shared Excel file.

dpb,

I am on Windows 11 Enterprise, with OS build 26100.4652

[dpb]

It's the Teams interface that is the kicker; it blocks COM.

I have found it virtually impossible to do anything conventionally externally with shared drive/Teams in control; there's a whole different API set in play there, it appears.

You might consider submiting an official support request to Mathworks and see if they know of any useful tricks; I am not sure you can even manage to open the file from MATLAB without downloading a local copy; the shared url isn't directly accessing the file, but the MS front end application.

I don't know whether you can create a MATLAB addin for the Excel app inside the shared app that could drive the MATLAB app or not.

[Julia]

I figured that, but at least wanted to ask.

Thanks for the help and looking into my question!

Answer 1

[dpb]

I found a MS link that says you can open the shared file with the local desktop copy of Excel and then use COM through that interface -- I just tried opening a shared file and then used

>> excel=actxGetRunningServer('Excel.Application')
excel =
	COM.Excel_Application
>> excel.Workbooks
ans =
	Interface.000208DB_0000_0000_C000_000000000046
>> excel.ActiveWorkbook.Name
ans =
    'July24GLTemplateUpload.xls'
>> excel.ActiveWorkbook.Close(0)
>> excel.Quit
>> delete(excel)
>> clear excel

and lo! and behold!, it did connect to the existing server and saw the file...I had not realized before now that that actually would work that way.

You would have to have only the one instance running to ensure to connect to the correct one; if there is more than one running, then the OS determines which one is attached to; afaict at least with the MATLAB function there's no way to control which of multiple servers one would get.

But, it would appear this is at least a theoretically possible way to interact with the shared file.

I have scrupulously avoided installing MS Teams, so I can't test just what happens there; the cloud storage and urls instead of resolvable filenames are already too much hassle to try to use with MATLAB that can't resolve those into filenames...and the web interface is too painful by far to use for earnest (or "in anger" as my old Scottish friend used to say about beginning testing in the power plants).