Date:         Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:12:45 -0400
Reply-To:     Arthur Tabachneck <art297@NETSCAPE.NET>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Arthur Tabachneck <art297@NETSCAPE.NET>
Subject:      Re: DDE Excel problem -- dealing with multiple Excel sessions
Comments: To: mischman@GMAIL.COM

Couldn't you avoid the clash by simply specifying which workbook you were
trying to access, rather than 'excel|system'?  See, e.g.,
http://www.listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0110E&L=sas-l&D=0&P=23431

HTH,
Art
---------
On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:49:19 -0700, mischman <mischman@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

>Everything works great unless there happens to be another instance of
>Excel running, in which case everything turns into chaos.  I use a
>standard DDE routine to open an Excel session (see below).  The
>problems occur when I try to write to Excel further on down in the
>program -- I end up writing results to the wrong Excel session, or
>worse.  Any suggestions?
>
>%macro openExcel();
>      options noxsync noxwait;
>      filename sas2xl dde 'excel|system'; * reference to open/close
>excel ;
>      data _null_;
>            length fid rc start stop time 8;
>            fid=fopen('sas2xl','s');
>            if (fid le 0) then do;
>                  rc=system('start excel');
>                  start=datetime();
>                  stop=start+10;
>                  do while (fid le 0);
>                        fid=fopen('sas2xl','s');
>                        time=datetime();
>                        if (time ge stop) then fid=1;
>                  end;
>            end;
>            rc=fclose(fid);
>      run;
>%mend openExcel;